# Presidential pix

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-pix/72182>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 12, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-pix/72182 "2001-07-12T06:49:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@Jorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-pix/72182/1 "2001-07-12T06:49:34Z")

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Several questions, revolving around the practice of putting up photographs of the Pres and Veep in the entrance of the various Federal buildings:

When did this become general practice ? [I suppose it was portraits earlier…] What happens to the old photographs ?

Presumably, they’re taken by some official photography office in the White House. Who chooses the final print ? [The current vice-presidential photo sports what can only be described as an odd, unbecoming smirk.]

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**Author:** ![Jorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@Jorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-pix/72182/2 "2001-07-14T05:47:39Z")

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No ideas ?

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-pix/72182/3 "2001-07-14T06:26:24Z")

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I can’t answer your Qs (… though I’ll bet that the Prez himself picks his official photograph …) but the folks at NARA might be helpful. Here, have a link and knock yourself out:

[http://www.nara.gov/](http://www.nara.gov/)

Try the Research Room link, then the presidential links.

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**Author:** ![jaimest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jaimest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaimest)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2001, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/presidential-pix/72182/4 "2001-07-14T07:23:33Z")

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I think Vice President Cheney’s “smirk” is his permanent facial expression.  
Every time I saw Clinton’s official portrait, I couldn’t help but giggle uncontrolably, mainly because of COnan O’Brien’s use of that same shot in his silly “lip cut-out” skits.  
Ronald Reagan is the first president I remember seeing framed in every government office. Maybe that is because I am too young to remember Carter that much. But I do know Reagan introduced a lot of formality of the presidency.  
Personally I think its too reminiscent of tin horn dictatorships, where the leader’s portrait becomes omnipresent. I mean we all know who the president of the United States is is don’t we?  
Or maybe not…