Some embassies chose to send posters of their leaders or even sent portraits off the wall in to be scanned or photographed.

The ultimate outcome of the book was a photo gallery of the heads of state of the United Nations. The aim of the book was "to show the diversity in official photography of worldwide leaders," and the book is anything but a series of leaders in dark suits.

Some photographs are from photo shoots, but others are pictures that reveal not only a leader but their culture as well. King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Swaziland is shown in traditional Swaziland garb, wearing red robes and bright feathers, whereas the Chairman Genreal Than Shwe Sr. of Myanmar is seen in full military uniform, complete with an assortment of medals and ribbons.

Other pictures are almost like snapshots. President Jorge Batle Ibañez, of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, stands at a podium listening to questions. King Jigme Singye Wangchuk from the Kingdom of Bhutan holds a dish of fruit in his lap, while sitting on a golden throne. And the President of Serbia and Montenegro, Svetozar Marovic, smiles for the camera as he flips through some paperwork.

All heads of state shown were in power on September 13th, 2004, and it is intriguing to flip through the pages and note the titles of the world leaders, such as Governor General Dame Pearlette Louisy of Saint Lucia — or Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia.

One also notices the names themselves. It is a reminder of the diverse languages and countries, especially when one tries to pronounce the unfamiliar names, like President Chandrika Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka or President John Agyekum Kufour of the Republic of Ghana.

Interestingly enough, the compilation of photos indicates that, as of fall 2004, there were only seven female world leaders out of 191 of the United Nations. Most of them from Southeast Asian countries, although one is president of Finland and another the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

On the question of whom to include, the editors of "Official Portraits" write: "The decision who constitutes the head of state in executive power was left to each country. Even if we disagreed with the assessment, we have printed their selection. There was however no identifiable pattern to the range of replies we received. Neither the country's size, geographical location, type of government or state of economic development determined the kind of response or the availability of the official portrait."