From Jill Biden to Jacqueline Kennedy: Looking Back at First Ladies in Vogue
Today, the first lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, graces the cover of Vogue for the second time. While she appeared in the Winter 2023 issue—to celebrate her granddaughter Naomi Biden’s wedding—the last time FLOTUS covered the magazine was in August 2021, mere months into President Joe Biden’s first term.
But Dr. Biden is far from the only first lady to cover Vogue. Michelle Obama landed a cover shortly after President Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, and posed for her last in November 2016, during the 11th hour of her time in the White House. And in 1998, Annie Leibovitz photographed Hillary Clinton, clad in a black velvet dress, for her own cover.
Beyond the covers, first ladies have been regulars in the pages of Vogue going back to 1929, when Lou Henry Hoover appeared in the May issue. Since then, the likes of Mamie Eisenhower, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jacqueline Kennedy, Betty Ford, and Laura Bush have been among those featured in the magazine.
Today, in honor of Dr. Jill Biden’s second cover, we opened up the archives. Below, take a look at the rich history of first ladies of the United States in Vogue, from 1929 through 2024.
Photographed by Edward Steichen, Vogue, May 19291/29Lou Henry Hoover
Photographed by Edward Steichen, Vogue, March 19412/29Eleanor Roosevelt
Photographed by Frances McLaughlin-Gill, Vogue, February 19513/29Barbara Bush
Photographed by Horst P. Horst, Vogue, July 19574/29Mamie Eisenhower
Photographed by Frances McLaughlin-Gill, Vogue, February 19485/29Jacqueline Kennedy
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