William H. Taft in Panama. - Public domain portrait print

On one of many visits to Panama, William Howard Taft inspects canal construction and visits ruins in what may be the Panamanian jungle. Views of crowd of men and women on dock, posing for camera; a tugboat pulls into unidentified harbor, with Taft and General George W. Goethals, chief engineer of the Panama Canal project, seated on upper deck; Taft and entourage in formal dress board what may be the armored cruiser Tennessee, while crew stands at attention; view of cruiser deck; Taft and entourage disembark from unidentified vessel, with crowd gathered on dock; Taft party is greeted at train by General Goethals: party includes Mrs. Helen Herron Taft, wife of the President, and Federico Alfonso Pezet, minister to the United States from Peru. In last scene Taft and members of his party visit site of stone ruins in the jungle.
Copyright: reg. unknown.
Duration: 2:23 at 18 fps.
Appearing: William Howard Taft, George W. Goethals, Helen Herron Taft, Federico Alfonso Pezet.
Roosevelt Memorial Association lists date in title as 1907; identification of members of Taft's entourage suggests event may be Taft's visit to Panama in Nov. 1910.
Sources used: Pringle, Henry F. The life and times of William Howard Taft. 1939; P&P presidential file; P&P portrait file; Jane's fighting ships. 1915, p. 174.
Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as digital files.
National Park Service acquired from Roosevelt Memorial Association. Purchased by RMA from Walter Futter. Mild scratches.
Received: 5/68 from USDA lab; ref prints, dupe neg, and arch pos; preservation; Theodore Roosevelt Association Collection.
Received: 1967; transferred to LC from NPS, NPS acquired from RMA, RMA purchased from Futter; mild scratches; transferred to safety from LC nitrate at USDA lab: 5/1968.