Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham and Chelsea Clinton stand on stage at Madison Square Garden during the Democratic National Convention in New York in 1992. The appearances of conventions have been evolving since the beginning. Stage designer Joe Steward said "One thing that we do a lot in musical entertainment is have a lot of screen continent and it seems that it almost becomes a television necessity these days, to have moving imagery with you on the stage with you.” Though Steward did not design Clinton's stage, he has worked on Miss USA, American Music Awards and other television shows.
TIME examines an array of stages at conventions from 1868 to present, where evolutions in technology, fashion and architecture have all played a role in how a candidate is portrayed.