• Former President and Mrs. Bush with President and Mrs. Obama
    Chuck Kennedy
    State Floor
    Cross Hall
    arts & culture
    ceremonies
    dedication
    In this photograph by Chuck Kennedy, President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush walk side by side down the Cross Hall to a ceremony unveiling President Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush's official White House portraits. Mrs. Bush and First Lady Michelle Obama follow their husbands toward the East Room, where the ceremony took place on May 31, 2012. President and Mrs. Obama also hosted a lunch for extended members of the Bush family -- including former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush -- in the Red Room of the White House that day.
  • President and Mrs. Obama Welcome the Bush Family to the White House
    Pete Souza
    Red Room
    State Floor
    arts & culture
    ceremonies
    dedication
    In this photograph by Pete Souza, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host a lunch for extended members of the Bush family in the Red Room on May 31, 2012. The Bush family visited the White House that day for the unveiling ceremony of President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush's official White House portraits. The ceremony took place in the East Room. Seated clockwise from President Obama are: former First Lady Barbara Bush, Bucky Bush, Doro Bush Koch, Jenna Bush Hager, Marvin Bush, Jody Bush, former President George W. Bush, Mrs. Obama, former President George H. W. Bush, Patty Bush, Bobby Koch, Barbara Pierce Bush, Margaret Bush, Jonathan Bush, and former First Lady Laura Bush.
  • The Bushes' Official Portraits Unveiled in East Room Ceremony
    Lawrence Jackson
    East Room
    State Floor
    arts & culture
    ceremonies
    dedication
    In this photograph by Lawrence Jackson, First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at a ceremony unveiling the official White House portraits of former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush on May 31, 2012 in the East Room. Mrs. Obama is joined onstage by her husband, President Barack Obama, President Bush, and Mrs. Bush. President and Mrs. Obama also hosted a lunch for extended members of the Bush family -- including former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush -- in the Red Room of the White House that day.
  • President and Mrs. Bush with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
    Joyce N. Boghosian
    Head of State
    State Dinner
    State Floor
    State Visit
    Entrance Hall
    Grand Staircase
    In this photograph by Joyce N. Boghosian, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Welch Bush stand with Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the foot of the Grand Staircase in the Entrance Hall of the White House. President and Mrs. Bush welcomed Queen Elizabeth and her husband to the White House for a State dinner held in her honor on May 7, 2007. The State Dinner took place in the State Dining Room and the evening also included a performance by violinist Itzhak Perlman in the East Room.
  • Koshering of White House Kitchen for Hanukkah
    Joyce N. Boghosian
    Kitchen
    Hanukkah
    Ground Floor
    winter holidays
    In this photograph, taken by Joyce N. Boghosian on December 15, 2008, First Lady Laura Welch Bush joins Rabbi Mendel Minkowitz, Rabbi Binyomin Steinmetz, and Rabbi Levi Shemtov following the koshering of the White House Kitchen. The rabbis supervised the koshering of the Kitchen prior to the White House Hanukkah reception. That evening, a kosher buffet was held in the East Room and a menorah lighting ceremony in the Entrance Hall.
  • President and Mrs. Bush Attend a Menorah Lighting Ceremony
    Eric Draper
    winter holidays
    menorahs
    Hanukkah
    East Garden Room
    Ground Floor
    This photograph was taken by Eric Draper on December 9, 2004, during a menorah lighting ceremony in the East Garden Room. Although previous administrations had observed Hanukkah, and menorah lighting ceremonies had been held in the Oval Office during the Bill Clinton administration, the first menorah lighting ceremony was held in the Executive Residence during the George W. Bush administration in 2001. Here, Menachem, Chaim, and Miriam Felzenberg, the three eldest children of Army Chaplain Shmuel Felzenberg, light the menorah as President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Welch Bush look on. The menorah used in the ceremony was borrowed from the Boca Raton Synagogue in Boca Raton, Florida.
  • White House Retirement Celebration for Chef Mesnier
    Unknown
    East Room
    State Floor
    staff
    Residence staff
    In this photograph, First Lady Laura Welch Bush shakes hands with White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier in the East Room upon his retirement on July 30, 2004. In recognition of his 25 years of service at the White House, Mesnier was presented his workbench as a retirement gift. A plaque denoting his tenure was specially made for the piece.
  • President and Mrs. Bush Visit Site of September 11 Terrorist Attacks
    Kimberlee Hewitt
    memorials
    commemorations
    September 11
    New York City
    New York
    travel
    Presidential Visit
    In this photograph, taken by Kimberlee Hewitt on September 10, 2006, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Welch Bush participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the north reflecting pool at the former site of the World Trade Center in New York, New York. President and Mrs. Bush paid their respects at the site to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The National September 11 Memorial was later built on the site and dedicated on September 11, 2011. In May 2014, an adjacent museum was opened and dedicated by President Barack Obama.
  • Moment of Silence, September 11, 2005
    Krisanne Johnson
    staff
    south view
    commemorations
    South Lawn
    South Grounds
    September 11
    In this photograph, President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Welch Bush, Vice President Richard B. Cheney, and Second Lady Lynne V. Cheney join White House staff for a moment of silence on the South Lawn in commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. In 2002, President Bush designated September 11th as Patriot Day, a time that has been recognized through presidential proclamations as a national day of remembrance, prayer, and service. Presidents and first ladies typically commemorate the day through moment of silence observations on the White House South Lawn, and by attending remembrance ceremonies at sites affected by the terrorist attacks.
  • Moment of Silence, September 11, 2003
    Unknown
    staff
    south view
    commemorations
    South Lawn
    South Grounds
    September 11
    In this photograph, President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Welch Bush, Vice President Richard B. Cheney, and Second Lady Lynne V. Cheney join White House staff for a moment of silence on the South Lawn in commemoration of the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. In 2002, President Bush designated September 11th as Patriot Day, a time that has been recognized through presidential proclamations as a national day of remembrance, prayer, and service. Presidents and first ladies typically commemorate the day through moment of silence observations on the White House South Lawn, and by attending remembrance ceremonies at sites affected by the terrorist attacks.
  • Moment of Silence, September 11, 2004
    David Bohrer
    commemorations
    South Lawn
    South Grounds
    September 11
    In this photograph, President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Welch Bush, Vice President Richard B. Cheney, and Second Lady Lynne V. Cheney join victims' families for a moment of silence on the South Lawn in commemoration of the third anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. In 2002, President Bush designated September 11th as Patriot Day, a time that has been recognized through presidential proclamations as a national day of remembrance, prayer, and service. Presidents and first ladies typically commemorate the day through moment of silence observations on the White House South Lawn, and by attending remembrance ceremonies at sites affected by the terrorist attacks.
  • President and Mrs. Bush Visit Flight 93 Crash Site
    Tina Hager
    memorials
    commemorations
    September 11
    Pennsylvania
    travel
    Presidential Visit
    In this photograph, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Welch Bush participate in a wreath-laying ceremony near the crash site for United Airlines Flight 93 in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, on the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. Flight 93 was one of four airplanes hijacked by al-Qaida terrorists on September 11, 2001. Believed to be targeting the United States Capitol Building, the flight crashed into a field after passengers and crew attempted to regain control of the aircraft. Preliminary work for the Flight 93 National Memorial was completed on September 10, 2010, and the permanent memorial opened to the public on September 10, 2015. In 2002, President Bush designated September 11th as Patriot Day, a time that has been recognized through presidential proclamations as a national day of remembrance, prayer, and service. Presidents and first ladies typically commemorate the day through moment of silence observations on the White House South Lawn, and by attending remembrance ceremonies at sites affected by the terrorist attacks.
  • President and Mrs. Bush Participate in Memorial Service for September 11th Victims
    Eric Draper
    memorials
    commemorations
    Washington, D.C.
    St. John's Church
    Semptember 11
    In this photograph, taken by Eric Draper on September 11, 2002, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Welch Bush light a candle at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., during a private service of prayer and remembrance honoring the victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. This first anniversary of the attacks was also the first observation of Patriot Day, a day designated by President Bush for national participation in remembrance ceremonies. On September 11, 2002, President Bush also participated in a moment of silence at the White House and visited the location of the terrorist attacks in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, the former site of the World Trade Center in New York city, and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
  • Mrs. Bush Listens to East Wing Staff following September 11
    Unknown
    staff of FLOTUS and POTUS
    September 11
    East Wing
    staff
    In this photograph taken on September 12, 2001, First Lady Laura Welch Bush listens to her East Wing staff members share what they experienced during the evacuation of the White House on September 11, 2001. Mrs. Bush learned of the suspected terrorist attacks during a visit to the United States Capitol Building the previous day, where she had intended to brief the the United States Senate Committee on Education on the White House Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development she had hosted that July.
  • Mrs. Bush Responds to September 11 Terrorist Attacks
    Unknown
    Washington, D.C.
    U.S. Capitol
    September 11
    First Family
    Congress
    First Lady Visit
    In this photograph, First Lady Laura Welch Bush speaks at the United States Capitol Building following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, New York on the morning of September 11, 2001. Mrs. Bush had planned on visiting the Capitol that day to brief the United States Senate Committee on Education on the White House Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development she had hosted that July. Here, Mrs. Bush is pictured standing between senators Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.
  • Mrs. Bush Responds to September 11 Terrorist Attacks
    Unknown
    staff of FLOTUS and POTUS
    Washington, D.C.
    U.S. Capitol
    September 11
    staff
    In this photograph, taken on September 11, 2001, First Lady Laura Welch Bush watches media coverage of the morning's terrorist attacks from the office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts at the United States Capitol Building. Mrs. Bush had planned on visiting the Capitol that day to brief the United States Senate Committee on Education on the White House Summit on Early Childhood Cognitive Development she had hosted that July. Here, the the first lady is pictured at right with her chief of staff Andrea "Andi" Ball (center), and an unidentified staff member.
  • National September 11 Memorial Dedication Ceremony
    Pete Souza
    travel
    commemorations
    September 11
    Presidential Visit
    New York City
    New York
    memorials
    In this photograph, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, former President George W. Bush, and former First Lady Laura Welch Bush listen to a speaker during the dedication ceremony for the National September 11 Memorial in New York, New York, on September 11, 2011. The dedication ceremony was held in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. Located at the former site of the World Trade Center, the memorial features reflecting pools bearing the names of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombings. In May 2014, an adjacent museum was opened and dedicated by President Barack Obama. In 2002, President George W. Bush designated September 11th as Patriot Day, a time that has been recognized through presidential proclamations as a national day of remembrance, prayer, and service. Presidents and first ladies typically commemorate the day through moment of silence observations on the White House South Lawn, and by attending remembrance ceremonies at sites affected by the terrorist attacks.
  • National September 11 Memorial Dedication
    Chuck Kennedy
    memorials
    commemorations
    New York City
    New York
    Presidential Visit
    travel
    September 11
    In this photograph, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama join former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Welch Bush for the dedication of the National September 11 Memorial in New York, New York, on September 11, 2011. The dedication ceremony was held in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. Located at the former site of the World Trade Center, the memorial features reflecting pools bearing the names of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombings. In May 2014, an adjacent museum was opened and dedicated by President Barack Obama. In 2002, President George W. Bush designated September 11th as Patriot Day, a time that has been recognized through presidential proclamations as a national day of remembrance, prayer, and service. Presidents and first ladies typically commemorate the day through moment of silence observations on the White House South Lawn, and by attending remembrance ceremonies at sites affected by the terrorist attacks.
  • National September 11 Memorial Dedication
    Pete Souza
    memorials
    commemorations
    New York City
    New York
    Presidential Visit
    September 11
    travel
    In this photograph, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama join former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Welch Bush for the dedication of the National September 11 Memorial in New York, New York, on September 11, 2011. The dedication ceremony was held in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. Located at the former site of the World Trade Center, the memorial features reflecting pools bearing the names of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombings. In May 2014, an adjacent museum was opened and dedicated by President Barack Obama. In 2002, President George W. Bush designated September 11th as Patriot Day, a time that has been recognized through presidential proclamations as a national day of remembrance, prayer, and service. Presidents and first ladies typically commemorate the day through moment of silence observations on the White House South Lawn, and by attending remembrance ceremonies at sites affected by the terrorist attacks.
  • National September 11 Memorial Dedication
    Pete Souza
    memorials
    commemorations
    New York City
    New York
    September 11
    Presidential Visit
    travel
    In this photograph, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama join former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Welch Bush to greet family members and local dignitaries in advance of the dedication of the National September 11 Memorial in New York, New York, on September 11, 2011. The dedication ceremony was held in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. Located at the former site of the World Trade Center, the memorial features reflecting pools bearing the names of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombings. In May 2014, an adjacent museum was opened and dedicated by President Barack Obama. In 2002, President George W. Bush designated September 11th as Patriot Day, a time that has been recognized through presidential proclamations as a national day of remembrance, prayer, and service. Presidents and first ladies typically commemorate the day through moment of silence observations on the White House South Lawn, and by attending remembrance ceremonies at sites affected by the terrorist attacks.
  • Laura Bush Observes Lincoln Bedroom Restoration
    Susan Sterner
    staff
    restoration
    construction & maintenance
    Second Floor
    Residence staff
    Lincoln Bedroom
    refurbishment
    In this photograph, taken by Susan Sterner on January 4, 2005, First Lady Laura Welch Bush and White House Curator William G. Allman oversee the installation of window fixtures in the Lincoln Bedroom. The window fixtures were installed as part of Mrs. Bush's refurbishment project to restore the historical accuracy of the space and the adjoining Lincoln Sitting Room. Additional enhancements added to the room included period appropriate carpeting, wallpaper, and window hangings, a bed cornice, as well as the only marble mantel in the White House original to the era.
  • President and Mrs. Bush at the 2008 Summer Olympics
    Eric Draper
    travel
    sports
    China
    Presidential Visit
    In this photograph, taken by Eric Draper on August 8, 2008, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Welch Bush stand and wave flags during the entrance of the United States Olympic Team into China's National Stadium during the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. President Bush also attended the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
  • President and Mrs. Bush with Matthew Wendel
    Unknown
    State Floor
    Christmas
    Blue Room Christmas tree
    Blue Room
    winter holidays
    This photograph, taken in 2001, shows President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush posing with Matthew Wendel in front of the official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working as a waiter-caterer at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. After Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel prepared comforting meals for the first family during their trips to Camp David and visits home to the Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas.
  • President Bush Hosts Thanksgiving Luncheon
    Tina Hager
    residence
    Thanksgiving
    Texas
    Head of State
    staff
    In this photograph, taken by Tina Hager on November 24, 2004, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush host a Thanksgiving-style luncheon at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, their home near Crawford, Texas, during a visit by King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía of Spain. For the luncheon, chef Matthew Wendel prepared seasonal dishes including free-range turkey, Prairie Chapel bass, mashed sweet potatoes with maple syrup and chipotle, pan-roasted vegetables with walnuts and apples, corn bread stuffing, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie. Also present at the luncheon were the president's twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, as well as his parents, former President George H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush.
  • National Security Team Luncheon at Prairie Chapel Ranch
    Paul Morse
    residence
    meetings
    food & drink
    Texas
    Cabinet
    staff
    This photograph, taken by Paul Morse on December 28, 2006, shows President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush enjoying a lunch of cheeseburgers at their Prairie Chapel Ranch with members of the national security team including Vice President Richard B. Cheney, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff United States Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace. While entertaining at their ranch near Crawford, Texas, President Bush and Mrs. Bush frequently served burgers with extra-sharp cheddar cheese and sweet and smokey barbecue sauce, made with care by Matthew Wendel. Wendel is pictured in this photograph at left, serving a cheeseburger.