CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.- The Field Museum presents Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years –Selections From the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, through May 8, 2005. Revisit an era of style and grace to explore how Jacqueline Kennedy’s taste, intelligence and charisma influenced American statesmanship and diplomacy. Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years presents more than 70 garments worn by one of history’s greatest fashion icons. Combined with photographs, documents and film clips, these fashions reveal how the former first lady carefully shaped her image to reflect the vigor, ideals and internationalism of her husband’s administration.

You’ll see the fawn coat and signature pillbox hat worn at the 1961 inauguration, the red dress worn for the televised tour of the White House, the beaded gown in which the former first lady dazzled Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and the austere black dress worn for her audience with Pope John XXIII. Discover how Mrs. Kennedy used the power of clothing to build international goodwill, as when she paid homage to French culture with the gown and opera coat worn to President Charles de Gaulle’s state dinner, or when she wore brightly colored ensembles on her 1962 ambassadorial trip to India and Pakistan.

See how the first lady’s style extended beyond her wardrobe as she used her passion for the arts and history to heighten American culture. Through her restoration of the White House and flawless hosting of events, Mrs. Kennedy turned the executive mansion into an exquisite background for state affairs and a showcase for American arts and letters. Come celebrate the enduring legacy of one of America’s favorite first ladies.