Gift of Carol Quillen, 18th President of Davidson College, and George McLendon

Not much is known about this particular photograph. However, it appears to be part of Steichen’s collection of Vanity Fair photographs, which highlighted recognizable figures of the 1920s and 30s in a modernist, elegant fashion. According to the title, this portrait shows James J. Dooley, a supposed leader of Tammany Hall, despite little trace of him left online. Tammany Hall was a political organization in New York City, infamous for its corruption despite its positive assistance towards the poor and immigrants in the city. By the time this photograph was taken, Tammany Hall had lost much of its power with the election of mayor Fiorello La Guardia. Nonetheless, the photograph documents a leader of an important political era in Steichen’s signature style of art in his glamorous time at Vanity Fair.