• The Wedding of John and Jacqueline Kennedy
    Toni Frissell
    weddings
    celebrations
    Rhode Island
    This photograph was taken by Toni Frissell at the wedding of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12, 1953 in Newport, Rhode Island. The future president and first lady were married at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church followed by a reception (seen here) at Hammersmith Farm, the 300 acre oceanfront estate owned by the Auchincloss family. Hugh D. Auchincloss was Jacqueline's stepfather. Mrs. Kennedy's dress was designed by Ann Lowe.
  • President and Mrs. Kennedy Arrive at Inaugural Ball
    Abbie Rowe
    inaugurations
    In this photograph by Abbie Rowe taken on January 20, 1961, newly-inaugurated President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy arrive at the National Guard Armory in Washington, D.C. for the Inaugural Ball. Earlier in the day, President Kennedy was sworn in at the 35th President of the United States. Mrs. Kennedy wore a sleeveless, off-white gown with a silk sheer top covering a strapless bodice encrusted with “brilliants” and embroidered with silver thread by Ethel Frankau. Mrs. Kennedy collaborated with Frankau in the creation of the gown by offering suggestions on the sketches. Mrs. Kennedy’s look was finished off with a matching cape that closed at the neck and elbow-length gloves.
  • Presentation of the First Edition of The White House: A Historic Guide
    Cecil Stoughton
    West Wing
    Roosevelt Room
    Presidential Seal
    WHHA
    This photograph is of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy admiring their copies of the first edition of "The White House: A Historic Guide." The publication serves as a companion book for tours of the White House, providing history of the rooms, architecture, and furniture. The presentation of the first edition took place in the Fish Room, now known as the Roosevelt Room and was photographed by Cecil Stoughton on June 28, 1962.
  • President Kennedy at the Resolute Desk
    Cecil Stoughton
    furniture
    West Wing
    Resolute Desk
    Oval Office
    case goods
    In this photograph taken circa 1962, President John F. Kennedy sits at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. The desk was made from the oak timbers of the British ship H.M.S. Resolute and sent as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from Queen Victoria in 1880. For her first redecoration of the Oval Office in early 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and interior designer Sister Parish had the desk relocated from the Ground Floor to a place of prominence in the Oval Office.
  • Presentation of the First Edition of The White House: A Historic Guide
    Cecil Stoughton
    West Wing
    Roosevelt Room
    WHHA
    Presidential Seal
    This photograph is of Dr. Melville Bell Grosvenor, president and editor of the National Geographic Society, handing First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy a copy of the first edition of "The White House: A Historic Guide." The publication serves as a companion book for tours of the White House, providing a history of the rooms, architecture, and furniture. The presentation of the first edition took place in the Fish Room, now known as the Roosevelt, and was photographed by Cecil Stoughton on June 28, 1962. Behind them are President John F. Kennedy; David E. Finley, chairman of the board of directors of the White House Historical Association; Lorraine Waxman Pearce, curator of the White House; Dr. Leonard Carmichael, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and member of the board of directors of the White House Historical Association; Melvin M. Payne, executive vice president and secretary of the National Geographic Society; (partially visible) Nash Castro, assistant regional director of the National Park Service and administrative officer of the White House Historical Association.
  • The Kennedys in the Yellow Oval Room
    Cecil Stoughton
    refurbishment
    lighting
    candelabra
    Yellow Oval Room
    Second Floor
    restoration
    This photograph of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy posing for a portrait in the recently completed Yellow Oval Room was taken by Cecil Stoughton on March 28, 1963. In the background can be seen the Kennedy’s French interior designer Stéphane Boudin’s window treatment and a pedestal candelabra. The Yellow Oval Room has served as a family library, study, and sitting room. Under the direction of Mrs. Kennedy, it was made into a formal drawing room for the first family. The room is also where the president greets guests of honor before State Dinners. The room's color scheme echoes the yellow damask furnishings and curtains selected by First Lady Dolley Madison.
  • Presentation of the First Edition of The White House: A Historic Guide
    Abbie Rowe
    West Wing
    Roosevelt Room
    WHHA
    This photograph is of President John F. Kennedy delivering remarks at the presentation of the first edition of "The White House: A Historic Guide”. The publication serves as a companion book for tours of the White House, providing a history of the rooms, architecture, and furniture. The event took place in the Fish Room, now known as the Roosevelt, and was photographed by Abbie Rowe on June 28, 1962. Behind him are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Dr. Melville Bell Grosvenor, president and editor of the National Geographic Society. Both the President and Mrs. Kennedy are standing with others. From left to right: David E. Finley, chairman of the board of directors of the White House Historical Association; Lorraine W. Pearce, curator of the White House; Dr. Leonard Carmichael, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and member of the board of directors of the White House Historical Association; Melvin M. Payne, executive vice-president and secretary of the National Geographic Society; Nash Castro, assistant regional director of the National Park Service and administrative officer of the White House Historical Association; T. Sutton Jett, regional director of the National Park Service and executive secretary of the White House Historical Association; and Robert L. Breeden, assistant illustrations editor of the National Geographic Society.
  • President Kennedy Presented with Gifts at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
    Abbie Rowe
    lighting
    sconces
    presidential gifts
    This photograph of Garnett D. Horner, reporter for the Washington Star and out-going president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, presenting two silver lanterns to President John F. Kennedy at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was taken by Abbie Rowe on February 25, 1961. The lanterns are replicas of those hung in the Old North Church of Boston on April 18, 1775, that would signal the patriots of Paul Revere’s ride to warn Lexington and Concord. The lanterns were electrified and installed as wall-mounted sconces in the Oval Office.
  • President Kennedy Presents the Presidential “Citation of Merit”
    Abbie Rowe
    State Floor
    Blue Room
    ceremonies
    merits & awards
    This photograph is of President Kennedy presenting the Presidential “Citation of Merit” to diplomat Florence Jaffray Hurst Harriman, in recognition of her distinguished service to the United States. The ceremony took place in the completed Blue Room, part of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's restoration program, and was photographed by Abbie Rowe on April 18, 1963. The Blue Room is located on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion and is famous for its oval shape, central location, and views of the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial through its South Portico windows.
  • President Kennedy Delivers Filmed Remarks in the Rose Garden
    Cecil Stoughton
    sports
    press
    military
    South Grounds
    Rose Garden
    This photograph, taken by Cecil Stoughton on October 11, 1963, shows President John F. Kennedy preparing to deliver filmed remarks in the Rose Garden. President Kennedy stands on the steps leading up to the Oval Office behind a man with a clapperboard; as photographers prepare in the foreground. On that day, President Kennedy delivered remarks for the National Meeting of the Association of the United States Army, and in support of fundraising efforts to send American athletes to the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
  • President Kennedy Signs Joint Resolution in Support of Detroit's 1968 Olympic Bid
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Congress
    Michigan
    sports
    Detroit
    Cabinet Room
    West Wing
    signing
    In this photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on September 16, 1963, President John F. Kennedy signs a joint resolution in support of the city of Detroit's bid to host the 1968 Summer Olympic Games. During the signing ceremony in the Cabinet Room, President Kennedy delivered filmed remarks for members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Letters from President Kennedy were also sent to members of the IOC along with Detroit's promotional brochure materials. Despite the president's endorsement, the IOC selected Mexico City to host the 1968 Summer Olympic Games on October 18, 1963. Pictured here behind President Kennedy are officials from Michigan, from left to right: Representative James G. O'Hara, Representative Lucien N. Nedzi, Senator Pat McNamara (partially hidden), Mayor Jerry Cavanagh of Detroit, Senator Philip A. Hart, Representative Martha W. Griffiths, Representative Neil Staebler, and Representative Harold M. Ryan.
  • President Kennedy and Vice President Johnson with Wilma Rudolph
    Abbie Rowe
    Oval Office
    sports
    West Wing
    White House Guests
    This photograph, taken by Abbie Rowe on April 14, 1961, shows President John F. Kennedy meeting with American athlete Wilma Rudolph in the Oval Office. Rudolph was a triple Olympic gold medalist in track and field during the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. She was considered the fastest woman in the world, and at the time of this photograph, was also a student at Tennessee State College in Nashville. Pictured in this photograph from left to right: President Kennedy; Rudolph; Rudolph’s mother Blanche Rudolph; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Robert Logan (standing), a friend of Rudolph's; and Edward Temple, coach of the 1960 women’s Olympic track team.
  • President Kennedy Throws the First Pitch at a Senators Game
    Robert L. Knudsen
    sports
    Washington, D.C.
    Presidential Visit
    In this photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on April 10, 1961, President John F. Kennedy throws the first pitch of the season at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. This was the first game for an expansion team called the Washington Senators; the former baseball team named the Washington Senators had relocated to Minnesota, becoming the Minnesota Twins. The expansion team later moved to Texas and became the Texas Rangers. Those looking on in this photograph include Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota; Special Assistant to the President David F. Powers; majority owner of the Washington Senators General Elwood R. Quesada; Senate Minority Leader Everett McKinley Dirksen of Illinois; Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Abraham Ribicoff; Associate Press Secretary Andrew Hatcher; and Secret Service Agents Gerald "Jerry" Behn and John J. “Muggsy” O’Leary.
  • Kennedy Children at Black Watch Tattoo Performance
    George F. Mobley
    Truman Balcony
    First Family
    This photograph is of Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr., the children of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, on the Truman Balcony during the Black Watch tattoo on November 13, 1963. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) was a British Army line infantry regiment from 1881 until 2006 when it became the 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland. A tattoo was originally simply a type of military music, but the word evolved to encompass the entire performance. Nine members of the Black Watch returned to the United States to participate in President Kennedy's funeral procession from the White House to the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.
  • Kennedy Children at Black Watch Tattoo Performance
    George F. Mobley
    Truman Balcony
    First Family
    This photograph is of Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr., the children of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, on the Truman Balcony during the Black Watch tattoo on November 13, 1963. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) was a British Army line infantry regiment from 1881 until 2006 when it became the 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland. A tattoo was originally simply a type of military music, but the word evolved to encompass the entire performance. Nine members of the Black Watch returned to the United States to participate in President Kennedy's funeral procession from the White House to the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.
  • Kennedy Family in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts
    Cecil Stoughton
    residence
    Massachusetts
    staff
    This photograph, taken by White House photographer Cecil Stoughton on August 4, 1962, shows President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and their children Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr. at the Kennedy family's six-acre compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., purchased the main house on the compound in 1929 as a summer house for his wife, Rose, and their eight children. By 1960, the Kennedy compound held three houses for the growing family, including one for Robert and Ethel Kennedy and another for John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy.
  • Kennedy Family Attends Easter Service in Palm Beach
    Cecil Stoughton
    Florida
    Easter
    worship services
    This photograph of President John F. Kennedy and his family was taken by White House photographer Cecil Stoughton following an Easter Sunday service on April 14, 1963. The family stands outside the private chapel at the residence of Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., the president's father, in Palm Beach, Florida. To escape the bitter cold of winters in Washington, D.C., President Kennedy would travel to his family's Mediterranean-style estate in Palm Beach.
  • Mrs. Kennedy Arrives for Weekend Vacation at Wexford
    Cecil Stoughton
    residence
    Virginia
    Residence staff
    staff
    This photograph, taken by White House photographer Cecil Stoughton on October 26, 1963, shows First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy arriving with her children Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr. for a weekend getaway to their family estate in Akota, Virginia. They are accompanied by Maud Shaw, the children's governess. The Kennedys built the house on the 166-acre estate after losing their lease on Glen Ora, their former weekend vacation home near Middleburg, Virginia. Mrs. Kennedy named the house Wexford after the Irish county from which her husband's family could trace their ancestry.
  • John F. Kennedy
    Bureau of Engraving and Printing
    portrait
    engraving
    This engraving of President John F. Kennedy was produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. During World War II, Kennedy earned a Navy and Marine Corps Medal for rescuing his shipmates after their PT boat was destroyed. Later he served as a United States congressman and Senator for the state of Massachusetts. He defeated then-Vice President Richard M. Nixon in the election of 1960, though his presidency was cut short with his assassination on November 22, 1963.
  • President Kennedy with John F. Kennedy, Jr.
    Cecil Stoughton
    West Colonade
    West Wing
    This photograph is of President John F. Kennedy and his son, John F. Kennedy, Jr., playing with a toy horse outside on the West Colonnade of the White House. White House photographer Cecil Stoughton captured this moment on March 28, 1963.
  • President Kennedy at Turkey Presentation
    Unknown
    Thanksgiving
    holidays
    In this photograph President John F. Kennedy laughs with officials at the presentation of a Thanksgiving turkey by the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board in the Rose Garden of the White House. Presidents and their families have received turkeys for the holidays as far back as the 1870s. However, the origin of the turkey pardon is said to have started with President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, after he offered a clemency to a turkey purchased for Christmas dinner at his son's request. The pardoning of a Thanksgiving turkey became a formalized tradition during the Ronald Reagan administration.
  • Kennedy Throws First Pitch at 1962 All-Star Baseball Game
    Cecil Stoughton 
    sports
    This is a color photograph of President John F. Kennedy throwing out the first pitch at the 1962 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 10, 1962. The event took place at the District of Columbia Stadium, which opened in 1961. The stadium would later be renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, or RFK Stadium, in 1969.
  • President John F. Kennedy Bestows Honorary Citizenship Upon Winston Churchill
    Unknown
    Rose Garden
    ceremony
    This photograph shows President John F. Kennedy presiding over a Rose Garden ceremony to bestow honorary U.S. citizenship upon Winston Churchill.
  • John F. Kennedy
    Fabian Bachrach
    portrait
    This color portrait photograph of President John F. Kennedy was taken by Fabian Bachrach and appeared in the first edition of the White House Guidebook. Bachrach descended from a family of photographers, including David Bachrach, his grandfather, who photographed Abraham Lincoln and founded Bachrach Photography. Fabian Bachrach also photographed presidents Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush.
  • White House Dinner in Honor of Andre Malraux
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Entertainment
    East Room
    State Floor
    In this black and white photograph, violinist Isaac Stern prepares to perform for the President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and their guests in the East Room during a White House dinner in honor of André Malraux, Minister of State for Cultural Affairs of France, on May 11, 1962. This photograph is credited to White House photographer Robert Knudsen.