megaphones

It looks to me like part of that old tradition of the office picnic, which I remember as a child. Though the ones I remember usually involved some sort of organised sport (like a cricket match), which required more open ground. Aha, I was right. The mystery hike has been office organised (F.J Palmer & Sons Pty Ltd, and the 'sport' is the mystery hike.... )

I love it that there is only one car in the middle. It looks like they all squeezed in.

There are numerous pictures taken of people coming down these steps. The African American man seems to be the announcer. Since there are other pictures in this bunch having to do with Taft's inauguration I wonder if that is what these are from.

The man with the megaphone is also in these photographs:

   

This event is probably the Diplomatic Corps Reception at the Pan American Building, Washington D. C. on New Year's Day 1913. These distinctive gates are at the front of the Pan American Building, Washington D.C.. See this photograph for confirmation : www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/2179870664/ John Barrett, a very experienced diplomat, was Director General of the Pan American Union (and its' predeccessor) from 1907 to 1924. [ ref. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barrett_(diplomat) ] On New Year's Day 1913, President Taft hosted his New Year's Day Reception at the White House, which many of the Diplomatic Corps attended. [ query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9900EEDA123BE633A... ] However, on that same day and also referred to in that New York Times article: "Second only in importance to the White House Reception was the breakfast at the Pan-American Union Building where the Secretary of State and Mrs. Knox entertained the members of the Diplomatic Corps and their families, withthe members of the Committees of the House and Senate dealing with our foreign relations. To welcome these guests the Secretary and Mrs. Knox dropped out of the White House receving line after the passing of the Supreme Court. In the Pan-American Building they received standing at the head of the marble stairway overlooking the patio. The breakfast was served in the Hall of the Americas, regarded as the most beautiful formal apartment in Washington." There is also a photograph of P. C. Knox, the Secretary of State with his wife and the same herald with megaphone on the same steps as those depicted above here : www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3314477848/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_American_States has a second photo that shows the gates of the Pan American Union Building more clearly -- to confirm lifeasdaddy's hypothesis. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OAS_Building_-_DC.jpg

Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff (1862-1939), German ambassador to the U.S. and Mexico, 1908 to 1914. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Heinrich_von_Bernstorff#Amba...

Horse blanket has a "DP" on it.

Pittsburgh is spelled here minus the final (and silent) "h," reflecting usage introduced by President Theodore Roosevelt's American spelling reforms. After several years, Pittsburgh officially decided to resume use of the "h". ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pickering's, a huge furniture emporium in downtown Pittsburgh whose advertising banners appear on two of the buildings in this photo, called itself the "largest credit furniture and carpet house in the world." A contemporary publication added this information: "Mention 'Pickering's' anywhere within a several-hundred-mile radius of Pittsburgh and hear how quickly some one answers, 'Your credit's good' or 'Nuf ced!' "The reason for the unprecedented growth of the business is as well known as Pickering's popular trade-mark expressions: fair dealing, nothing else. That means the best possible goods at the lowest prices consistent with a living profit; a hearty willingness to extend the people credit; an honest, wholesome way of treating customers after the goods have been delivered. "At Tenth Street and Penn Avenue you will find furniture, carpets, rugs, draperies, gas and coal ranges, heaters, dinner-ware, toilet-ware, framed pictures, cut glass, and bric-a-brac."

The theater posters are for Lee and J.J. Shubert productions that had opened on Broadway in 1908 and 1909. www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=27414 LOC: I'm curious as to how the date of 1912 was arrived at. The Pirates finished the year 10 games out in the standings, a distant second place. On the other hand, they were in their first World Series in 1909, which was also the opening year of their park, Forbes Field.