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[Houdini and President Roosevelt, full-length portrait, both standing, aboard the Imperator] – Vintage Wall Art

[Houdini and President Roosevelt, full-length portrait, both standing, aboard the Imperator], 1914 June. — historic photograph
[Houdini and President Roosevelt, full-length portrait, both standing, aboard the Imperator], 1914 June.. Historic photograph from the Presidents collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This rare historic photograph captures [Houdini and President Roosevelt, full-length portrait, both standing, aboard the Imperator] in remarkable detail. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.

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[Houdini and President Roosevelt, full-length portrait, both standing, aboard the Imperator]

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Few pictures from this period place a former president and a famous escape artist side by side, and this one was taken aboard the Imperator, the Hamburg-America liner that was among the largest ships afloat when she entered service in 1913. According to the record, a group of seven was gathered for the June 1914 portrait, but Houdini used an airbrush to remove everyone else, leaving only himself and Roosevelt in the frame. Retouching was a common technique of the era, but it is striking here because it turned a crowded moment into a private one between two men who were both skilled at managing their public images.

Created / published1914 June.
Medium1 photographic print.
GenreGroup portraits 1910-1920.Portrait photographs 1910-1920.Photographic prints 1910-1920.
NotesSeven is a crowd. Choosing to be alone with President Roosevelt, Houdini used an airbrush to make all others disappear.
SubjectsHoudini, Harry,--1874-1926. Roosevelt, Theodore,--1858-1919.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,115 × 1,536 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-140691

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