A First Lady's Shining Moment!

by Archini Desai

Edited by Taruni Manam, Harvi Karatha, & Manushri Bapat, Layout by Claire Sakurauchi, Artwork by Sahithi Lingampalli

Beside every well-regarded and appreciated U.S. President stands a strong, prominent first lady. A first lady with her own morals, goals, and tribulations, whether or not they coincide with that of her partner. Her presence is often overlooked, yet she works vigorously behind the scenes while bearing unconventional roles along the way. Contrary to her lack of recognition, renowned presidential exhibits and museums span the country in remembrance of her partner's life. Now, the tides have begun to shift, with 250 years of first ladies being represented in The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery's new exhibit (Cohn, 2020). The exhibit, appropriately named "Every Eye is Upon Me: The First Ladies of the United States," highlights the lives and achievements of influential women ranging from Martha Washington to Melania Trump. (Smithsonian, 2020).

The exhibit covers extensive collections of portraits, sculptures, photographs, videos, and various commentaries from the National First Ladies’ Library, the White House, and the State Department. Various pieces of clothing worn and created by first ladies, such as Jacequeline Kennedy, Nancy Regan, Michelle Obama, and Mary Todd Lincon, will also be on display (Cohn, 2020). Two of the most significant pieces, Michelle Obama’s notable portrait gown and a dress made for Mary Lincoln by her Elizabeth Keckley, a seamstress and companion of Mrs. Lincoln, are considered to be highlights of this sector (Smithsonian, 2020).

Major contributors to the collection include Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw and Annie Leibovitz (Smithsonian, 2020). Everyone involved hoped that the curated pieces of media and art would reflect the differing circumstances through which each of these first ladies lived. All of the women were a part of the White House during starkly contrasting time periods and through which our country has progressed.

Similarly, the Smithsonian and partnering organizations see this exhibit as an opportunity to truly show the uniqueness of each first lady and to spread more knowledge on how instrumental they were throughout their time in the White House. Challenges they faced, contributions they made, and differences in their character are instrumental to setting these women apart from each other (Smithsonian, 2020). Each first lady is her own person with some choosing to focus more heavily on their husband’s campaign, like Sarah Polk, and others carving different paths away from public visibility, such as Pat Nixon (National Portrait Gallery, n.d.).

“Every Eye is Upon Me” is one phase of the Smithsonian’s ongoing mission to recognize the role of women in US History and will be coupled with extensive educational tools through literature with future exhibits and museums dedicated to amazing historical figures.