Winter at the White House

The White House is full of holiday traditions from parties and decorations to the lighting of the National Christmas Tree and Menorah. Today we’re looking back on winter holidays for each President in our Presidential Library system. The National Christmas Tree is illuminated on the Ellipse in Washington DC, 12/9/2010. (National Archives Identifier 176553384) Before … Continue reading Winter at the White House

America’s First Ladies: In Service to Our Nation

Today's post comes from Elle Benak and Sanjana Barr from the National Archives History Office. On Friday September 16, 2016, the National Archives hosted the "Legacies of America's First Ladies" conference in the William G. McGowan theater in Washington, DC. This was part of an ongoing series first launched in 2011 by American University, who … Continue reading America’s First Ladies: In Service to Our Nation

The Remarkable Story of Ann Lowe: From Alabama to Madison Avenue

Today's guest post comes from Margaret Powell, MA, a decorative arts historian from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her areas of concentration are textile and costume history. She is a graduate of the Smithsonian Associates–Corcoran College of Art and Design History of Decorative Arts Masters Program. On September 13, 1953, the New York Times featured the wedding of … Continue reading The Remarkable Story of Ann Lowe: From Alabama to Madison Avenue

Facial Hair Friday: Hang ten, Pat Nixon!

Some time ago, a Facebook fan expressed thanks that we would never combine our First Ladies Friday with our Facial Hair Friday. To which we replied, never say never! Of course, the facial hair in this photograph is not on First Lady Pat Nixon, but that scraggly surfer goatee is in very close proximity to … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Hang ten, Pat Nixon!

Hats off to Bess Truman!

Today's guest post comes from Tammy Kelly, archivist and hat aficionado at the Truman Presidential Library. I admit it—I love hats. I have several vintage hats in my closet, but I find them challenging to wear because sometimes, I just don’t know how to wear them. People no longer wear hats on a regular basis, … Continue reading Hats off to Bess Truman!

Romance in the Records

I was worried I would never find love at the National Archives. When Scribd.com approached my office about promoting Prologue magazine by creating a collection of romantic records for their Valentine's Day "Eat Say Love" event, I was very doubtful. Would I be able to find enough romance in the records to put together a … Continue reading Romance in the Records