Eleanor Roosevelt’s Red Cross Uniform
ER used this uniform during her 25,000 mile tour of the South Pacific in August-September, 1943 as a representative of the American Red Cross. The First Lady also wore a second uniform made of seersucker fabric during her trip.
-Check out more artifacts from the FDR Library’s “100 Days” Countdown Tumblr
Iconic Presidential Photos
The Presidential Libraries are now on Pinterest. You’ll find some of the most requested images from the holdings of all 13 Presidential Libraries.
We’re pinning the historic moments, meetings with world leaders, Air Force One, First Ladies, and much more. You’ll find a fair share of White House pet pics too.
Take a look and let us know what else you would like to see!
http://pinterest.com/ourpresidents/
Photos: Lyndon B. Johnson gives Senator Richard Russell the “Johnson Treatment.” 11/7/63.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower Meeting the Troops Prior to the Normandy Invasion. 6/5/44.
The Big Three — Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference. 2/9/45.
John F. Kennedy points to a reporter at a news conference. 11/20/62.
Gerald R. Ford in the Oval Office. 3/25/75
Happy May!
May Day in 1929 was Child Health Day. Here’s First Lady Lou Hoover receiving a basket of flowers at the annual May Day festivities held at the White House.
-from the Hoover Library
Source: facebook.com
Lady Bird’s Beautification of Washington D.C.
Beautification Luncheon in the State Dining Room of the White House. Secretary Stewart Udall, Lady Bird Johnson, and Laurance Rockefeller looking at an architectural model of the Washington DC Mall area. 4/27/67.
Source: lbjlibrary.net
Are you decorating eggs for Easter? The Kennedy family did!
Here’s an image from the Kennedy’s April 1963 Easter vacation in Palm Beach, Florida, where Mrs. Kennedy is teaching John Jr. the fine art of Easter egg design.
Source: facebook.com
Mar 27, 1912: The First Japanese Cherry Blossom Trees Are Planted in the U.S.
On this day in 1912, the first two Japanese cherry blossom trees were successfully planted by First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda on the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. Japanese Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo gave the U.S. over 3000 trees to demonstrate the growing relationship between the U.S. and Japan.
Every spring, Washington D.C. commemorates the initial planting through the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
As we wait for this year’s blooming period, treat yourself to this delicious spring recipe!
Image: Cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. 2013 (Diana Alvarenga)
Soon after the Kennedys moved into the White House, Jacqueline Kennedy embarked on a major restoration of the presidential mansion. Her efforts inside the White House are well documented, but did you know that she was also responsible for redesigning and replanting the White House gardens? After President Kennedy’s death, Lady Bird Johnson renamed the East Garden as the “Jacqueline Kennedy Garden” in honor of her work. Pictures of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden are below, including the dedication plaque which reads, “This garden is dedicated to Jacqueline Kennedy with great affection by those who worked with her in the White House. April 22, 1965.”
Welcome Spring!
In honor of your inner gardener on the first day of spring, here’s a photo of First Lady Lady Bird Johnson’s ceremonial garden shovel and trowel.
The trowel was used by Lady Bird during the beautification plantings in Washington, D.C.: the Natural History Building, March 9, 1965; Charles Young School, November 8, 1966; and the Lady Bird Johnson Park, October 20, 1967. It was made by Red Hawk.
The shovel was presented to Lady Bird by The Commissioners, D.C. on Arbor Day, April 30, 1965. It was made by Union Fork & Hoe Co.
More - Lady Bird Johnson and the Beautification of America
-from the LBJ Library
How She Wore It
This classic Chanel suit was worn by Jacqueline Kennedy to a reception for the American National Theater fifty years ago this week (at right).
-from the JFK Library
Source: facebook.com
Betty Ford will be honored in the 2013 National Women’s Hall of Fame
From the announcement:
“A groundbreaking First Lady, Betty Ford is often remembered for her candor in addressing the controversial issues of her time. Shortly after she became the First Lady of the United States in 1974, Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy. Rather than suppressing the diagnosis, Ford courageously shared her story and inspired countless women across the nation to get breast cancer examinations. In 1978, following a family intervention, Ford underwent successful treatment for addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs. She again used her story to raise public awareness of addiction, and in 1982, she co-founded the Betty Ford Center to treat victims of alcohol and chemical dependency. Ford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991 and the Congressional Gold Medal, with President Gerald R. Ford, in 1999.”
Go Betty! (1918 – 2011)
Photo: Photograph of First Lady Betty Ford Expressing Her Support for the Equal Rights Amendment in Hollywood, Florida, 02/25/1975
More — Betty Ford, a photo retrospective from the Ford Presidential Library
Source: facebook.com
