THEBENNY DOROCOLLECTION A PERSONAL HISTORY WASHINGTON, D.C.

JANUARY 20, 2009 · WASHINGTON, D.C.

From the Outside,
On the Inside.

Benny Doro remembers the day he and John McLaughlin found themselves in Washington for the inauguration.

PHOTOGRAPH FROM BENNY'S SUPPLIED ARCHIVE
01 The recording02 On the ground03 The inauguration04 The Youth Ball05 Reflection
THE PRIMARY SOURCE 01 / 05

In Benny's
own words.

A personal recollection, recorded by Benny. His voice guides this chapter; the photographs remain as he supplied them.

ORIGINAL RECORDING · 3:25

Web-playback copy of Benny's supplied WAV. No edits to the original recording.

Read the transcript
THE STORY BEGINS 02 / 05

01

A Canadian
in Washington.

Benny begins with how he and his friend and business partner John McLaughlin came to be there. The recording tells that part of the story; the photographs show what they carried away.

Benny in winter clothing holding a red Kodak camera up to take a photograph
Benny with his red camera.
An informal indoor selfie of Benny with long dark hair
Benny, in another personal snapshot from the supplied archive.
THE DAY 03 / 05

02

The city
becomes a crowd.

The Capitol, the winter branches, the long view and the human scale. Benny recalls the security, the proximity, and the power of Washington that day.

A wide view of inauguration crowds before the flag-draped U.S. Capitol, framed by bare branches
The Capitol and the crowd, January 20, 2009.
Benny upright in a black winter coat and white scarf beneath bare trees
Benny in the January cold.
Dense winter-coated crowd facing the monumental buildings in Washington
The scale of the day, seen from within the crowd.
AFTER THE CEREMONY 04 / 05

03

The Youth Ball.

Benny says they chose the Youth Ball. His photographs shift from the cold breadth of the Capitol to the warmth and movement inside.

A large indoor crowd at the Youth Ball under warm red stage lighting
Inside the Youth Ball.
Barack and Michelle Obama onstage at the Youth Ball
Barack and Michelle Obama onstage.
A close view of Barack Obama at the Youth Ball with other attendees nearby
Barack Obama, from Benny’s close vantage point at the event.
Joe and Jill Biden at the lectern on the Youth Ball stage
Joe and Jill Biden at the lectern.
A live musical performance on the Youth Ball stage
A live performance at the Youth Ball.
LOOKING BACK 05 / 05

Outside.
Inside.

As a Canadian, Benny remembers watching American politics from the outside. On this day, he felt what it meant to be there.

— BENNY'S RECORDED RECOLLECTION

LISTEN & READ THE RECORD

The spoken record.

This is a transcript of Benny's recording, checked against two local transcription passes. Punctuation is added for reading; one unclear phrase is marked. The recording is authoritative.

Select a time to hear that passage.

END OF RECORDING 3:25