presidenttaft

The photo was taken at the White House in Washington, D. C., in June, 1912, when Taft was the incumbent President. This was his second experience of the notification ritual. The committee had traveled from the Republican National Convention in Chicago, where Taft had been nominated for a second term. In the era before a candidate attended the convention in person, this was his ceremonial acceptance of the nomination. But of course, Taft went down to defeat in November. Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic candidate, was victorious, and Theodore Roosevelt, leader of the Bull Moose Party, came in second. In the Bain Company files at LOC is a photo of Taft's 1908 notification, in Cincinnati (his home town) -- but LOC has not yet posted that photo on Flickr.

Clearly at same occasion as
Hughes campaign rally in Union Square on Nov 4, 1916.

former President William Howard Taft

Thanks to both of you. We'll add a caption to this image the next time we update.

June 8, 1912 See www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3512133775 and linked NYT article from June2.

SPLENDID COLUMBUS MEMORIAL TO BE UNVEILED IN WASHINGTON ON SATURDAY June 2, 1912, Sunday In the Union Station Plaza in Washington, shrouded in canvas, but ready for its auspicious unveiling ceremonies next Saturday, stands the splendid new statue of Christopher Columbus.

swanq and Richard Arthur Norton: Thanks for the additional details about this photo. We will expand the description when we update.