 The President of the United States and Mrs. Reagan. Mr. President, Mrs. Reagan, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the opening of our new exhibition, People and Power, consisting of some 590 portraits from the federal village by the distinguished photographer Michael Evans. We are signally honored by the presence of the President of the United States and the First Lady. It is a historic fact, of which we have always been very proud at the Cochrane, that both of our buildings, which have been known as the Cochrane Gallery, have been inaugurated by presidents of the United States. The original building at 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue, that you all know as the Renwick Building, designed by James Renwick in the latter part of the 19th century, was inaugurated by Ulysses Simpson Grant, the 18th President of the United States in 1874, just 110 years ago this week. And 23 years later, when the Cochrane had outgrown the Renwick Building, the 24th President of the United States, Grover Cleveland, in 1897, inaugurated this beautiful building designed by Ernest Flag. Many presidents and First Ladies have added luster to the events at the Cochrane through the years. And more recently, Mrs. Reagan has honored us at the opening of two important exhibitions during the president's first term. We are therefore doubly privileged to have the 40th President of the United States and Mrs. Reagan with us on this auspicious occasion. And I convey to you, Mr. President and Mrs. Reagan, the warm greetings and the grateful thanks of our board of directors. And now may I express my appreciation to the two fine companies whose generosity has made this exhibition possible. The American Express Travel-related Services Company and the Columbia Broadcasting System Magazines. Ladies and gentlemen, now I have the honor to introduce Mr. Peter Diamantes, President of CBS Magazines and Chairman of the Board of the Portrait Project. Mr. Diamantes. Thank you, Mr. Krieger. And good evening, President and Mrs. Reagan, distinguished guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen. Tom Wyman, the Chairman of the Board of CBS, who incidentally is with us this evening, likes to remind all of us at the company that CBS is a little more public than most public companies. Because we go into every American home every day with books and television and radio and increasingly with magazines, it's incumbent upon us to do the very best we can for all Americans. For that reason, we're delighted to be part of the Portrait Project. We think Michael Evans has not only created a tribute to some of our great leaders in this country, but more importantly, he's recorded a period of historic significance for all Americans now and in the future. And we are most happy to have been a part of that. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to someone that comes into your home almost as much as CBS. I'm a gentleman from another great company who gets in touch with me at least once a month. Mr. Luke Gerstner, the President of American Express Travel. Luke. Mr. President, Mrs. Reagan, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. We at American Express are especially pleased to have our nation's president and his and our gracious First Lady as our special guest this evening. As I think we all know, the fabric of history is woven from many strands, and each one represents the deed of an individual man or woman. And events, even the most dramatic ones in our lives, result from the acts and decisions of the leaders who shape the societies and the organizations of our time. And this evening, we're very proud to help make available to the public this extraordinary exhibit of over 500 photographs of the men and women who have occupied positions of responsibility during the first term of Ronald Reagan. We congratulate Mike Evans for his artistry and imagination in conceiving this project. We applaud him for contributing to the archives of our time by creating a visual record for future generations to study and enjoy. It is now my pleasure to present to you a man who really needs no introduction, not the least to President Reagan, who sees him virtually daily. He's an accomplished documentary photographer and the creator of the project unveiled this evening. Ladies and gentlemen, Mike Evans. Mr. President, Mrs. Reagan, distinguished guests, and fellow villagers. Mr. President, thank you for the night off. I have so many people to thank, and I wish you could thank each and every one of the people who helped, and there were many of them. But we'd be here all night. First of all, I couldn't have gotten half the portraits done than I did without the loving enthusiasm of my wife's story over there. First, secondly, I'd like to thank Mike Dever, who was the one who approved this whole idea and gave me the initial support and had a lot of continued interest in it. I would, of course, like to thank American Express and CBS for their sponsorship to this evening. And thanks also for the Corcoran for providing such wonderful space for the photographs. I'd rather think that anything hanging on the walls here would look great, and they really help. I'm most indebted to my curators, Alan Fern and Jane Livingston, who are also over here, whose scholarship I respect and whose friendship I value. Two and a half years ago, I took an idea to CBS magazines to Peter Diamandis and who backed it while it was still just an idea. And I thank you very much, Peter, for your support and which led to the directly led to the completion of the 600 portraits you see here tonight. Thank you also to Howard Berg, Don Penney, Muffy Brandon, and my secretary, Louise Bell. And now, thank you also to my 600 patient subjects. Thank you for making the effort to come over to my studio. And thank you for helping me because I couldn't have done it without you. You have made my first four years in Washington not only extra busy, but a truly memorable as well. I only hope that the portraits that resulted that you like them as much as I do. They've made my first four years in Washington truly memorable. Speaking of Washington, I'd like to tell you just a little story. I'm from New York City originally. When I first moved there 16 years ago, there was a sign on a skyscraper. I believe it was a skyscraper that used to be where American Express is now. And on the side of it, it read, with the modesty that still amazes me today, New York, New York, is there any place else? Well, Mayor Koch, I'm here to tell you, yes, there is. And it's Washington, DC. Mr. President, Ms. Reagan, thank you for coming. Mr. President, just think about it. Because you got elected, I moved to Washington. I met and married story. And I got the chance to photograph history and the making, both at the White House and all over the globe. And to do the portraits that you see here tonight. Somehow the words, thank you, really can't convey my feelings this evening, sir. Now, the best part. Ladies and gentlemen, whoever thought I would get to say, it is my honor and my absolute pleasure to introduce the President of the United States. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Michael, and good evening, everyone. It's a pleasure for Nancy and me to join all of you here at the Corcoran for the opening of an exhibition of portraits by our good friend, Michael Evans. And by the way, Mike, I was relieved to see that the exhibition's title is Portraits of Power. Last time we talked it over, he was thinking of naming it the Michael Evans Gallery of Rogues. For the past four years, Michael Evans has been our official White House photographer, snapping the parade of events at the executive mansion and traveling with us around the world. Mike has captured everything from cabinet meetings to Easter egg rolls. And his thousands of pictures provide a full and fascinating record of the hard work, exhilaration, and pageantry of American government. And yet in the course of his duties, Mike saw the need for another kind of record, one that would focus entirely on individuals. In these pictures, there would be no seals of office, no shots of executives behind their desks, or journalists at their typewriters. There would be no flags, no gardens, no tall white pillars. Each subject would simply stand before a backdrop of plain gray. Michael would snap, and in the picture that resulted, nothing would matter but the individual. The way he or she stood, the way they held their hands, the look, and his or her face. Mike worked on this project for three years. And tonight, we celebrate the results, 600 portraits of Washington character and characters. Taken together, these portraits say something fundamental about the greatness or openness of American democracy, for they show men and women of all backgrounds and walks of life. And although these people are helping to govern the most prosperous and powerful nation in history, you can examine all 600 pictures without once finding an arrogant or imperial gaze. In the words of George Will, representative governments are well, awfully representative, at least in this sense. They are made up of folks who look like and are like most other folks. The portraits testify, I think, to democracy's pleasantness. End of George Will quote. Consider, for example, the portrait of the senior senator from Mississippi. John Stennis first came to the Congress when the family that lived in the White House was named Truman. And before half the Americans now alive were even born. For almost four decades, he has played a central role in all the great events of our national life. Yet his portrait shows, despite all those years of exercising power, John Stennis has remained what he was at the outset, a man of gentleness, courage, and conviction. The senator has many friends here tonight, and I know that we all wish him well as he continues to recover from his surgery. Look, if you will, at the portrait of Helen Thomas. For 24 years, Helen has been a member of the White House Press Corps, keeping six presidents and scores of fellow reporters on their toes by putting in some hours or more hours, writing more dispatches, and asking more questions than just about anybody else. Helen's portrait suggests that she's a woman of great charm, and that's true. It also suggests that she's a woman of immense determination, and believe me, that too is true. Our pause for a moment before the portrait of Barbara Bush. During the first four years of our administration, Barbara traveled with her husband some 600,000 miles. She's been a staunch supporter of a great vice president, and our administration, and in her portrait, we see Barbara Bush as she always intelligent, charming, gracious. Consider, finally, the portraits of two skilled and dedicated government servants. Although they have a hectic schedules, both are nevertheless looking into the camera calmly, even perhaps with a twinkle in their eyes. Secretary of the Treasury Donald Regan, Chief of Staff James Baker. Or is it the other way around? So there we have it, a comprehensive portrait of the men and women involved in the government of our great republic during this fleeting but crucial moment in our history. Tonight, we will enjoy these pictures. Future generations will treasure them. Michael Evans, well done. Congratulations, and God bless you. And now, it is my honor to declare this exhibit officially open. Thank you.