How AP photographed George H.W. Bush lying in state

NEW YORK (AP) - It's a striking perspective of a powerful moment: the arrival of the flag-draped casket of former President George H.W. Bush in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, surrounded by family members and dignitaries, captured from a dizzying height near the top of the dome.

The shot was made possible by a guywire, antennae, collaboration with the Architect of the Capitol and months of negotiations between The Associated Press and the Capitol.

AP placed the camera on a metal plate, which was wheeled across a guywire and secured above the center of the room, according to Director of Photography David Ake. AP's technology department installed an antenna on the camera and another one on the floor, which enabled transmission of the photos.

Photographer Morry Gash took the images from a separate room as he watched the viewing live.

The offices of Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader had to sign off on the use of the rig, Ake said. The first time AP used the contraption was in August, when U.S. Sen. John McCain was lying in state in the Rotunda. Gash snapped those photos as well.

Bush died Friday at age 94. Dignitaries and members of the public have been lining up to pay their respects at Bush's casket in the Rotunda, open until Wednesday's funeral.