This photograph of President Theodore Roosevelt and others on the back of a train car in the Panama Canal Zone was taken in November 1906 by W. A. Fishbaugh (also referred to as William A. Fishbaugh). When President Roosevelt was photographed wearing a Panama hat during his trip to the Panama Canal in 1906, the image of the president helped make the hat even more fashionable, with its popularity enduring into the 21st century. The boater and Panama hat became more prevalent as clothing associated with sporting pursuits became acceptable daywear. With its origins in Ecuador, Panama hats were recommended to travelers to South America since the mid-19th century for their protection from the elements. A former governor of New York, Roosevelt became president upon the assassination of William McKinley on September 14, 1901, and served until March 4, 1909.