Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-02
THE NEWS IN PICTURES
BY Frederic j. Haskin
wv ASHINGTON, d. c., March 28.-Since
wv and during the recent presidential
campaign, that latest DEVELOPMENT of

photography, reached probably it's highest
point to date. The average reader hardly
realizes or appreciates the fact that his news
paper is enabling him to see the world and
it's great characters without budging from his
chair. The personalities OF the news
especially, are brought before him Just as
they live and work
Ten years ago the public man or woman
was comparatively safe from the camera
men. A posed studio picture showing the
subject at his or her best was all the public
expected or asked. The hero or villain of the
moment was shown in the newspaper attir-
ed in his Sunday best, wearing the expression
that usually accompanies such garments. A
woman appeared in public print adorned as
for ball OF some other forma" social func-
ton. If she possessed jewels she was shown
wearing thel-,, and her expression generally
was the complacent smirk that adorns the
face OF even the most modest of mortals when
told to "look pleasant, please"
There was no question of letting the pic
ture tell the story. From ~ the public
could learn from the pictures shown them,
their idols spent their entire time smiling
stiffly into space or gazing dreamily into the
heart of a rose. visiting princess and the
latest murderess received the same treat
ment.
Today the formal, posed studio picture,
though still used extensively, fails to satisfy
the newspaper reading public. The readers
Q0mduu 10 see Lu6lF IdFOflL6S DIS Cney WOfh
and play. They want to see them with their
hair mussed, if they are the kind whose hair
is apt to be unused. They want them human.
II the particular hero is baseball genius
the public wants to see him in action or at
home playing with his dogs and children.
If he is political hero they want to see him
busy at the desk where he habitually trans
acts business or out on the gClf links for
bit of exercise.
TIL, Whole Official Family
Nor does the public curiosit, stop at the
hero himself 1t is interested in his wife, his
children, his house, his servants, his dogs, his
horses and everything that concerns him. No
member of his household is safe from the
prying eyes of the little black box that
spells satisfaction for the public demands.
1t would be hopeless task to attempt to
enumerate the thousands of snapshots of the
presidential candidates which were made in
the last election. Candidates Cox anC Hard
ing were shown all over the country at play
and at work. Their wives and families were
known by sight to Pr actically every man,
woman or child in the country. picture of
Mrs. Harding pinning rose in her dis
tinguished husbands lapel was reproduced in
almost every newspaper in the nation. The
picture was one of a few dozen snapped of
the successful candidate and his wife the
morning of their return to Washington from
the convention at Chicago. They were break
fasting when the army of cameramen de-
scended upon them and left their coffee to
cool to obey the behest of their visitors. Fac
ing the camera gracefully has kecome an es-
sential to pc litical success.
A jolly picture of candidate Cox playing
with his tiny daughter, Anne, probably won,
for her daddy more votes than many of his
speeches. One Of the Democratic candidates
chief assets for publicity was admittedly his
youngster This particular picture was, it
might be added, not snapped b. news-pho-
tographer but by the wife of the Ohio gov
ernor's best friend, Mrs. Timothy Ansberry,
of Washington. The picture borrowed
of the lady by news pictorial syndicate and
by them sent throughout the country.
Ten or fifteen years ago the news picture
field in Washington was practically uncover
ed Today dozen or so cameramen spend
the entire day at the White House. 1t would
be a clever man who could pay call upon
the chief executive and slip away unphoto-
graphed. Nor are the visitors the sole rea-
sons for tht cameramen's attention to the
White House. Nothing concerning the life OF
the present tenants is allowed to remain I'M
pictured Laddie Boy, the Airedale puppy
presented to President Harding by an Ohio adj.
mirer, has been photographed SC often since
his arrival at the White House that he is
said to have acquired the camera face. The
sheep belonging to President Wilson were
the targets for hundreds of cameras.
Wilson's Fight for Privacy
President Wilson, it will be remembered,
during his illness refused to be photographed.
picture of him lying i'll would have been
worth small fortune to the photographer
lucky enough to have made it. Upon his re-
turn to health and at the beginning O. the
motor rides that became during the last
months of his term of office daily occur
renee he was carefully guarded by secret
service men whose sole duty was to prevent
the cameramen from making h. picture. One
enterprising photographer hired room in
club by which the White Hou,C car passed
each day. and setting up long distance lens,
waited patiently day by day to set the covet-
ed picture. The picture, if successful, never
appeared. Perhaps the picture was "fuzzy."
The photographer in fact said so. But it was
whispered among the photographers that the
film was destroyed.
Another daring knight of the little black
box hired a Lay wagon, concealed himself in
the hay with his long distance lens and tried
to snap the president as he tasked in the
SUI on the south steps of the White House.
The secret service men saw the wagon, sup
posedly broken down near the White House
fence, and investigated. Again the picture
never appeared. Cameramen we're forbid
den admittance to the state, war and navy
building because the east windows of the
building overlooked the White House
grounds.
President Wilson, h)wever, finally consent
ed to pose. 1t is said the good offices of Ad
miral Grayson won the cameramen this favor.
The picture made as the executive
left the White Grounds. Half an hour after
it was made the picture was going by fast
express and plane to the various Philadelphia,
New York ard other out-of-tow~ papers that
had ordered it.
The new administration has been kind to