The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-12-29
In New York
BY PAUL HARRISON

NcW lOFhs@<AIIiOIR LuS tiAfAdt-
 ities that have been bothering me lately is the persistence of the leg
 end-allowed to grow unchallenged and unchecked-that MT J. F. Morgan is camera shy
 The legend of the camera hat ing Morgan" was revived in re- cent magazine article, and 1t set me to thumbing through the Ms
 in our picture library. The results
 were impressive. but not from the standpoint of shyness. During the past five years just one photogra-
 phic agency has taken exactly go
 pictures of the modest financicr.
 There are about 60 imposed pc
 lures of MT Morgan, ranging fiori
 pot t-shots during the Washington
 investigation to rural scenics iii which he is shown strolling about
 Wall Hall, his estate at Watford.
 Hertfardshire. England. The re- mainder are obviously poed. These include MT Morgan on the steps of
 his various homes, at Harvard class
 reunions, at banquets and yacht
 races. AS early as 1881 he began
 grinning into Tense from the decl;s
 of his Corsair and numerous in
 coming steamships.
 There are no pictures of the
 great banker eating hot dog, nor
 of him doing a hand stand on the
 eighty sixth floor parapet of the
 Empire State building. But there
 are some photographs showing
 him holding a midget--a lady | ,,av f--nr
 knee, which were taken with MT
 Morgan's knowledge and tacit con-
 sent during the senate investiga- ton of Wall Street in 1883. After that I don't see how anyone could
 call the man camera shy.
 A Ia Garbo Fact is, there are mighty few
 prominent Americans who are resentful of the cameras wink.
 Maude Adams always was diffi-
 cult one to photograph, but the re- licences of few younger actresses, such as Garbo, are believed to be deliberately assumed in the cause
 of greater glamor. Greta has made herself look more than little ridiculous time or two by picking up her skirts and fleeing. Lens men delight in securing such unusual
 shots. or pictures of great men angrily brandishing canes.
 The two Roosevelts, Franklin, Jr, and John, are acquiring repu- tations as picture -haters, and to date each has one smashed camera to his credit. The senior John D. Rockefeller always has been con ~tI IfH7r,,tf evf1Niant nlfhnnUh he has consented to pose on many special occasions.
 Once, during a family gathering on the estate, photographer climbed trees, scuttled about through the bushes and secured q number of long distance shots of the aged man. The exposed plates were hidden away so that if guards discovered him and seized the camera he still would have a few pictures left. Finally the photog rapher decided to approach the elder Rockefeller boldly and ask
 him to pose for closeup. Why, I'd be very happy to-" said the old gentleman, and the astonished newsman made q dozen pictures. Comedy
 What I like about news photos and the men who make them Is the way they reduce all sorts of ceremonies to the essential absur- dities. The masquerades of the late President Coolidge were prime ex- amples. And the shipboard arrivals of feminine notable usually are pretty funny. When Marie of Ru- mania came here, certain in. credible Jewish cameraman called to her: Queen, will you cross your legs. pliz?"
 And later, when she was placing a wreath or the tomb of our Un- known Soldier, the same felyiow ordered, Hey. Queen. give us a
 smile!" Perfectly docile, she recov- cred the wreath and put it down a second time, smiling the while. A third incident in his, career involved a Ku Klux Klan meeting in New Jersey several days ago. He, a Jew, has been assigned to make pictures of the ceremonies. Henot only got them, but virtually bossed the whole affair-told the hooded Klansmen when to light their cross. how to hold their torch and exact ly where the neophytes should
 kneel.