From The New York Times' Tumblr:
April 28, 1948: This photo ran as part of a two-page photo essay about the “Washington scene.” The hats, piled on an eight-foot mahogany table in the lobby of the East Wing of the White House, were deemed “a barometer of presidential activity,” the caption read. “All but the most important visitors leave their gear here. This collection was deposited by a delegation of magazine editors who obtained an appointment with the president.”
Love this photo.