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 taken by Ricardo Thomas, President Gerald R. Ford chats with fashion designers Diane von Furstenberg and Luis Estevez in the Entrance Hall of the White House. The designers were guests at a State Dinner held in honor of Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave of Ireland, also known as a prime minister, and his wife, Vera Cosgrave, on March 17, 1976.

This photograph of chief of protocol Henry Catto, President Gerald R. Ford, and Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave of Ireland in the Yellow Oval Room was taken by Ricardo Thomas on March 17, 1976. The trio met in the Yellow Oval Room, which is located on the Second Floor, prior to a State Dinner held in the taoseach's, or prime minister's, honor.

This photograph of the table settings for the State Dinner in held honor of Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave of Ireland and his wife, Vera Cosgrave, was taken on March 17, 1976, by Ricardo Thomas. The table settings include the Lyndon B. Johnson State Service, bronze sculptures, and John F. Kennedy glassware. In the background waiters and butlers from the White House staff make preparations.

In this photograph by Ricardo Thomas, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain welcomes Alice Roosevelt Longworth in a receiving line on the on July 7, 1976. Behind Longworth is President Gerald R. Ford. The receiving line, which took place on the South Drive of the White House, was held prior to a State Dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth. The State Dinner was held under a tent in the Rose Garden on the South Grounds of the White House and followed a State Arrival Ceremony held earlier in the day. Queen Elizabeth, along with her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial.

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 Ricardo Thomas, President Gerald R. Ford and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain welcome guests in a receiving line on the on July 7, 1976. Shaking Queen Elizabeth's hand is the British-born actor Cary Grant. The receiving line, which took place on the South Drive of the White House, was held prior to a State Dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth. The State Dinner was held under a tent in the Rose Garden on the South Grounds of the White House and followed a State Arrival Ceremony held earlier in the day. Queen Elizabeth, along with her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial.

In this photograph by Ricardo Thomas, Willie Mays and Telly Savalas pose with other guests in front of the South Portico of the White House on July 7, 1976. Mays (center), considered one of the greatest Major League Baseball players of all time, and Savalas (second from the right), an actor, were among the guests at a State Dinner held that night in honor of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. The State Dinner was held under a tent in the Rose Garden on the South Grounds of the White House and followed a State Arrival Ceremony held earlier in the day. Queen Elizabeth, along with her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial. First Lady Betty Ford invited guests to the State Dinner that embodied the best and brightest Americans, including Mays, Savalas, Dorothy Hamill, and Cary Grant. Savlas' television show, "Kojak," was reportedly a favorite of Queen Elizabeth's.

This photograph by Ricardo Thomas is of President Gerald R. Ford standing with Girl Scout Camille Deppe and Boy Scout James Williams in front of the recently lit National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse 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 shows volunteers decorating the Blue Room for the holiday season. Ricardo Thomas took this photograph on December 6, 1975. That year, 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 holiday decorations.

In this black-and-white photograph, taken by Ricardo Thomas on December 6, 1975, volunteer Christine Heineman assembles a cranberry tree in the Red Room for the holiday season. This was the first year that a cranberry tree was included as part of the Christmas decorations at the White House, and similar cranberry trees have been traditionally displayed in the Red Room ever since. 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 help of Colonial Williamsburg staff and volunteers to assist in the creation of traditional decorations.

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.

This photograph was taken at a State Dinner hosted by President Gerald R. Ford for Prime Minister Harold Wilson of the United Kingdom on January 30, 1975. President Ford, Prime Minister Wilson, First Lady Betty Ford, and Mary Wilson can be seen conversing in the State Dining Room during the evening's events. This photograph was taken by Ricardo Thomas, the first African American official White House photographer. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Henry Haller served as executive chef at the White House from 1966-1987.

This photograph by Ricardo Thomas shows guests dancing at Susan Ford's high school prom, which was held in the East Room. Susan Ford is in the background on the right wearing a peach-colored dress.

This photograph by Ricardo Thomas shows President Gerald R. Ford celebrating his birthday in the West Sitting Hall with family and friends. Present in the photo are Betty Ford and Susan Ford.

This photograph shows President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford with American singer Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), who was a legendary jazz and blues singer. She won more than a dozen Grammy awards, received the Kennedy Center Medal of Honor and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. Bush in 1992.

This photograph by Ricardo Thomas shows President Gerald R. Ford dancing with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom during a State Dinner held in her honor.

This black and white photograph by Ricardo Thomas shows social secretary Maria Downs with First Lady Betty Ford at a baby shower for Sally Runion and Margaret Sheppard held in the East Wing Offices. Ford is wearing a faux straw hat that reads "The Backroom Saloon" on the hatband.

This black and white photograph by Ricardo Thomas shows social secretary Maria Downs with First Lady Betty Ford at a baby shower for Sally Runion and Margaret Sheppard held in the East Wing Offices. Ford is wearing a faux straw hat that reads "The Backroom Saloon" on the hatband. Also in the photograph are Kaye Pullen, Sally Runion, and Margaret Sheppard.

This photograph shows President Gerald R. Ford and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom during the toast she made at the State Dinner held in her honor in the Rose Garden.

This photograph of President Jimmy Carter introducing his daughter Amy to President Jose Lopez Portillo of Mexico in the Yellow Oval Room before a White House state dinner was taken by Ricardo Thomas on February 14, 1977. The Mexico dinner was the first of 25 state dinners Carter would host in four years.