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Grandstands at the Chicago Coliseum awaiting delegates to the Republican National Convention in June 1916. View full size. G. Grantham Bain Collection.
Is this a double exposure or long exposure, how do we get to see through him?
[A long exposure. - Dave]
Check out the vast number of chairs.
These aren't bleachers or modular seats. Each seat is an individual chair.
Assuming this is just a small portion of the arena, how may thousands of chairs must have been necessary to seat all of those Republicans?
Prior to amplification of voices, it was standard part of oratory to learn how to speak loudly and clearly in a public setting. Of course, it was probably the case as well that the audience in such a place was courtious enough to be quiet and listen. They weren't distracted by cell phones, Blackberrys or pagers.
As for women not being taken seriously in politics, they were still four years away from having the vote in most elections.
How did anyone ever speak to a convention this size? How did anyone ever hear the speaker? There were no microphones or electronic amplification back then. And it sure doesn't look like this structure was a model of acoustics.
Perhaps only the loudest shouters were ever elected to office back then. Maybe this is part of why women were not taken seriously in politics then.
Too bad this isn't in color. It would be beautiful with all of the flags and bunting.
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