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Jason English
22 Great Photos Found in Presidential Libraries
by Jason English - December 12, 2009 - 10:50 PM

Travolta-Diana

A few weeks ago, after stumbling across this photo of John Travolta and Princess Diana dancing at the White House, I sent our readers on a Presidential Library scavenger hunt. You found some fantastic photos—here are 22 of our favorites.

1. Gatorade Bath

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After winning their first Super Bowl in early 1987, the Giants celebrated by dumping a Gatorade jug full of popcorn on Ronald Reagan. That’s Harry Carson doing the honors.

2. Chef Eisenhower

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Here’s Dwight Eisenhower cooking up a storm at Secretary of the Treasury George Humphrey’s Georgia plantation in 1956. As reader Rachael put it, “He appears to be pushing the head of a miniature woman into his frying basket.”

3. Truman’s Summer Wardrobe

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If you happened to be in Key West in 1951, you could have run into President Truman in some really short shorts.

4. Out on the Town

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We absolutely could have limited this post to photos from the Reagan Library. Here, Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs and Brooke Shields take a moment to pose with the Reagans at a 1983 Kennedy Center tribute to Bob Hope’s 80th birthday.

5. The White House Lanes

nixon-bowling

From the January 2009 article “5 Famous Bowling Alleys”:

The history of bowling in the White House dates back to 1947, when a two-lane alley was installed in the West Wing as a birthday gift to President Truman. While Truman wasn’t much of a bowler, a league of White House staffers soon formed. The two-lane alley was moved to the Old Executive Office Building to clear space for a mimeograph room in 1955, but Nixon had a single-lane alley built below the driveway leading to the North Portico shortly after he came into office in 1969.

6. Awkward Family Photo #1

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Gerald and Betty Ford on their wedding day. The mother of the groom does not look thrilled.

7. Lincoln’s Hog

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Chris Sparks, Director of Marketing for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, sent over this photo. A Lincoln fan from Springfield had a custom Harley built to commemorate Lincoln’s 200th birthday.

8. Awkward Family Photo #2

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Bill and Hillary in simpler times.

9. Harrison & Ford

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President Ford with George Harrison and Billy Preston in the Oval Office in 1974.

10. Duet

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Here’s a singalong with Lyndon Johnson and one of his dogs.

11. Now Hear This…

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…I know a lot of dogs who wouldn’t put up with this kind of nonsense, even from the Commander in Chief.

12. Clearin’ Brush

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George W. Bush wasn’t the first president to spend his down time clearing brush. Ronald Reagan doesn’t look nearly as happy about doing it, though.

13. Awkward Family Photo #3

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It’s like a “Where’s Waldo?” of future politicians. From reader Jennifer: “Eighties fashion and style on full display here. The big hair, the bright, clashing colors, gigantic eye glass frames…and for that added touch of class: President Bush’s cowboy boots adorned with the Texas flag.”

14. Morning Zbigniew

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Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski—father of Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski—posing in the Oval Office. With a tennis racket.

15. Ike’s Yearbook

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I had no idea how snarky yearbook editors were back in the aughts.

16. Reagan’s Beauties

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Ronald Reagan greets 1981 Miss Universe Shawn Weatherly and 1981 Miss USA Kim Seel Brede in the Oval Office.

17. Nancy’s Bunnies

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Nancy Reagan and two creepy Easter Bunnies waving to the people.

18. Cat Attack

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Not sure what’s going on with Bill Clinton and Socks here.

19. Harry Truman & Lauren Bacall

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Two months before he became President, here’s Harry Truman playing piano for Lauren Bacall.

20. Crisis Averted

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George H.W. Bush saves the day by preventing a runaway golf cart situation.

21. White House: The Musical!

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Here’s a tradition the Obama administration should revive.

22. Undercover Elvis

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And finally, we come to Federal Agent at Large Elvis. From a 2007 issue of mental_floss magazine:

While you probably recognize the iconic photo of Elvis meeting Nixon in 1970, you might not know the exact reason for the visit. Elvis desperately wanted to become an undercover agent. Concerned about increased drug use in America, he petitioned Nixon in a handwritten letter proposing he be named a “Federal Agent at Large.” Elvis wrote, “I have done an in-depth study of drug abuse and Communist brainwashing techniques and I am right in the middle of the whole thing, where I can and will do the most good.”

Elvis then showed up at the White House unannounced, packing two handguns—one for protection, the other as a gift for the president. After some thinking, officials let him inside with both guns in tote. At the extensively photographed meeting, Elvis showed Nixon his family photos and a collection of law enforcement badges. Later, Nixon awarded him a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge, which listed Elvis’ position as “Special Assistant.”

We promised free mental_floss t-shirts to the three people who sent in the best photos. This is an impossible task, so I polled a few co-workers. We decided our favorites were Reagan and the popcorn shower, Eisenhower’s camera tricks, and the Reagans with Tiegs, Shields and Brinkley. So Matthew, Rachael & Derrick, you win! I’ll be in touch about your shirts. Thanks to everyone who submitted pictures. We’ll have to do this again.

More from mental_floss

8 U.S. Presidents With Statues Abroad
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The White House Gift Guide: 13 Unique Presidential Gifts
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A Brief History of Presidential Vacations
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The Bizarre History of White House Pets
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Presidential Siblings and the Headaches They Caused

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Comments (25)
  1. Woohoo!!! What an awesome surprise – thank you guys so much!

    These are some great pictures – the supermodel one is a hoot! I had a lot of fun looking through the different library sites for good pictures. This was a great game – you should do more “scavenger hunts” in the future!

  2. Very fun, would love to see a second post if you have the photos.

  3. My faves are the early Clintons and Johnson singing with his dog. Too cute

    reCAPTCHA: April vaccine
    a little too late for flu season right?

  4. I can’t be the only one who read the caption to the portrait of Nelle Amelia Graves below the Eisenhowers.

    High school yearbooks used to be intense.

  5. @ Barbara…

    Thanks! I sent along the early Clintons. Unless someone else did as well! ;-)

  6. Based on yearbook status, guess which one became president?

    Edgar Eisenhower: Has both an under and over developed brain.

    Nelle Graves: Kind of a moody b—-.

    Lois Harger: Control freak.

    Dwight Eisenhower: Historian, math wiz, athlete, leader.

    (I’m guessing it’s not a conicidence that the yearbook had nothing bad to say about a future president.)

  7. I believe in the picture with Harrison, Preston and Ford, Ravi Shankar is also there too, his face is just cut off.

  8. Even though it’s not necessarily presidential,I love the idea of Danny Zukko dancing with Princess Di :)

  9. YEAH! awkward family pictur #1 was the one I found, glad it made the cut.

  10. Isn’t that picture of Nixon bowling on a poster that hangs on the Dude’s wall in The Big Lebowski?

  11. #19 . . . Give ‘em Hell, Harry . . .

  12. Wow…That early Clinton picture is proof positive that he inhaled.

  13. Chef Eisenhower is my favorite as well.

    Isn’t #20 Bush stretching before a run? Your description is far more amusing.

  14. As someone who wants to be an archivist or librarian (my degree will allow both, hooray!) and is particularly interested in photographs, I LOVED this post.

    And for whatever reason, #21 made “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” pop into my head (probably not the actual title, but it’s Monty Python….)

  15. @Kate

    As someone who already finished her degree to be an archivist/librarian I squee-d majorly when they posted the initial hunting post :-)

  16. Yes, that’s Ravi with George and Billy Preston, all members of George’s 1974 US Tour. They were visiting the White House at the request of President Ford’s son Jack.

  17. According to Betty Ford’s autobiography, Gerald Ford’s mother was furious at him on the day of the wedding because he was wearing brown shoes with a blue suit. He had been out campaigning before the wedding and forgot to bring black shoes to wear when he changed into his wedding outfit.

  18. @Beau – Not the only one. Those yearbook things are funny.

    These are great. Idea mental Floss….do mroe of those yearbook pics. Would love to see a post with somemore of those.

  19. @Kate and @Kristine

    As an archivist, I was happy to see your comments. I wonder how many archivists are Mental Floss fans?

    As for the yearbooks, I LOVE turn-of-the-century yearbooks. They are hysterical and can be downright mean. If you do put together a yearbook post, I can think of some good ones to contribute!

  20. Of course they let Elvis in with the guns. King outranks President…right?

  21. Thats the second photo I’ve seen of Lyndon behaving strangely with his dogs. In another one he was tormenting his mutt for the amusement of a group of bankers.

  22. I agree- I’d like to see more old yearbooks like this! Holy cow- who writes those things!!! LOL

  23. I enjoyed looking at the pictures and learning a little more about our past presidents.

    re Captcha: look lobbying

  24. Holy cow:
    In #20 – is that controversial Louisiana politician and former Grand Wizard of the Ku-Klux-Klan, David Duke in the photo with George H.W. Bush?

  25. I’m in love with the young Clintons photo!

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