The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-04-11
Veteran Washington Photog-
rapher Gives His Expert
Opinion on the Posings OF
The Presidents.
ROOSEVELT WAS HARD
MAN TO HANDLE RIGHT
It Was Hard for Him to Stand
Still Long Enough-Mckin-
ley Was the Delight Of the
Profession.

Mr.. Taft is going to prove, l think,
the easiest poser for photographs or
all the presidents I've pointed the
camera at, and I've had the
lens on quite a number of Them, said
a Washington photographer. He
isn't particularly fond of having his
picture taken, and it's hard to get
him. But when he does face the lens
he falls naturally into the position,
doesn't have to be directed to smile,
doesn't stiffen up like so many pho-
Geographic subjects and generally
knows the game so we'll that all OF his
pictures are successful.
"Mr. Roosevelt was an excessively
hard man to pose for the camera. he
was what we call rigid subject. II
was impossible, it seemed, for him TO
fall easily and naturally into desir-
ed posture. He had to be bent. TWIST
ed and generally forced into the prop
err position. He unconsciously fought
the photographer, as we say. When
in the chair for bust picture he had
a way of thrusting his chin far for
ward in grotesquely aggressive way
which, in a picture. would make MIN
appear to be saying to the beholder OF
the portrait. Say, what's that you
say? Say it again! I double-dog-dare
you to say that again.
and he generally had the fidgets
when he faced the camera. 1t appear
stick to one position for more than
two seconds at a stretch. The very
1ow-cut turned-down collar that he al
ways wears appeared to bother him
considerably when he was under the
lens, and he had a way OF necessarily
grabbing at the front of the collar
with his right hand. as if he wanted
to yank it off and toss 1t away. His
hands appeared to be doing something
all the time, anyhow. l never photo
graphed man who had less natural
repose. l used to wonder how Mr.
Roosevelt ever slept at night-how he
got to sleep, that is.
"Once I photographed him as he sal
back in deep chair beside table. II
took me a good five minutes to pull
and haul and tug him about in the
chair SO that he'd look natural, and
he was so unyielding under this work
that it was like moving a sackful OF
steel billets. And he would persist in
sticking his chin forward in that chal
longing way, despite the fact that
yanked his head back half a dozen
| times.
"Mr. Roosevelt l finally had tc
say to him, hope I haven't said OF
done anything to cause you to looi
that way-as if you had a chip or
your shoulder and we're waiting fol
me to knock it Off And once agair
/ lowered his chin. He laughed good
| naturedly, and then I sneaked the
prongs Of the headrest up to his bach
hair, although I knew that he didn'1
like headrests.
CHOW. sir, If you'll just rest YOU
head against this l started to say az
1 essayed to fix the prongs of the
headrest to the back of his head
you'll have the right position, and
"'No. no. no! Take that thing
away. Take it away by all means
and at once!' he broke out. as soon al
he caught on to what l was doing
And he shot his head forward ava.
from the prongs, and l had to NOV
the headrest completely off the seem
before he was satisfied. TIL hold m.
head all right he went on. G.
ahead
He did pull his chin back hi
then, but he Immediately began t
beat a tattoo on the table beside hin
with his right hand. I requested hin
to Delay that drumming while l fe
cused him. and then he began to hea
the same kind of q tattoo on the lef
arm of his chair with his left hant
He smiled very broadly when / II
quested him to discontinue that, an
by this time he was huddled all in
bunch in the chair again, and ono
more had to take care of him an
unraveI some Of the knots of his rigi
! position. Finally l got the snap q
him, but the picture wasn't satisfa'
tory to me. although he appeared
like it. He was profoundly bored b
the time got through hauling hill
around in the chair, and when NJ
Roosevelt is bored his expressio
Is sort of sardonic. That's what allie
that picture. from my point of vfey
. In that picture his lips sort Of cury
away from his teeth and there is a
most a contemptuous expression