But looking back, I doubt that it was actually true.
Where would all these locations “across the world” have obtained photos of LBJ that fast? It isn’t like they all have a photo of the Vice President on hand just in case of a sudden death of the President. And even if a government printing office rushed to print photos, it would take time to get them delivered to all these locations.
What actually happened in our local Post Office was that they draped black cloth around JFK’s photo that same afternoon, and it stayed like that until they got an LBJ photo to replace it.
I have no idea if the story is true but some government agencies hang pictures of the President and Vice President in their lobbies. It might simply have been a matter of moving LBJ’s Vice President picture into the “President” slot.
Got my answer. This is from the email sent at my agency:
“All photos of previous administration officials are considered government property and therefore must be destroyed and/or recycled. These photos may not be kept for personal use.”
I just finished “Manhattan” and in the episode after the one where FDR died, as the camera is following the CO of Los Alamos walking into his office he passes some clerk taking FDR’s picture off of the wall and propped up on the nearby cabinet is Truman’s.
Vlogger Casey Neistat recently published a video to YouTube of the White House bowling alley. He got a tour during Obama’s presidency, but had to promise to sit on it until after Trump’s inauguration.
There were pictures of various presidents and first ladies bowling. Very cool 5 minute video.
I think you’re referring to the late King, HM King Bhumibol, Rama IX. Pictures of him continue to be displayed prominently everywhere. 2017 calendars feature him and his wife on the cover, even though he passed away October 13, 2016. I was at a government office a week ago and, although I forgot to look for it specifically, I think I would have noticed if the portrait of Bhumibol had been replaced.
AFAIK, no date has been announced for the first printing of banknotes with portraits of Rama X.
Theresa May is not Head Of State. The Queen is. The president is both Head Of State (the Queen) and Chief Executive (Theresa May). Perhaps the presidential photos are justified as HOS photos, like having the flag.
I don’t remember that I ever saw a JFK or LBJ state photograph, but I was young. Surrely the practice of having a “photo of the president in government offices” is more recent?
For one, it’s a reminder to any visitor to the office of the Town Manager/Mayor/Vice Assistant to the Undergovernor that their authority is backed up by the might of the US Government: yesterday, you may have met Candidate Bill in a pool hall, but now that he’s in this office, remember to call him “sir.”
More importantly, though, it’s because a US flag makes a nice backdrop for pictures, and lots of people who visit public officials want their photo taken shaking the hand of the Commissioner of Spackleculture.
Except our American posters are saying that there are also commonly pictures of Cabinet secretaries as well, which are clearly not head of state.
I’ve been in a lot of Federal and provincial government offices here in Canada, and I don’t recall ever seeing a picture of anyone but the Queen and sometimes Prince Phillip.
In fact, I didn’t understand the question from the thread title. I passed it by several times, thinking to myself, “Wouldn’t Obama take the pictures from his office with him when he leaves?”
Wasn’t until I finally opened the thread that I realised the question was about government offices. That wouldn’t have occurred to me.