Here is a remarkable photograph I ran into on line at Denver Post.com.
The particular post I landed upon contains photographs of every Presidential Inauguration
sine Abe Lincoln’s; which was the first one to be photographed. This shot shows
Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller administering the oath of office to Benjamin
Harrison on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1889.
The date of Presidential Inaugurations changed from March to
January during FDR’s Presidency. Originally the weather was deemed too cold for
the ceremony to take place before March, but with the advent of good roads,
coupled with more efficient modes of transportation, made waiting for March
unnecessary. And, as you will see in some of these remarkable photographs, for
many of the March Inaugurations, it snowed anyway! President Taft’s Inauguration
was held in almost blizzard like conditions in March.
The old black and white photographs are my favorite, of
course; since I tend to live in the past; but even the newer, color photos are
dazzling in their clarity and all mark the peaceful transfer of power from one
duly elected administration to another. Together these photographs form an
unbroken record of our success in managing to keep our nation intact over so
many trying times.
Some of these Inaugurations took place in the middle of a
war; a remarkable achievement when juxtaposed against the experiences in other
nations, where one “strongman” reigns supreme for the duration of a conflict. Even Roosevelt had to win re-election during his unprecedented 4 terms during the Second World War.
There’s a lot “wrong” with America at the present time. We are both
economically and socially ill. But looking at these photographs assures me that
we will get well again. We always have…
To see the entire collection of photographs at Denver Post
use this link;
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