This photograph of Vera Cosgrave, First Lady Betty Ford, chief of protocol Henry Catto, Minister of Foreign Affairs Garret FitzGerald of Ireland, and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the Yellow Oval Room was taken by Ricardo Thomas on March 17, 1976. The group was gathered in the Yellow Oval Room, located on the Second Floor of the White House, ahead of a State Dinner held in honor of Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave of Ireland. The dinner for the taoiseach, or prime minister, was held on St. Patrick's Day.

In this photograph, President Gerald R. Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave of Ireland, and his wife, Vera Cosgrave, wave from the South Portico. Bill Fitz-Patrick captured this moment during the State Arrival Ceremony held in honor of the taoiseach's, or prime minister's, official State Visit on March 17, 1976.

In this photograph by Ricardo Thomas, President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford speak with Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh on the South Drive of the White House on July 7, 1976. The group were captured at a State Dinner held in honor of Queen Elizabeth's State Visit. The State Dinner was held in the Rose Garden, under a temporary tent erected for the dinner. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial. During their six day trip, they visited eight American cities, starting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In this photograph by Ricardo Thomas, First Lady Betty Ford dances with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh in the East Room on July 7, 1976. Prince Philip visited the White House for an official State Visit in honor of his wife, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The State Visit included a State Dinner in the Rose Garden that evening, followed by music performances and dancing in the East Room. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial. During their six day trip, they visited eight American cities, starting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In this photograph by Karl Schumacher, First Lady Betty Ford and social secretary Maria Downs lead members of the press on a preview tour ahead of a State Dinner held in honor of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The media tour as well as the State Dinner took place on July 7, 1976. The tour included a preview of the temporary tent erected in the Rose Garden for the dinner and the tables and decor set up inside. Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial. During their six day trip, they visited eight American cities, starting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In this photograph by Bill Fitz-Patrick, President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford pose on the South Portico alongside Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh on July 7, 1976. The group were captured at a State Arrival Ceremony held in honor of Queen Elizabeth's State Visit. The ceremony was held on the South Lawn of the White House and, after a day of events, was followed by a State Dinner that evening in the Rose Garden. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial. During their six day trip, they visited eight American cities, starting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In this photograph by David Hume Kennerly, First Lady Betty Ford takes Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain on a tour of the White House on July 7, 1976. Here, they are captured in the Queens' Bedroom, located on the Second Floor of the Executive Mansion. The Queens' Bedroom is named for the royal guests that have stayed there in the White House, including Queen Elizabeth. Also displayed in the room during the Gerald R. Ford administration was a trumeau, a mirror and painting framed together that was presented to President Harry S. Truman and First Lady Bess Truman by Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of her father, King George VI of Great Britain, during her visit to Washington, D.C. in 1951. Mrs. Ford's tour of the White House followed a State Arrival Ceremony held in honor of Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The British royals visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial.

This photograph is of Gerald R. Ford being sworn in as the 38th president of the United States by Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in the White House East Room on August 9, 1974. Ford had been confirmed as vice president in 1973 following Vice President Spiro T. Agnew's resignation. Ford would ascend to the presidency after President Richard M. Nixon resigned from office in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

This photograph of First Lady Betty Ford speaking with press outside of the Guttman Institute for Early Detection of Breast Cancer in New York was taken by Karl Schumacher on November 7, 1975. Behind her is a bus with the graphic, "Early Detection Saves Lives... It May Save Yours..." in English and Spanish. Shortly after moving into the White House, Mrs. Ford discovered a lump in her breast and underwent a radical mastectomy at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Her subsequent decision to address her illness during a White House press conference helped reduce the stigma against discussing breast cancer and treatment.

This photograph of First Lady Betty Ford working at her desk in the East Wing of the White House was taken by David Hume Kennerly on June 28, 1975. Her desk featured a special "Don't Tread On Me" E.R.A. flag. On September 4, 1974, during her first press conference as first lady, she expressed support for the Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.), which, if passed, would have guaranteed legal equality for American citizens, regardless of sex. She continued to support the passage of the amendment throughout her time in the White House, calling senators, traveling across the country to lobby for ratification, and participating in women’s conferences and meetings. With his wife’s encouragement, in 1975, President Gerald R. Ford created the National Commission on the Observance of International Women’s Year by executive order.

In this photograph, First Lady Betty Ford plays with a golden retriever puppy named Misty, the offspring of the Fords' golden retriever Liberty. Mrs. Ford's daughter, Susan Ford, is holding Misty. Behind them is a tree decorated with homemade ornaments and trimmings. Karl Schumacher took this photo in Solarium on November 10, 1975, during a photo opportunity for Parade Magazine. The Solarium is a private, Third Floor room used by the First Family to rest, relax, and step away from the pressures of life in the White House.

In this photograph, First Lady Betty Ford holds a golden retriever puppy named Misty and sits near a tree decorated with homemade ornaments and trimmings. Misty, the offspring of the Fords' golden retriever Liberty, attempts to eat the decorations. Karl Schumacher took this photo in Solarium on November 10, 1975, during a photo opportunity for Parade Magazine. The Solarium is a private, Third Floor room used by the First Family to rest, relax and step away from the pressures of life in the White House.

In this photograph by Karl Schumacher, President Jimmy Carter speaks at a ceremony unveiling the official portraits of former President Gerald R. Ford and former First Lady Betty Ford on May 24, 1978. Joining President Carter onstage in the East Room of the White House were his wife, First Lady Rosalynn Carter, and the Fords. The ceremony marked the first time that a former president and first lady were invited back to the White House for their official portrait unveiling, a tradition continued by most administrations in the future.

This photograph of First Lady Betty Ford with designer Frankie Welch was taken by Karl Schumacher in the West Sitting Hall on February 15, 1975. Welch was one of the first designers to design “across the aisle,” creating gowns and scarves for first ladies Pat Nixon, Lady Bird Johnson, and Rosalynn Carter in addition to Mrs. Ford. After earning a degree in clothing and design at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, Welch relocated with her husband to Maryland, where she taught “clothes coordination” classes at the local university. Welch’s work is frequently described as “Americana,” and she often used the proceeds of her designs to give back to communities. Welch integrated her love of American culture and history in her designs, leaving a unique mark on the lexicon of American fashion.

In this photograph, taken by Karl Schumacher on December 9, 1976, First Lady Betty Ford shows a Christmas ornament to an unidentified guest in the Red Room at a reception following the press preview for the 1976 White House holiday decorations. Notably, on a guéridon table behind Mrs. Ford is a cranberry tree. Mrs. Ford initiated the tradition of displaying a cranberry tree in the Red Room in 1975, and it has remained a traditional part of the White House seasonal decorations ever since. In 1976, First Lady Betty Ford selected the theme "Love that is the Spirit of Christmas" for her holiday theme. Coinciding with the year of the American bicentennial, the decorations included patriotic dioramas and ornaments on the Blue Room Christmas Tree representing the state flowers from each of the fifty states.

This photograph was taken by Karl Schumacher on December 15, 1975, during a reception hosted by First Lady Betty Ford in appreciation of the volunteers who assisted with creating the White House holiday decorations. That year, holiday decorations at the White House celebrated traditional handmade handicrafts. First Lady Betty Ford and her daughter, Susan, also contributed to the decorations, and visitors to the White House that season were presented with instructions for how they could recreate the White House decorations at home. Here, Mrs. Ford kneels by a table at right, as 10-year-old Jerry Carr demonstrates making a handcrafted ornament. Members of the press including stenographers and photographers are visible in the background.

This photograph was taken by Ricardo Thomas on September 7, 1975, during the housewarming party for the vice president's residence at the United States Naval Observatory. Here, Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller invites President Gerald R. Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, and their daughter Susan Ford to tour the master bedroom of the vice president's residence. The bed features a distinctive wood and brass headboard and footboard designed by German surrealist artist Max Ernst. Though Rockefeller did not live at the house and only used it for entertaining, he donated the elaborate $35,000 bedframe to the master bedroom to support artistic innovation. The first vice president to live in the Naval Observatory was Walter F. Mondale, who moved into the house with his family in 1977.

This photograph was taken by Ricardo Thomas on September 7, 1975, during the housewarming party for the vice president's residence at the United States Naval Observatory. Here, Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller and Second Lady Happy Rockefeller invite President Gerald R. Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, and their daughter Susan Ford to tour the dining room of the vice president's residence. Located at Number One Observatory Circle in Northwest Washington, D.C., the house was originally built for the superintendent of the United State Naval Observatory in 1893, but became the residence of the chief of naval operations in 1923. In 1974, the house was selected by Congress to be refurbished for use as the residence of the Vice President of the United States. Although Vice President and Mrs. Rockefeller hosted housewarming parties after renovations of the house were complete in 1975, the Rockefellers did not live in the house and only used it for entertaining. The first vice president to live in the Naval Observatory was Walter F. Mondale, who moved into the house with his family in 1977.

In this photograph by Karl Schumacher, First Lady Betty Ford poses with members of the U.S. Olympic ski team on December 27, 1975. Mrs. Ford toured the ski slopes with the team during the Ford family's Christmas vacation to Vail, Colorado. The athletes later competed at the 1976 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria.

In this photograph, taken by Karl Schumacher on December 11, 1974, First Lady Betty Ford sits with an audience of children during the annual White House Christmas party for the children of diplomats. The party was organized by THIS (The Hospitality and Information Service) for Diplomats, a volunteer organization established in 1961 to support newly appointed diplomats and their families transition to life in Washington, D.C. The party featured entertainment by magician James Randi as well as appearances by costumed characters including "Mickey Mouse" and "Santa Claus," portrayed by White House aide John E. Nidecker.

In this photograph, First Lady Betty Ford stops by the Kitchen on the Ground Floor of the White House to personally thank the staff. Pictured from left is White House Executive Chef Henry Haller, kitchen staff Franklin Blair, Mrs. Ford, and pastry chef Heinz Bender. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as executive chef at the White House from 1966-1987, adapting his cooking for the tastes of five first families and their distinguished guests.

In this photograph, taken December 10, 1974 in the Family Kitchen on the Second Floor of the White House, First Lady Betty Ford discusses menus with White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. As first lady, Betty Ford enjoyed open communication with staff in managing her home, and would occasionally pay a friendly visit to the White House Kitchen. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as executive chef at the White House from 1966-1987.

This photographic portrait shows President Gerald R. Ford alongside his wife, First Lady Betty Ford. President Ford had been appointed vice president to Richard M. Nixon under the conditions of the 25th Amendment, replacing Vice President Spiro T. Agnew upon his resignation. Ford assumed the presidency upon the resignation of President Nixon on August 8, 1974. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as executive chef of the White House from 1966-1987. From the White House Kitchen, the Fords preferred classic American fare, including a Sunday ritual of brunch featuring waffles and strawberries, and oven roast.

This photographic portrait of First Lady Betty Ford was taken around December 24, 1975 in the Treaty Room by chief White House photographer David Hume Kennerly. Betty Ford earned admiration from openly discussing her treatment for breast cancer, at the time a stigmatized disease, in September 1974. While a devoted housewife, Ford did not shy away from voicing her support of the Equal Rights Amendment, and, later, sharing her own struggles with drugs and alcohol to encourage others to seek treatment. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as executive chef at the White House from 1966-1987.

In this photograph, taken July 13, 1975, First Lady Betty Ford drops by the May Fudge Shop during her trip to Mackinac Island, Michigan. On July 12-13, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford were overnight guests of Governor William G. Milliken and his wife, Helen. In addition to the visit to the fudge shop, the president and first lady attended a breakfast for participants in the 36th Annual Conference of the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court, toured the town and historic Fort Mackinac, and enjoyed a carriage ride. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as executive chef of the White House from 1966-1987.