diplomats

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.

Mrs Alan Johnstone was a Pinchot, sister to Amos and Gifford. See NYT article from 1892 at query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D00E6DA1F31E033A... "Miss Antoinette E. Pinchot was married yesterday to the Hon. Alan Johnstone of England Instead of taking place in St. George's Church as originally intended, the ceremony was performed at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. James W. Pinchot of Gramercy Park."

Addition to Swang comment: Amos with his sister, a wife of a foreign dipolmat - children of lumber baron James W. Pinchot, a founder of the Conservation Movement - Amos, part of the "Bull Moose" in 1912, and aquaintance of President Theodore TEDDY Roosevelt - later labeled as a pacifist, frequent speaker, writer, and author - spoke against large military buildup, founded isolationist group that dissolved after US entered WWII - was also against the growing role of big business in national politcs - moralist - rumored to have unsuccessfully attempted suicide out of depression over WWII Lady Alan - AKA Antoinette Pinchot - society leader, reputedly entertained in London at the Ritz, Edwardian fashionable - see also: www.yourbrotherkings.com/?p=100

Slight correction. James W. was not a founder of the conservation movement, except indirectly. He was the father of Amos, Antoinette, and Amos Pinchot. Gifford was encouraged by his father to study forestry, so Gifford, who went on to found the Forest Service in 1905, credited his father with being the "Father of Forestry." But James was a wealthy New York businessman, not a lumber baron. The Pinchot family funded the establishment of the Yale School of Forestry in 1900, and James probably contributed the bulk of the initial $150,000 and possibly the eventual $300,000. Gifford and others were the founders of the Conservation Movement during TR's presidency. In 1912, Amos and Gifford were major supporters of TR's third-party run for the presidency.

Thanks for the clarification - always appreciated - any web site links to your info?

The entire series:

This looks like the 1914 Niagara Falls Peace Conference.

swanq: This does look like the 1914 Niagara Peace Conference based on the people depicted and similar Bain images. Richard Arthur Norton: I believe the man shown is Frederick W. Lehman, not Philip. A San Francisco Chronicle article for May 11, 1914 reports that Frederick W. Lehman of St. Louis, former Solicitor General; and Associate Justice Lamar of the US Supreme Court were chosen to be the US representatives at the peace conference.

More Bain/LOC photos from the 1914 Peace Conference at Niagara Falls:

Thanks Wystan for making the connection between these photos and the 1914 Niagara Peace Conference. We will update the descriptions.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls_peace_conference