Visitor Christina pointed out that the Ford Library has posted some additional photos of the Fords, including a great one of the first lady in her dressing room with an ERA banner.
Thank you for these pics of one of my First Lady heroes. Betty made it OK to speak out about face lifts, mastectomies, alcohol problems, and best of all, the equality of women.
Great picture - and I don't think it's just "an" ERA banner - I think it's Betty's personal banner - note the, ah, *bloomers*, on the banner hanging on Elizabath Bloomer Ford's desk?
And we can tell, from this picture and the one below it of Lady Bird dictating into her tape recorder, that the basic decoration of the room lasted from at least the Johnson's time - completely through the Nixon's tenure - until the Ford's time. Note the same wallpaper. Strangely it's very similar to the wallpaper of my bathroom where I'm staying here in Cincinnati. I try to butch it up by leaving towels on the floor and squeezing the toothpaste tube in the middle. : )
Did that Cabinet Room photo get flipped? It shows the windows to the left of the fireplace. I'm assuming the windows are there just based on the amount of light.
John is right on all fronts. The ERA banner is actually a "flag" that was made by the girlfriend of Betty's chief SS agent. She tells in her autobio that she asked themone day while driving why the Prez had the Presidential seal on his limo, but she had none. So a few weeks later the agent brought in the little gem you see in the photo. The bloomers were intended as a tribute to her maiden name, the ERA was included as a hat tip to her pet cause at the time..
Also, the dressing room retained Lady Bird's wallpaper until Nancy redid all of the Family Quarters. That's when those crazy birds infiltrated the First Lady's bedroom and the Reagan's recreated Hitchcock's "The Birds" every night!
Thank you for these pics of one of my First Lady heroes. Betty made it OK to speak out about face lifts, mastectomies, alcohol problems, and best of all, the equality of women.
ReplyDeleteGreat picture - and I don't think it's just "an" ERA banner - I think it's Betty's personal banner - note the, ah, *bloomers*, on the banner hanging on Elizabath Bloomer Ford's desk?
ReplyDeleteAnd we can tell, from this picture and the one below it of Lady Bird dictating into her tape recorder, that the basic decoration of the room lasted from at least the Johnson's time - completely through the Nixon's tenure - until the Ford's time. Note the same wallpaper. Strangely it's very similar to the wallpaper of my bathroom where I'm staying here in Cincinnati. I try to butch it up by leaving towels on the floor and squeezing the toothpaste tube in the middle. : )
ReplyDeleteNow if you'd just leave hair in the sink, the ambiance would be complete. Gosh boys are gross. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI would also imagine, knowing the Carter's frugality, the same wallpaper stayed up until 1981 when Nancy Reagan had the peach wall paper installed.
ReplyDeleteDid that Cabinet Room photo get flipped? It shows the windows to the left of the fireplace. I'm assuming the windows are there just based on the amount of light.
ReplyDeleteYes, I absolutely agree. I've flopped it, and now it looks natural.
ReplyDeleteJohn is right on all fronts. The ERA banner is actually a "flag" that was made by the girlfriend of Betty's chief SS agent. She tells in her autobio that she asked themone day while driving why the Prez had the Presidential seal on his limo, but she had none. So a few weeks later the agent brought in the little gem you see in the photo. The bloomers were intended as a tribute to her maiden name, the ERA was included as a hat tip to her pet cause at the time..
ReplyDeleteAlso, the dressing room retained Lady Bird's wallpaper until Nancy redid all of the Family Quarters. That's when those crazy birds infiltrated the First Lady's bedroom and the Reagan's recreated Hitchcock's "The Birds" every night!