This portrait of Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly was the frontispiece, or an illustration facing the title page of a book, for her memoir Behind the Scenes, or Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House, published ca. 1868 by G.W. Carleton & Co. Her memoir detailed her life when she was enslaved, her rise to prominence as a businesswoman and seamstress, and her friendship with First Lady Mary Lincoln. Her memoir provides ample insight into the Lincoln White House, her family life, and the brutalities she experienced under slavery.

This painting is attributed to William Henry Powell (sometimes known as W.H. Powell), who was a New York City painter and trained under Henry Inman. The painting depicts a group of settlers and their horses around a covered wagon. An American Indian man is in the center of the group and pointing off into the distance, suggesting he is providing directions to the seated figure looking at a map. Powell's "Discovery of the Mississippi by De Soto A.D. 1541" hangs in the United States Capitol Rotunda.

This celestial globe was created by William and Thomas Marriott Bardin (professionally known as W. & T. M. Bardin) circa 1800 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The globe is made of wood, brass, and glass and set on a three-legged wooden stand. There is a round compass at the juncture of the stretchers and the sphere and stand both have the months and zodiac names on it. The globe captures the position of stars observed in 1800 by Dr. William Hershel and is dedicated to Rev. Nevil Maskelyne, astronomer royal. This globe is one of a pair in the Decatur House Collection. The other is a terrestrial globe. It is believed these globes are part of the 1820 estate inventory of Decatur House. In 2010, the White House Historical Association and National Trust entered into co-stewardship arrangement and Decatur House now serves as the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History.

This is a letter of First Lieutenant Amos W. Hostetter at Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Owen P. and Hannah Miles in Illinois, dated January 29, 1863. Hostetter was in the U.S. Army, a member of the 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and died in 1864. The letter conveys Hostetter's views on slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the administration's war policy. He forcefully presents a case for supporting the president's proclamation on pages one through three. (Transcription provided by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum and the White House Historical Association.)

This seascape of a three-masted American ship, or barque, is attributed to W.J. Bennett, also known as William James Bennett. Dark clouds, high seas, and full sails suggest a stormy day as the ship navigates around a number of smaller vessels. Bennett was a British-born painter active in America and was a member of the National Academy of Design in New York City.

This Gothic Revival black walnut side chair by J. and J.W. Meeks of New York was one of 24 made for the Cabinet Room and used there from 1847-1869. These chairs appear in prints of Lincoln's Cabinet Room and came to be identified with him. Until the construction of the West Wing in 1902, the Cabinet Room was on the east end of the second floor of the Executive Mansion.

This engraving by Richard W. Dodson, also known as R. W. Dodson, is a portrait of Lt. Charles Wilkes. The engraving is based on a portrait by Thomas Sully. This engraving is part of the book "Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition" by Charles Wilkes himself. In August of 1838 Wilkes embarked on an expedition that left from Hampton Roads, Virginia and sailed westward around the world. He made stops in Rio de Janeiro, Tierra Del Fuego, Hawaii, the Philippines, Singapore, and the Cape of Good Hope. The expedition ended in New York on June 10, 1842. The book this engraving was published in is a part of the Blair House Collection. James Blair, son of Francis Preston Blair, was a part of the expedition. Blair House, the family's home, is located across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House and has been used as the president's guest house since the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration.

This is a letter of First Lieutenant Amos W. Hostetter at Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Owen P. and Hannah Miles in Illinois, dated January 29, 1863. Hostetter was in the U.S. Army, a member of the 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and died in 1864. The letter conveys Hostetter's views on slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the administration's war policy. He forcefully presents a case for supporting the president's proclamation.

This is a letter of First Lieutenant Amos W. Hostetter at Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Owen P. and Hannah Miles in Illinois, dated January 29, 1863. Hostetter was in the U.S. Army, a member of the 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and died in 1864. The letter conveys Hostetter's views on slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the administration's war policy. He forcefully presents a case for supporting the president's proclamation.

This is a letter of First Lieutenant Amos W. Hostetter at Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Owen P. and Hannah Miles in Illinois, dated January 29, 1863. Hostetter was in the U.S. Army, a member of the 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and died in 1864. The letter conveys Hostetter's views on slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the administration's war policy. He forcefully presents a case for supporting the president's proclamation.

This is a letter of First Lieutenant Amos W. Hostetter at Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Owen P. and Hannah Miles in Illinois, dated January 29, 1863. Hostetter was in the U.S. Army, a member of the 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and died in 1864. The letter conveys Hostetter's views on slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the administration's war policy. He forcefully presents a case for supporting the president's proclamation.

This is a letter of First Lieutenant Amos W. Hostetter at Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Owen P. and Hannah Miles in Illinois, dated January 29, 1863. Hostetter was in the U.S. Army, a member of the 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and died in 1864. The letter conveys Hostetter's views on slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the administration's war policy. He forcefully presents a case for supporting the president's proclamation.

This is a letter of First Lieutenant Amos W. Hostetter at Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Owen P. and Hannah Miles in Illinois, dated January 29, 1863. Hostetter was in the U.S. Army, a member of the 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and died in 1864. The letter conveys Hostetter's views on slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the administration's war policy. He forcefully presents a case for supporting the president's proclamation.

This is a letter of First Lieutenant Amos W. Hostetter at Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Owen P. and Hannah Miles in Illinois, dated January 29, 1863. Hostetter was in the U.S. Army, a member of the 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and died in 1864. The letter conveys Hostetter's views on slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the administration's war policy. He forcefully presents a case for supporting the president's proclamation.

This is a letter of First Lieutenant Amos W. Hostetter at Murfreesboro, Tennessee to Owen P. and Hannah Miles in Illinois, dated January 29, 1863. Hostetter was in the U.S. Army, a member of the 34th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was later promoted to the rank of captain and died in 1864. The letter conveys Hostetter's views on slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the administration's war policy. He forcefully presents a case for supporting the president's proclamation.

This full elevation of the south facade of the White House shows the pattern for the Aquia sandstone used in that facade. It was commissioned by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS).

This illustration, titled "The Fall of Washington or Maddy in Full Flight," was created in October 1814 by Samuel William Fores, also known as S. W. Fores. This British cartoon depicts the retreat of President James Madison during the invasion of Washington, D.C. by British troops in the War of 1812. Underneath the illustration is a quotation from William Shakespeare's "Macbeth." It reads, "Death of thy Soul. Those linen cheeks of thine; Are Counsellors to fear."

This 1815 aquatint engraving by James W. Steel is titled "Battle of New Orleans and Defeat of the British Under the Command of Sir Edward Packenham." Gen. Andrew Jackson, center, is seen here receiving a salute from Gen. Richard Call. Maj. Edward Livingston is pictured riding behind Jackson. In the background American soldiers are fighting British troops. Jackson would go on to serve as the 7th president of the United States from March 4, 1829 to March 4, 1837. The engraving is based on a drawing by Samuel Seymour and published by William H. Morgan.

This photograph entitled "President Grant and Friends at his Cottage by the Sea" was taken by G. W. Pach of the Pach Brothers photograph studio. The cottage was located in Long Branch, New Jersey. Grant and his family often spent the summer vacationing at this home on the shore. The individuals in the photograph are identified as: President Ulysses S. Grant, First Lady Julia Dent Grant, and her father Frederick Dent in the front row. In the back row: M.G. Wilkins, Mrs. General Morris, Nebraska Senator Phineas Hitchcock, and Mr. A.P. Merrill.

This illustration depicts the scene within the Washington, D.C., train station where President James Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881 by Charles Guiteau, who had sought a position in the government but was rejected. Garfield succumbed to his wounds 11 weeks later.

This engraving shows President Chester Arthur taking the oath of office at his home in New York City in the early morning hours of September 20, 1881. Arthur became president following the death of President James Garfield, who was shot on July 2, 1881 in a Washington, D.C. train station by Charles Guiteau and succumbed to his injuries 11 weeks later. Guiteau had sought a position in Garfield's government and was rejected. The engraving is based on a drawing by J. W. Alexander, possibly John White Alexander, a famous painter from that era who began his career as an illustrator and political cartoonist.

This portrait of First Lady Frances Folsom Cleveland was done by Charles W. Wright. When Mrs. Cleveland married President Grover Cleveland on June 2, 1886, she became the youngest woman to serve as first lady at the age of 21. She was also the first bride of a president to be married in the White House.

This photograph was taken inside the White House Conservatory around 1897. The Conservatory was located on the western side of the Executive Mansion, where today the West Colonnade and West Wing reside. The palm in the left foreground is said to have been George Washington's sago palm.

This drawing by F.W. Brouard illustrates an anecdote describing how Quentin Roosevelt sought to comfort his older brother, Archie, who was ill with the measles. With the help of one of the coachmen, he brought their horse, Algonquin, to Archie's bedroom for a visit.

This color photograph shows a desk that is a replica of the desk that President James Monroe used to sign the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, in which he pledged to protect American interests in the Western Hemisphere. First Lady Lou Hoover acquired the replica desk for the White House Collection in 1932. The china displayed in the photograph was made by the Parisian firm Dagoty, likely during the first decade of the 19th century, and is believed to be a part of the Madisons' personal service. The butterfly painting is the work of artist Albert Bierstadt, made during an 1893 visit to the White House.