60 years of presidential photos set up for display at debates

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Sixty-seven photos of America's presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to George W. Bush are in a new exhibit that will be on display at the first two debates between Bush and his Democratic rival, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

The exhibit, "The Presidential Image: 60 Years of the Best of White House Photography," was produced by the University of Missouri-Columbia's School of Journalism and the University of Miami's School of Communication. It is now on display at several locations in Columbia and will be taken to the first two presidential debates, at the University of Miami on Sept. 30 and at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 8.

The exhibit showcases presidential images from the archives of the Pictures of the Year International competition. Along with well-known pictures, such as the young John F. Kennedy Jr. saluting at his slain father's funeral, there are many images seldom seen by the public.

"It is a wonderful set of pictures and a great stimulus and backdrop for discussions about our history, the political process and how we remember these world leaders," said David Rees, director of the annual photo competition.