charleswhitman

"Charles Seymour Whitman (September 29, 1868 – March 29, 1947) served as the 41st Governor of New York from January 1915 to December 1918."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_S._Whitman

The photo was most likely taken on the occasion of the handover of a flying boat to the NY Naval Militia. See comment under

Thanks B-59 for linking this image to the related ones about the NY Naval Militia ceremony. We will add more details when we update the description.

Charles L. Poor, Commander of Battalion 1 of the New York Naval Militia. See article in the New York Times, November 2, 1915 "NAMES FLYING BOAT FOR NAVAL MILITIA"

Thanks B-59 for the details about Charles L. Poor and the ceremony. Looks like the family of Governor Whitman in the front row: www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/8704880134/ We will add more details when we update the description.

Candidate (and winner) in the race for governor of New York: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_S._Whitman

Thanks rjones0856 for the full name and context for the photo. We'll add information when we update the description. (While checking in our Prints & Photographs Online Catalog to verify visually that this was Charles S. Whitman, I found not only a photograph of him in office--literally--but also some editorial cartoons commenting on his activities and World War I posters that bore his name: www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=%22whitman+charles%22+1868... -- a much documented fellow!)

There seems to be some confusion here: is this a polling place or a pooling place?