Senator Patrick Leahy


Bono with Marcelle Leahy
Photographs by Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont
October 13-November 30, 2007

Free Opening Reception
Saturday, October 13
2:00-4:00 p.m.

As a member of the United States Senate for more than thirty years, Patrick Leahy has been a witness to some of the most momentous events of modern times. As a lifelong photographer, he has been ready with camera in hand to document many of his remarkable experiences. From the White House, to Bosnia, to the Tibetan backcountry, Leahy has captured the essence of diverse people and places. Popes, soldiers, presidents, villagers, and rock stars have all been Leahy’s subjects, and in his candid photographs there is a poignant sense of universal human feeling.

This exhibition consists of forty-nine of Senator Leahy’s photographs spanning three decades and several presidential administrations. A number of these photographs have been published in newspapers and magazines, including U.S. News and World Report, Time and USA Today. As the personal project of Senator Leahy, these pictures seldom travel; thus, this exhibition is a rare opportunity for Arts Center members and visitors to obtain an insider’s view on the unfolding of history.


General John Shalikashveli, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State, napping aboard a cargo plane, which was designated Air Force One during a trip to Bosnia with President Bill Clinton, Frebruary 1996


Swearing-in of President Ronald Reagan by Chief Justice Warren Burger, with Nancy Reagan observing, in the Capitol Rotunda, January 1985


President Ronald Reagan signing the Drought Relief Bill at the White House, August 11, 1988

Senators Bennett Johnston (D-Louisiana), left, and Don Riegle (D-Michigan), center, with President George H.W. Bush during a light-hearted moment at the White House.
President Bill Clinton greeting U.S. troops during a trip to Bosnia, February 1996
Tibetan man and child with a forbidden Dalai Lama photo during Senator Leahy's trip to Tibet, 1988