The Library of Congress

"Aisin-Gioro Puyi (7 February 1906 – 17 October 1967), of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, commonly known mononymously as Puyi, was the last Emperor of China and the twelfth and final ruler of the Qing Dynasty. Still a child, he ruled as the Xuantong Emperor from 1908 until his abdication on 12 February 1912, after the successful Xinhai Revolution."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puyi

溥仪
爱新觉罗·溥仪（1906年2月7日—1967年10月17日），乳名午格， 字曜之，号浩然。清朝末代皇帝。清宣宗旻宁的曾孙、醇贤亲王奕譞之孙、清德宗载湉之侄，摄政王载沣长子，母亲是苏完瓜尔佳·幼兰。1908年至1912年，1917年7月1日至1917年7月12日两次在位。 光绪三十四年（1908年）三岁即帝位，由其父摄政。 宣统三年（1911年）辛亥革命爆发，民国元年（1912年）2月12日被迫退位，清朝统治结束。仍居清宫，享受中华民国临时政府议定的清室优待条件。民国六年（1917年）张勋曾拥其复辟，十二日而败。民国十三年（1924年）冯玉祥发动北京政变，废除大清皇帝称号，迁出皇宫。次年在天津继续从事复辟活动。 九·一八事变之后在日本人控制下做了伪满洲国的傀儡皇帝，年号康德（1934年—1945年），所以又称“康德皇帝”。1945年日本投降后，被苏军逮捕入伯力监狱。1950年移交中国，被监禁于抚顺。1959年大赦释出。后担任中国人民政治协商会议全国委员会委员、 中央文史研究馆馆员等职务。1967年10月17日，因尿毒症在北京逝世，享年61岁。先葬于八宝山，1995年迁于清西陵内清崇陵附近的华龙皇家陵园。溥仪一生四次结婚，娶过五个女人，最后一次婚姻是在1962年与李淑贤结婚。著有自传《我的前半生》，于1964年4月由群众出版社出版。其独特的富有戏剧性的经历，多次被改编成影视作品，其中电影《末代皇帝》，曾荣获1988年奥斯卡金像奖等众多奖项。

Now a museum.
See
- www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33203-d2413141-Rev...

Wow, what’s going on in this picture?

Fritz Rambo, Pablo Fonzirelli, Friedrich Kahlo World's Greatest Dogs, that's what we want to know! I wondered if this could be one of those dance marathons they used to have. I'm less sure why it's in an office and not a place one would normally dance, why there are several police officers, and why that guy is taking notes.

Jon (LOC P&P) I like your guess! Maybe the notetaker is documenting the winners of the marathon.

Looks like someone at the back is holding up a pair of handcuffs. Was this a press conference for some recently caught high profile criminals, forced to strike a dancing pose? They dont look happy.

Washington Evening Star, May 11, 1923, page 2

Two Couples Wed While Dancing On Houseboat

Two couples took the solemn vows of marriage at a ceremony performed by Judge Robert E. Mattingly of the Munlclpal Court in a houseboat anchored off the Virginia end of the Highway bridge last night.
The houseboat has been the scene of a so-called marathon dance contest and the couples wed were competing in the contest. Before a curious throng, with lights lowered, the musicians playing a wedding march Instead of jazz, the couples shuffled up to the judge and kept their feet moving while they took the vows.
The contracting parties were Fred R Newman, twenty-one years old, and Miss Evelyn King, twenty years old, the first couple married, and Herbert J. Gately, twenty-three years old, and Miss Thelma Reese, twenty years old. They were attired In their dancing clothes and dancing slippers.
During the day yesterday the two couples drove to the marriage license clerk's office, in the Supreme Court of the District building, where they secured their licenses to marry. The truck in which they rode was placarded, announcing the purpose of the trip.

The Washington Times added . . .

They have been dancing in the marathon dance at the south end of the highway bridge, and it was yesterday afternoon, after seventy-two hours shuffling, that they concluded that they would like to dance together for the rest of their lives.
A big truck was brought into play, and the shifty-footed couples waltzed to the courthouse, where marriage licenses were obtained.
Toddling back into the truck, they were returned to the houseboat, where they had been dancing, continuing their gyrations until 10 o’clock last night, when Judge Mattingly one-stepped onto the scene.

During Prohibition there were many large boats, barges, houseboats etc moored on the Virginia side of the Potomac. Due to the odd boundary between Maryland (and DC) and Virginia (the River lies entirely in MD/DC) even though the boats were tied to the shore in VA, the rules of DC were in force. And because they were tied across the river from the District any approaching police or prohibition agents could be seen in plenty of time to hide any incriminating evidence. The "houseboats" on the VA side of the Potomac were some of the most notorious speakeasies of the time.

My guess is this photo was taken at the District Building where the dancers were getting their licenses and the man at the table is the clerk, and not the Judge.