First Ladies at the American History Museum
Gowns and Artifacts Reveal Legacies of Women in the White House
© Kat Long
Jan 1, 2009
One of the Smithsonian Institution’s most popular and fascinating permanent installations, the First Ladies exhibit recently reopened after the National Museum of American History’s two-year renovation with new artifacts and several restored, never before seen inaugural gowns.
The exhibit, which is located on the second floor of the American History museum on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall, is contained in a single gallery overflowing with images, information and objects. The exhibit is comprised of three themes: the evolution of the First Ladies collection at the Smithsonian; a display of examples from the collection, including the inaugural gowns; and the First Ladies’ contribution to American society and the presidency.
The Collections’ Origins
The Smithsonian First Ladies collection began with the First Lady Helen Taft’s donation of her beautiful cream lace gown from husband William’s 1909 inauguration (on display in its own showcase). Since then, the Smithsonian has collected inaugural gowns from subsequent administrations and expanded the collection to thousands of personal materials owned and used by the Ladies. The collection shows the First Ladies as not just style icons but as important contributors to the institution of the presidency and government.
First Ladies’ Style and Substance
Portraits of all the First Ladies, beginning with the commanding yet grandmotherly visages of Martha Washington and Abigail Adams wraps around four walls of the gallery, ending with the comparatively modish Hillary Clinton (in her headband-and-bangs days!), Laura Bush and Michelle Obama. A description of the Ladies’ relation to the Presidents--some were nieces and stepdaughters, though most were wives--and the years served as First Lady appears beneath each portrait.
Along the main wall, a huge glass display case holds the elegant treasures of America’s version of royal families. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ impeccable taste is revealed in a simple pale-yellow sheath designed by Oleg Cassini that she wore to the first Kennedy administration state dinner in 1961, while Eleanor Roosevelt’s rose gown from husband Franklin’s 1945 inaugural reception displays a sense of wartime restraint. In contrast, Mamie Eisenhower’s dazzling cherry-red ball gown, matching slippers, and beaded purse from the 1950s reflect postwar prosperity. Numerous accessories, from Edith Wilson’s extravagant ostrich-feather fan to hand mirrors and hats, give visitors a more intimate glimpse into First Ladies’ style.
Other objects point to the individual intellects and accomplishments of the First Ladies. Several paintings by First Ladies, as well as writing desks, point to the high level of artistic education and “breeding” that was expected by American society. One of the most interesting categories of artifacts is White House china: several examples of services, designed by each First Lady to commemorate various American themes and anniversaries, are on display, revealing the Ladies’ personal taste as well as skill at iconic design. One early First Lady even hand-painted her White House china service with a patriotic eagle and national seals.
First Ladies and Society
The third component of the exhibit explains the emergence of First Ladies into more visible social and political roles during the twentieth century. Eleanor Roosevelt is the most obvious example of the First Ladies’ evolution from White House hostess to advocate for social justice at home and abroad. Since the Roosevelt administration, at least, each First Lady has devoted herself to causes including the arts (Jacqueline Kennedy), mental health (Betty Ford), preventing drug abuse (Nancy Reagan), women’s rights (Hillary Clinton), and literacy (Laura Bush). All the while, they also served as ambassadors for the nation’s culture, character and promise.
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