The First Ladies Collection started in 1912 first exhibition in 1914. It was the first display at the Smithsonian to feature women. The exhibition changed in size and location of the years.
Mary Todd Lincoln wore this dress during winter social season from 1861 to 1862. The pieces are made from purple velvet with white satin inside the dress. It is believed that African American Elizabeth Kackly made the dress. Pg 75
Claudia Taylor Johnson wore this sable trimmed coat to 1965 inaugural balls. It was designed by John Moore. Pg 35
Claudia Taylor Johnson wore this satin yellow gown to 1965 inaugural balls. It was designed by John Moore. Pg 35
Dolley Payne Todd Madison wore this silk satin robe. The robe has hand embroidered with flowers, butterflies, dragonflies. Pg 85
Nancy Davis Reagan wore this one shoulder gown with beads during for 1981 inaugural balls. It was designed by James Galanos. Pg 27
Barbara Pierce Bush wore this royal blue stain and velvet gown to 1989 inaugural balls. It was designed by Arnold Scassi. Pg 25
Hillary Rodham Clinton wore this violet beaded lace sheath gown to 1993 inaugural balls. It was deigned by Sarah Phillips. Pg 23
Laura Welch Bush wore this ruby red gown with crystal embroidered Chantilly lace silk to 2001 inaugural balls. It was designed by Micheal Faircloth. Pg 21
Michelle Robinson Obama wore this silk chiffon gown with organza flowers to 2009 inaugural balls. It was designed by Janson Wu to symbolize hope. Pg 17
Elizabeth Bloomer Ford wore this pale green sequined chiffon gown to state dinners at the White House. It was designed by Frankie Welch. Pg 31
Grace Goodhue Coolidge wore this brown chiffon and lace dress with metallic thread and brown bow. Pg 53
Grace Goodhue Coolidge wore this blue satin flapper style evening gown with dark blue sequins and gold glass beads. Pg 51
Lucy Webb Hayes wore this gold damask cream satin gown to the 1880 New Year’s reception at the White House. Pg 69
Edith Bolling Galt Wilson wore this black charmeuse stain evening dress to a dinner party at White House in 1915. The dress came from House of Worth in Paris. Pg 55
Julia Dent Grant wore this evening gown in the 1870s. Made from white silk damask the rose patterned was a gift with emperor of China. Pg 71
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy wore this yellow silk gown to a state dinner of Tunisian President Habib Bourguibailk. It was designed by Oleg Cassini. Pg 41
Lou Henry Hoover wore this silk crepe evening gown for the closing banquet of a Girl Scout convention. She was the national president of Girl Scouts. Pg 49
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt wore this silk crepe evening gown for 1933 inaugural ball. It was designed by Sally Milgrim. Pg 47
Nancy Davis Reagan wore this cream Adolfo suit to 1980 Republican National Convention. Pg 27
Carline Scott Harrison wore this Burgundy velvet evening gown with embroidered floral design with gray pearls. Pg 63
There is Melania Trump dress she wore in 2017 during the inaugural balls. The dress is a vanilla silk crepe off the shoulder gown with a slit skirt ruffled accent trim. It was design by Hervé Pierre. (https://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/smithsonian-trump-inaugural-gown)
There is the book I used for my information The Smithsonian First Ladies Collection Graddy & Pastan – Smithsonian Books – 2014
Special thanks to my brother James Teske for taking the pictures.
