As the silent film rolls, the president sits by his wife at an outdoor gathering. A beer mug rests on his table, and dozens of people lounge on the grass while he holds court.

His shirt sleeves are rolled up. He is wearing his pince-nez glasses and reading aloud from a book. At one passage he chuckles, reaches for his cigarette in its long-stem holder and flashes his famous smile.

His thin legs, damaged by polio, are barely visible under the table.

It’s President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Labor Day 1934. And although there is no sound, the clip offers a tantalizing new glimpse into the private world of one of the  most illustrious and enigmatic men to occupy the White House.