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Willie Nelson Kisses Mrs. Carter

This photograph of country music icon Willie Nelson kissing First Lady Rosalynn Carter was likely taken in September 1980, during a concert that Nelson performed on the South Lawn of the White House. The First Lady joined Nelson on stage for a duet during the concert. Nelson is an American country music singer and songwriter with a long and storied career of activism for various causes.

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum/NARA

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Franklin D. Roosevelt Signs the Social Security Act

In this photograph taken on August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act in the Cabinet Room. The act granted retirement benefits to workers over the age of 65.

Library of Congress

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Black Cloth Composite

This composite is made of fashion plates showing mourning wear, an illustration of the President Abraham's Lincoln lying in state in the East Room of the White House, and the North Portico draped in black cloth in mourning for President James Garfield. The image was used for the digital exhibit called "Black Cloth: Mourning Dress and Drapery at the White House." It may only be used for press and publicity purposes related to the exhibit. All other uses must be approved by the White House Historical Association in writing.

White House Historical Association/White House Collection

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Gallery

  • Hardy Orange in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden

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    This photograph of a hardy orange tree in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden was taken by Bruce White for the White House Historical Association. The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden is located outside the East Wing of the White House, on the South Grounds. Landscape designer Rachel Lambert Mellon worked with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to redesign the Rose Garden, located outside the West Wing, from 1962-1963 and also worked on the redesign of the East Garden, which was rededicated to the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.

    White House Historical Association
  • Family Dining Room, Kennedy Administration

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    This photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, shows the Family Dining Room on the State Floor following the refurbishment and repurposing of the room during the John F. Kennedy administrations. The redecoration of the room followed a vibrant yellow color scheme, featuring a gold lattice and pink rose rug personally selected for the room by interior designer Sister Parish. Other additions to the room included yellow silk curtains, a French white and dark green marble mantel, a New York convex mirror, and an 1859 portrait of Virginia planter Brig. Gen. John Hartwell Cocke by artist Edward Troye, From 1825 to 1962, presidents and their families traditionally dined in the Old Family Dining Room. In 1962 with the addition of a new private family dining room on the Second Floor of the White House, the room was repurposed for small official dinners, working lunches, and also serves as a staging area for state dinners. Located on the State Floor of the White House, the room features architectural details such as elegant plasterwork and vaulted ceilings. During the Barack Obama administration, the room was opened to public tours for the first time.

    John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
  • 2024 Official White House Christmas Ornament

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    This photograph of the back of the White House Historical Association’s 2024 Official White House Christmas Ornament was taken by David Wiegold. The 2024 ornament commemorates the presidency of Jimmy Carter (1977-1981). The 2024 ornament is in the shape of an anchor and incorporates various motifs on the front and back relating to Carter’s presidency, work, and legacy. The distinctive anchor shape is inspired by Carter’s service in the United States Navy; Carter is the only president to have attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The front of the ornament features a view of the North Portico of the White House surrounded by doves and red poinsettias. The doves symbolize Carter’s peacemaking efforts during his time in the White House culminating in the Camp David Accords in 1978. The poinsettias are reminiscent of the festive decorations that transformed the halls of the Carter White House during the holiday season. The only president to have qualified on submarines, the reverse of the ornament pictures the Seawolf-class USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23) commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 2005. A globe signifies Carter’s life-long dedication to the environment. As president, Carter used executive authority to protect natural resources and lands, signed legislation to create national parks, and promoted energy conservation. The globe also represents Carter’s commitment to peace as both president and private citizen. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this work in 2002, which continues through the Carter Center. The bottom of the anchor is embellished with yellow blossoms and peanuts—an ode to Carter's years as a farmer and businessman in Plains, Georgia.

    David Wiegold for the White House Historical Association
  • Queen Elizabeth Greets Alice Roosevelt Longworth

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    Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum/NARA

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