In this photograph by Karl Schumacher, comedian Bob Hope performs in the East Room on July 7, 1976. Hope performed a monologue during the entertainment portion of a State Dinner held in honor of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The State Dinner, which was held in the Rose Garden, followed a day of activities with President Gerald R. Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, Queen Elizabeth, and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, including a State Arrival Ceremony that morning. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial. Hope, a British-born actor and comedian, was a recurrent guest at the White House and, during his career, entertained every president from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton.

In this photograph by Karl Schumacher, husband and wife singing duo Captain & Tennille (Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille) perform in the East Room on July 7, 1976. The duo performed during the entertainment portion of a State Dinner held in honor of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The State Dinner, which was held in the Rose Garden, followed a day of activities with President Gerald R. Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, Queen Elizabeth, and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, including a State Arrival Ceremony that morning. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial. Performing with Captain & Tennille were bassist Jack Conrad, drummer Michael Mathis, and singers Andy Boettner, Melissa Tennille, Louisa Tennille, and Jubilant Sykes.

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 Karl Schumacher taken on July 7, 1976, preparations are underway inside a tent erected for a State Dinner held in honor of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The State Dinner, which was held in the Rose Garden, followed a day of activities with President Gerald R. Ford, First Lady Betty Ford, Queen Elizabeth, and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, including a State Arrival Ceremony that morning. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial. The tent, which was temporary, included carpeted floors that were installed under the direction of Mrs. Ford, to protect shoes and ensure wet grass would not cause a slippery surface.

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 by Karl Schumacher is of a sign on the truck that delivered the Blue Room Christmas Tree to the White House on December 6, 1974. Ed and Mardee Cole of Ed-Mar Tree Farm in Maryville, Michigan, who grew the tree, delivered the tree on the South Drive of the White House. The annual arrival of the tree signals the start of holiday festivities at the White House.

This photograph of the Red Room decorated for the holidays was taken by Karl Schumacher on December 13, 1974 during the Gerald R. Ford administration. The decorations included a patchwork quilt on the table, tabletop topiaries with cranberries, and ivy on the mantel. First Lady Betty Ford selected handmade crafts as the theme for the holiday decor. The theme promoted Americana and provided inspiration for thrifty decorations, as many households limited their holiday budgets due to a poor economy.

This photograph is of President Gerald R. Ford congratulating Boy Scout James Williams after he pushed the button to light the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse. Karl Schumacher photographed this event on December 17, 1974. The lighting of the National Christmas Tree is a cherished holiday tradition in Washington, D.C. When President Calvin Coolidge lit the first tree in 1923, the celebration attracted more than 6,000 spectators. The opening ceremony and nightly holiday concerts have annually drawn hundreds of attendees.

This photograph of Christmas decorations in the State Dining Room was taken by Karl Schumacher on December 13, 1974. A patchwork quilt is on the table, with dolls of Mr. and Mrs. Clause and elves as a centerpiece. The fireplace mantel is decorated with candles and a garland of poinsettias and ivy. The walls, sconces, and chandelier are also decorated with garlands, alongside a topiary made from poinsettias in the corner of the room. First Lady Betty Ford selected handmade crafts as the theme for the holiday decor. The theme promoted Americana and provided inspiration for thrifty decorations, as many households limited their holiday budgets due to a poor economy.

This photograph taken by Karl Schumacher shows the view of the Grand Staircase from the Entrance Hall decorated for Christmas on December 13, 1974. The Grand Staircase was trimmed with garlands and bows. The light standards flanking the doorway are decorated with a garland and topped with foil angels and candles. First Lady Betty Ford selected handmade crafts as the theme for the holiday decor. The theme promoted Americana and provided inspiration for thrifty decorations, as many households limited their holiday budgets due to a poor economy.

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, Tricia Nixon unwraps presents during a bridal shower that was held in her honor by Second Lady Judy Agnew on June 1, 1971. Seated near Tricia Nixon are, from left to right: her sister Julie Nixon Eisenhower (on floor), former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, and First Lady Pat Nixon, Tricia's mother. Tricia Nixon married Edward Cox, a law student at the time, in a Rose Garden ceremony on June 12, 1971.

This photograph taken on June 11, 1971 by Karl Schumacher shows preparations for the wedding reception of Tricia Nixon and Edward Cox in the East Room of the White House. Their wedding -- which took place the next day -- was the 16th documented wedding to take place at the White House and the first to be held in the Rose Garden or outdoors. Nixon was the eldest daughter of President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon. Approximately 400 guests watched the first daughter marry Edward Cox, then a law student, in the Rose Garden the following day.

In this photograph, Tricia Nixon unwraps presents during a bridal shower that was held in her honor by Second Lady Judy Agnew on June 1, 1971. Seated near Tricia Nixon (in white at right) are, from left to right: her sister Julie Nixon Eisenhower (on floor), former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, and First Lady Pat Nixon, Tricia's mother. Tricia Nixon married Edward Cox, a law student at the time, in a Rose Garden ceremony on June 12, 1971.

In this photograph taken on June 11, 1971 by Karl Schumacher, President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon talk with members of the Army Strings in the Rose Garden of the White House. The President and Mrs. Nixon greeted the group at the wedding rehearsal for their eldest daughter, Tricia Nixon, and her fiancé, Edward Cox. In the background, Tricia and Edward are captured talking to a woman, possibly Julie Nixon Eisenhower. The wedding took place the next day, on June 12, and was the 16th wedding to take place at 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 on December 9, 1970, the Nixon family dogs pose in front of their dog house on the South Grounds for a holiday portrait. The presidential pooches sit beneath a Christmas tree at the entranceway of their dog house, flanked by wrapped packages and a Christmas tree. During the Richard M. Nixon administration, electrician and unofficial presidential kennel master Traphes Bryant often coordinated the three dogs for their traditional holiday portrait. Pictured here from left to right: King Timahoe, President Richard M. Nixon's Irish Setter; Vicki, a French Poodle that belonged to first daughter Julie Nixon Eisenhower; and Pasha, first daughter Tricia Nixon's Yorkshire Terrier.

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 of the Blue Room decorated for the 1975 Christmas holiday season was taken by Karl Schumacher on December 22, 1975. For the holiday season, early American portraits were hung on the walls of the Blue Room that were on loan from the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Collection in Colonial Williamsburg. Seen here is a portrait of two young boys with children's toys that was painted around 1845, attributed to William Matthew Prior. In 1975, First Lady Betty Ford selected "An Old-Fashioned Christmas in America," also referred to as "A Williamsburg Children's Christmas," for her holiday theme, and enlisted the assistance of Colonial Williamsburg staff and volunteers to create traditional decorations.

This photograph of the Cross Hall decorated for the 1975 Christmas holiday season was taken by Karl Schumacher on December 22, 1975. Prominently featured in the center of the photograph is a Bactrian camel carousel figure, loaned to the White House by the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Collection in Colonial Williamsburg. The camel was made by the Charles W. F. Dare Company of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, around 1890-1896. In 1975, First Lady Betty Ford selected "An Old-Fashioned Christmas in America," also referred to as "A Williamsburg Children's Christmas," for her holiday theme, and enlisted the assistance of Colonial Williamsburg staff and volunteers to create traditional decorations.

This photograph of the Cross Hall decorated for the 1975 Christmas holiday season was taken by Karl Schumacher on December 22, 1975. Prominently featured in the center of the photograph is a giraffe carousel figure, loaned to the White House by the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Collection in Colonial Williamsburg. The giraffe was created by the Dentzel Carousel Company in the early 20th century from a design by Salvatore Cernagliaro. In 1975, First Lady Betty Ford selected "An Old-Fashioned Christmas in America," also referred to as "A Williamsburg Children's Christmas," for her holiday theme, and enlisted the assistance of Colonial Williamsburg staff and volunteers to create traditional decorations.

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.

In this photograph, taken by Karl Schumacher on December 10, 1971, White House staff members including social secretary Lucy Winchester (right) examine ornaments for the Blue Room Christmas Tree. The unadorned Christmas tree can be seen in the background. An unidentified woman in the center of the photograph holds a velvet and satin "State Flower" ornament. Following the success of First Lady Pat Nixon's "American Flower" Christmas tree in 1969, similar ornaments were remade for the Blue Room Christmas Tree in 1971, which was also decorated with gold foil angels.