In the Republican primaries of 1976, former California Governor Ronald Reagan challenged the Republican incumbent, President Gerald R. Ford, for his party's nomination. Granted, Ford got his job only after Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, elevating him to the Oval Office, but incumbency is incumbency, and Ford was unhappy about the fact that a fellow Republican was trying to knock him off. The popular Reagan almost succeeded. At the convention in Kansas City, the battle went to the wire, with Ford eking out just enough votes to win the nomination. It had been decided before the voting that the winning candidate would visit the loser's hotel, and they would make a joint appearance in front of the media to show solidarity. As they made their way to meet the press, I photographed a still-steaming Ford trailed by a solicitous Reagan as they descend a back stairwell ...