Pets at Home in the White House
Tomorrow: New podcast episode explores ‘Presidential Pets’ and their stories.
On Tuesday, the White House 1600 Sessions podcast returns with a new episode all about presidential pets.
From Franklin D. Roosevelt’s beloved Scottie, Fala to the Reagans’ spaniel, Rex (who had his own White House doghouse), the White House has been home to a surprising array of animals.
White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin joins Alan Price, director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, to explore their new exhibit “Presidential Pets” and the stories behind the animals who made 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue their home. Tune in Tuesday or catch past episodes. View here
Calendar
Oct. 5, 2025
The Architecture of Tudor Place
Experience an in-person guided tour of Tudor Place from 11 a.m. to noon on Oct. 5, 2025 that focuses on the architectural details of the historic house. From the original 1795 portion to the 1870 kitchen addition, there have been several significant structural changes over the more than 200 year history of this house. Read more
Oct. 10, 2025
Legacy Lecture ‘Martha Washington: Women and Music in Early America’
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents the virtual Legacy Lecture “Martha Washington: Women and Music in Early America.” Music was more than entertainment in 18th-century America—it was a reflection of class, gender, and culture. As a member of the upper class, Martha Washington provides an extraordinary lens through which we can examine the role of women in early American musical life.
Led by Dr. David Hildebrand, a noted music historian and Peabody Conservatory instructor, this lecture shines a light on the instruments women were “allowed” to play, the venues where they performed, and the deep personal connections Martha Washington and her family had to music. Attendees will hear about:
Mrs. Washington’s music book, The Bull-Finch
Patsy and Nelly Custis’s musical talents
A stunning grand harpsichord at Mount Vernon
Live and recorded examples of period music
Oct. 11, 2025
The Eleanor Roosevelt Banned Book Awards 2025
The Eleanor Roosevelt Center will host the annual Banned Book Awards at 7 p.m. ET on Oct. 11, 2025, at the Bardavon 1869 Opera House. Tickets are available now. Actor Hilarie Burton Morgan will moderate the panel.
Margaret Atwood will receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Lifetime Achievement Award for her iconic works such as The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments
Becky Calzada will receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Literary Freedom Award for her contributions as a Texas librarian and co-founding member of Texas #FReadom Fighters.
Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison for Hair Love
Malinda Lo for Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell for And Tango Makes Three
Juno Dawson for This Book is Gay (Video acceptance speech)
John Green for Looking for Alaska (Video acceptance speech)
The keynote speech will be delivered by PEN America’s President, Jennifer Finney Boylan. The event will also feature special remarks from Cameron Samuels, Executive Director of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), and Deborah Caldwell Stone, Director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and Executive Director of the Freedom to Read Foundation.
The Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Bravery in Literature follows three decades of the Eleanor Roosevelt Center honoring individuals who embrace her call to build a better world through humanitarian efforts in education, advocacy, social justice, and civil and human rights. Read more
Oct. 14, 2025
Portraits from a Presidential Campaign with Barbara Kinney
The Clinton Foundation presents “Portraits From a Presidential Campaign with Barbara Kinney” on Tuesday, October 14 at 6 p.m. CT. Kinney is an award-winning photographer who has worked with the Clintons for 30 years. She will explore highlights of her career from the White House to the presidential campaign trail. Kinney served as a White House photographer during the Clinton administration, before working on Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 and 2016 presidential campaigns. Throughout the 2016 campaign, Kinney traversed the country for 19 months alongside the first woman to receive the presidential nomination from a major political party—capturing not just portraits but curating history and shaping how the world viewed the historic campaign. Read more
Oct. 16, 2025
Third Thursdays Wine & Cheese with the First Ladies: Threads of Legacy
Needlework may seem like a quiet pastime, but in the hands of America’s first ladies it became a powerful form of self-expression, comfort during wartime, and even subtle political influence. The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents author and needlework researcher Denise Layman for an in-person presentation at 6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, exploring the little-known needlework stories of our nation’s first ladies. From the Revolutionary War to the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ll see how stitching traditions offer intimate insights into the lives and legacies of first ladies including Martha Washington, Pat Nixon and Michelle Obama. Read more
FLARE Announces Call for Submissions for New E-journal
The First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE) invites submissions to a new e-journal, FLARE’s Journal of First Ladies Studies, which is scheduled for launch early in 2026. The journal welcomes scholarly submissions based on original research on any aspect of the study of first ladies, including work that examines them within a historical context, adopts a comparative perspective, presents a theoretical approach, or offers an interdisciplinary framework for analysis in fields such as history, women’s studies, communication, sociology, political science, material culture, and historic preservation.
Inquiries about potential articles in the journal should be directed to the journal’s editor, Christopher J. Leahy, Professor of History at Keuka College, at cleahy@keuka.edu.
Select Saturdays through Oct. 18, 2025
Tales from the First Lady
Mount Vernon invites you to step back in time and join Martha Washington for a special in-person storytelling adventure at 10 a.m. on select Saturdays from July 19 through Oct. 18, 2025. Designed for children ages 4-7, this engaging 30-40 minute program offers a unique opportunity to hear a captivating children's story read aloud by Mrs. Washington herself. Young learners will have the chance to ask Mrs. Washington questions and hear fascinating snippets about her own childhood or stories about her children. Read more
Now Through Jan. 4, 2026
See Martha Washington’s ‘Neoclassical Swag’ Quilt Top
Martha Washington’s “Neoclassical Swag” quilt top will be on view for the first time at Mount Vernon through Jan. 4, 2026. The quilt takes its name from the most prominent printed cotton border, which features elegant swags of ribbons and flowers.
This artifact is a dramatic example of her artistry as well as the needlework tradition she passed on to her granddaughter. She pieced the center section with its circular appliqués, but left it unfinished upon her death. Martha Washington's granddaughter Eliza Custis Law inherited the quilt top and finished it in 1815, as described on the original note that still accompanies it. Her descendants carefully preserved it for the next 200 years. Read more
Submit calendar items, announcements and press releases to East Wing Magazine at jtaylor@eastwingmagazine.com.