Obama’s Election Night: Six Views from the Crowd

From within Grant Park, the gathering stretches toward the illuminated stage. Photographer janeyhenning recorded the scale of the event without the elevated viewpoint of a television camera. Flags, screens and raised hands carry the eye through a crowd assembled to hear the president-elect on the night of his victory.

Obama appears on a large screen to the right of the distant stage. This BlackBerry photograph by Brian Johnson and Dane Kantner preserves the practical experience of being there: bright lights, barriers, other spectators and a speaker too far away to see clearly without the screen.

Joe Biden appears on the screen above a sea of small American flags and cameras. The election had chosen a ticket: the eventual electoral count gave Biden the same 365 votes as Obama. Here, the vice president-elect becomes part of the audience’s record of the Chicago celebration.

The photographer’s original title identifies Obama and his family onstage. Seen from deep in the audience, they are easier to follow on the screen than on the platform itself. The picture belongs to the same evening when Obama publicly thanked Michelle and spoke directly to Malia and Sasha.

Wendy Piersall photographed people spread across the grass, several holding cameras or looking toward the event. The image records the gathering away from the tightest view of the platform. Its title identifies the November 4 rally; the Flickr record carries a November 5 date, which is retained in the catalog note.

The celebration was not confined to Chicago. Alex Barth photographed people applauding Obama’s victory speech at a gas station at 15th and U Streets in Washington. A small television is visible behind them. The ordinary setting makes this a distinct record of how a national event entered a neighborhood.