[Theodore Roosevelt, leaning over to shake hands with person from rear platform of railroad car]

Share

Roosevelt leans far out from the rear platform of a railroad car to clasp the hand of someone below, a pose that shows how he met people while traveling. Rail travel was central to presidential life in the early 1900s, and the open platform at the back of a car gave a president a raised stage for greeting crowds at station stops. The photograph is dated around February 5, 1906, during Roosevelt's presidency, when such brief encounters were often recorded by press photographers. The handshake, rather than a speech, is the focus, which fits Roosevelt's preference for direct personal contact with voters.

More from the Presidents collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.