Crowds gather near the main grandstand in front of the U.S. Capitol the night before the inauguration of Barack Obama. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Crowds gather on the National Mall. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Police watch over the U.S. Capitol. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
A street vendor sells framed photos of Obama. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
A souvenir flag. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)
Large crowds are expected for the inauguration, and security is high. (Paul J. Richards / AFP-Getty Images)
Capitol police keep watch as last-minute preparations wrap up Monday afternoon. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A button vendor looks over the merchandise in Washington. (Jeff Zelevansky / Getty Images)
A bus is bound from Birmingham, Ala., to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration. (Mario Tama / Getty Images)
President-elect Barack Obama paints a wall during a visit to Sasha Bruce House, a shelter for teens, in Washington. (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press)
Students from Lakewood at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press)
