A glimpse into the lives of the U.S. presidency is on display at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy with the Associated Press’ presidential photo exhibit, entitled “The American President.”
The exhibit is on display in the Rotunda, free and open to the public and will remain open until Jan. 25 (it will be closed on Jan. 21 in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day). The exhibit is a traveling one, and its presence at UT was designed to coincide with the upcoming presidential inauguration on Jan. 21. Dr. Nissa Dahlin-Brown, associate director of the Baker Center, was key in getting the exhibit to UT.
“I just happened (to learn about) it,” Dahlin-Brown explained. “So we applied actually over about a year ago to get it. It kind of made sense to do it right before or during the inauguration, so that’s why we picked this time.”
Dahlin-Brown said that one of the benefits of seeing the exhibit is that it gives access into the personal lives of the presidents and allows the public to see what the country’s leaders were like during some of history’s most pivotal moments, such as the Reagan assassination attempt and the failed Bay of Pigs invasion.
“I think it’s interesting because it shows so many facets of a president,” Dahlin-Brown said. “There’s crises in war, the president at ease, the president around the world. … It’s a nice perspective of the president and that role in our country.”
For those visiting the exhibit today at 5:30 p.m., they will be treated to something special. Dr. Michael Martinez, assistant professor in journalism, will be giving a one-time walking tour of the exhibit.
“Basically I’m going to try to talk about anecdotes and the behind the scenes and how the Associated Press covers the presidency, and give an indication on how they’re able to come up with photographs you normally might not expect to see,” Martinez said.For someone giving a tour of the AP’s presidential photo exhibit, there may be no one better suited than Martinez.
Not only was Martinez a senior photo editor for the AP from 1992 to 1999, but his current research actually focuses on photojournalism and the presidency.
“I’ve got a background in knowing about presidential photography and the AP,” Martinez said in describing his experience. “I’m interested in — and I’m researching in — the presidential photographers from Kennedy to Obama and looking at the first 100 days in photographs over the various presidency just with my research.”
Early on in prepping for the exhibit, Dahlin-Brown wanted to have someone give a tour, and she sent out emails to various faculty. It was a connection with journalism professor Robert Heller that connected Dahlin-Brown with Martinez, whom Dahlin-Brown thinks is great for the job.
“(Martinez’s) incredible background, I mean a 26-year veteran photojournalist who worked for the AP, is just perfect to talk about this exhibit,” Dahlin-Brown said.
Martinez said that for him and others, the appeal in observing the photo gallery comes from the extensive coverage that photographers have with the presidents, which provides insight into virtually every moment of a president’s time in office.
“They cover the president 24/7, basically,” Martinez said. “It’s called the ‘death watch,’ and literally, the AP and other wire services … whenever the president is open for business … they’re around. And they make sure that nothing happens to him, but in the course of that, they cover everything he does.”Martinez joked, “If he moves, if he sneezes, somebody’s there.”
The exhibit is opened from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
