bullmoose

OMG she has a bird for a hat!

According to the 1918 Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac, an L.L. Bonheur was manager of the Theatre Francaise, 35th Street near 6th Avenue. Mrs. & B. Cochran remain a mystery to me.

O. Straus is undoubtedly Oscar Straus, of the family which controlled Macy's Department Store by the 1910s. Oscar was the younger brother of Isador Straus who went down with the Titanic. He was the first Jewish cabinet member, serving as Secretary of Commerce and Labor under President Theodore Roosevelt from 1906-1909. Not surprising that he was hanging with TR, Jr. at whatever event this photo depicts.

Oscar Straus was also the Progressive Party candidate for governor of NY in 1912. This might be a photo from the campaign. The winner of the election was William Sulzer and there are other LOC photos of him on Flickr (he was impeached soon after he took office.)

Here is article about younger Roosevelt:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt,_Jr.

Thanks! We'll add the additional information to the source data and reload the description.

Anyone know who the Mrs. B Cochran is? Her husband's name too? My maiden name is Cochran. I've been told that a grandfather (several greats in front of the grand) was in the Congress of Williamsburg. Would be interesting to see if I could track down whether or not I was related to this Cochran in the picture.

Your photo is uploaded here : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:The_Library_of_Congress_... -- Seen on your photo stream. (?)

Odds are that this is the Republican Convention of 1912, which was held at the Chicago Convention Hall. Note the Texas and Illinois delegation signs in the lower left.

Thanks, steveray! We'll add your information to the source data and reload the description.

Odds are that this is not the Republican Convention. In 1912, both the Republican and Bull Moose (Progressive Party) conventions were held at the same Chicago Convention Hall. Both conventions had delegates from various states. Roosevelt attended both conventions, but he was humiliated at the GOP gathering and lionized later at the Bull Moose conclave. Although women did not yet have the vote, they were included in the councils of the Progressive Party. The presence of several women delegates in this photo makes it likely that this is the "Bull Moose" convention.

Oscar Solomon Straus - Jewish statesman and diplomat to the Middle East, influential in the late 1880s to 1890s as US Minister in Turkey. Later U.S. Sec. of Commerce & Labor in 1900s under President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt - Served one year again in Turkey, as Ambassador, under President Taft. Wrote his autobiography in 1922, "Under Four Administrations: From Cleveland to Taft." His older brother, Isidor Straus and his wife were among the victims in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

The photo was taken at a reception for New York Bull Moose candidate for Governor Oscar Straus and Mrs. Straus, held at the Port Washington, Long Island, home of Bull Moose congressional candidate -- and former Congressman -- Bourke Cockran, on September 28, 1912 -- a kick-off event for the fall campaign of the Nassau County Bull Moose (Progressive) Party. Story in The New York Times, September 29, 1912: query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F04EFD9113AE6... Other Bain/LOC photos of the Lawn Fete for Oscar Straus:

LOC -- Mr. Cockran's name is misspelled in your title, and in Bain's as well.