The President's Photographer

The President's Photographer: 50 Years Inside the Oval Office
by John Bredar [779.935 qBre]

These are the stories of the nine photographers who covered the presidential administrations from 1960 to 2011. Each photojournalist tells his story of life with the president, his family and his staff. The presidential photographers are on call 24/7 and, as such, have the opportunity to catch the presidents in relaxed moments as well as during tense situations. Turning the pages of this book is like taking a walk through political history. There are black and white images of John Kennedy playing with Caroline and John-John in the oval office. The grim image of Lyndon Johnson taking the oath of office aboard Air Force One. Photos of the Nixon family the night before he resigns from office. A picture of Betty Ford dancing on the Cabinet Room table. Pictures of the tragic assassination attempt on President Reagan. Bill Clinton playing a saxophone. The senior Bushes surrounded by their grandchildren at Kennebunkport, Maine. A thoughtful George W. Bush on 9/11. Oh, the stories these photographers tell. Cecil Stoughton describes how a chance comment by someone in Parkland Memorial Hospital alerted him to the fact that Lyndon Johnson would take the oath of office aboard Air Force One. Yaichi Okamoto talks about his tremulous relationship with President Johnson. (Johnson fired Okamoto and rehired him nine months later.) Ollie Atkins recounts the night in August he was called to take photos of the Nixon family dining in the White House solarium. The next day Richard Nixon resigned. David Kennerly described his warm relationship with Jerry Ford. Michael Evens recalled the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. There are a substantial number of photos of the Obama presidency in this book. Few of the Kennedy and Nixon administrations. And none of the Carter's time in office. One of the most interesting candid shots was taken by Okamoto of President Johnson standing nose to nose with Senator Richard Russell of Georgia while they discussed Johnson's proposed Civil Rights Act. The photos and the stories give the reader an insider's look at the life a president. -- recommended by Donna G. - Virtual Services Department

[ official PBS Special webpage on the National Geographic web site ]

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