From October 5 through December 31, 2007, the National Constitution Center will host First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image. From the exuberant Dolley Madison and troubled Mary Todd Lincoln, to the humanitarian Eleanor Roosevelt and the intriguing wives of our recent presidents, the exhibition celebrates the remarkable individuals who have occupied this demanding post.
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Caption: Pink and charcoal gray piña cloth evening gown presented to Mamie Eisenhower by wife of Philippine president Carlos Garcia in 1958.
Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Caption: Eleanor Roosevelt’s public service did not end when her husband died in 1945. Her long involvement with
humanitarian issues led President Truman to appoint her as a delegate to the newly created United Nations where she led
the struggle to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library
Caption: Jacqueline Kennedy at a 1961 reception for Latin American diplomats. The simple A-line clothes designed by Oleg Cassini
for Jackie Kennedy became known as the “Kennedy look.” Her grey brocade silk dress with matching jacket is included
in the exhibition.
© Bettmann/CORBIS
Caption: Laura Bush brought the White House a lifelong commitment to reading, education, and libraries. As first lady, she has
staunchly supported her husband’s agenda for education reform. In February 2001, she announced her Ready to Read, Ready to Learn initiative at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Hyattsville, Maryland.
White House photo by Carol Powers.
Caption: French porcelain dinner plate, fruit basket, and dessert plate from the Polk state china service.
Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of American
History
Caption: From the beginning of their marriage, Woodrow Wilson took his second wife into his confidence. The severe stroke suffered
by the president in 1919 drew the couple even closer together. Acting beyond the usual boundaries of the first lady’s role,
Edith Wilson managed executive affairs from his bedside.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs
Division
From October 5 through December 2, 2007, the National Constitution Center will host The Kennedys: Portrait of a Family Photographs by Richard Avedon. Acclaimed photographer Richard Avedon's never before displayed photographs of John and Jacqueline Kennedy and their two children combine politics, style, and photographic history to provide a compelling glimpse of these American icons. The Kennedys: Portrait of a Family will be on display inside the Center’s main exhibition, and is free with regular museum admission. This exhibit coincides with the Center’s showing of the First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image exhibition.
> Read the Avedon press release