| On March 11, 1912 Mrs. Helen Herron Taft, wife of President William Howard Taft, donated her inaugural gown to the Smithsonian Institution starting a tradition and one of the most beloved collections in the Smithsonian Institution. Originally housed in the Arts and Industries Building, the First Ladies' Gowns were displayed for museum visitors in glass exhibit cases. In 1955 the Arts and Industries Building renovated its west north wing and created a new home for the popular collection. The new First Ladies Hall showcased gowns from every presidential administration from George Washington to John F. Kennedy. Since the 1960s, the collection has been housed in the National Museum of American History. The Smithsonian Institution continues to add to the collection with each new administration. | |
| Please click on the image to the left and enter the First Ladies Exhibit. The virtual tour showcases images of the First Ladies Exhibit from 1955 to 1964. Each exhibit case represents about twenty-five years of Presidential Administrations and Inaugurations. Though the majority of women represented in this exhibit were first ladies, if a President did not have a first lady the woman who acted as his hostess is depicted. The dresses are on mannequins made from plaster. The hair of each mannequin represents the style that the first lady might have worn. The first ladies are in various rooms of the White House designed to portray the styles of the period. On the virtual tour each dress is identified at the bottom of the image in the caption. Enjoy the tour! |
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