Items25The creator’s order
  1. 1William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart GladstoneBorn 29 Dec 1809Recorded sound, 1888. Gladstone's encounter with the phonograph belongs to the experimental beginning of this story. George Gouraud brought prominent figures to the machine, preserving voices that had previously depended on a listener being physically present. This was a demonstration and recorded…0i
  2. 2William McKinleyWilliam McKinleyBorn 29 Jan 1843Early cinema, 1896. McKinley at Home, Canton, Ohio shows the candidate walking with his secretary and receiving a telegram. The small, arranged action made his familiar front-porch image move. Filmmakers including William K. L. Dickson and Billy Bitzer supplied the production expertise; the…0i
  3. 3Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltBorn 27 Oct 1858Silent film, early twentieth century. Roosevelt cooperated readily with camera operators, pausing to face them or adjusting his gestures during public occasions. The Library of Congress's surviving film collection shows how extensively his public life became moving-image material. His place here…0i
  4. 4Warren G. HardingWarren G. HardingBorn 2 Nov 1865Speech recordings, 1918–20. Before becoming president, Harding recorded at least eight talks for the Nation's Forum project, recreating speeches previously delivered to live audiences. The recordings let listeners hear his voice without attending a rally. Guy Golterman's project and the recording…0i
  5. 5Calvin CoolidgeCalvin CoolidgeBorn 4 Jul 1872Radio, 1923. Coolidge's annual address to Congress on 6 December reached stations in major American cities. A speech delivered inside the House chamber could now be heard beyond the people seated there. This early network broadcast makes him a useful predecessor to the more familiar story of…0i
  6. 6Herbert HooverHerbert HooverBorn 10 Aug 1874Experimental television, 1927. As commerce secretary, Hoover took part in Bell's demonstration linking Washington and New York by a televised image over telephone lines. It was a striking public encounter with a technology still far from routine domestic viewing. His participation illustrates the…0i
  7. 7Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. RooseveltBorn 30 Jan 1882Presidential radio conversation, 1933. The first of Roosevelt's fireside chats addressed the banking crisis in March, using an explanatory style suited to people listening at home. Earlier presidents had already broadcast; his distinctive adoption concerned the relationship between the medium, tone…0i
  8. 8Harry S. TrumanHarry S. TrumanBorn 8 May 1884Television from the White House, 1947. Truman's 5 October food-conservation appeal was an early presidential address made for television as well as radio. It brought a familiar kind of public request into a medium with a still-limited audience. The date matters: this came before television…0i
  9. 9Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. EisenhowerBorn 14 Oct 1890Television spot advertising, 1952. Eisenhower Answers America condensed campaigning into short question-and-answer advertisements. Rosser Reeves and his team filmed the candidate's answers separately from the public's questions, constructing an apparent exchange. Eisenhower adopted the format while…0i
  10. 10John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyBorn 29 May 1917Live televised press conferences, 1961. Kennedy's 25 January news conference allowed viewers to watch questions and answers as they happened. Eisenhower's conferences had already been recorded for broadcast; the live transmission changed the degree of immediacy. The preserved footage shows a…0i