James K. Polk was not the first President to be photographed - William Henry Harrison gets that distinction - but Polk was a highly sought after subject for early photographers when portrait photography was really coming into its own. The time-conscious Polk probably liked the new invention as it did not require him to sit the many hours that portrait paintings did. Several very important "first" photographs were taken during Polk's presidency. This photograph of Polk and his cabinet (minus Sec. of State James Buchanan) is not only the first photo of a President and his cabinet, but it is also the first interior photograph of the White House. The photograph was taken by John Plumbe in the State Dining Room and shows new wallpaper and chairs purchased by the Polks. Reflected in the mirror is a crystal chandelier and behind the group is an ornate Italian mantle purchased by President James Monroe. Incidentally, the first exterior photographs of the White House were also taken during the Polk Administration and are housed in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Sarah Polk's Turban

Sarah Childress Polk, a woman raised in the frontier West, worried Washington society. Socialites were concerned that she would lack the grace, manners, and style that a First Lady required. Instead, Washington was pleasantly surprised. Sarah grew up amidst wealth in Tennessee and in her later years she wrote that she was brought up wearing only silks and satins. Sarah was also well educated for the time and she carried herself with refinement. Pictured is a turban worn by Mrs. Polk. Indicative of her stylish mode of dress, Mrs. Polk seems to have been influenced by Dolley Madison. The fourth First Lady, Mrs. Madison was known for her fashion sense and her wearing of turbans. Still alive in her seventies during the Polk Administration, Mrs. Madison was a frequent guest at the Polk White House. Becoming a close confidante of Dolley Madison, perhaps Sarah adopted the wearing of turbans in honor of her illustrious White House predecessor.

Joanna Rucker Brooch

Although they never had children of their own, James and Sarah Polk loved to be with young people. Nieces and nephews often came calling for prolonged visits at their home in Tennessee, and when they moved into the White House, the trend did not change. During their four years in Washington, the Polks were surrounded by family members. Polk's nephew Joseph Knox Walker was employed as his private secretary. "Knox" and his family lived in the White House and even expanded their family by having two more children while there. Besides the Walkers, three nieces came to live in the White House for extended periods. One, Joanna Rucker, spent nearly two years there. Fortunately, Joanna was an avid writer, and her surviving letters give us one of our best glimpses inside the Polk White House. The twenty-three year old writes of the White House restoration project, meeting the famous people of Washington, the heady days of the Mexican War, and lavish dinner parties. This was great excitement for a young woman from Tennessee. A favorite of her aunt and uncle, she was presented with this brooch by President Polk. The three stones are french paste set into gold. Blue enamel inlay adds detail to the piece. On the reverse is inscribed, "From the President to Miss Rucker, 1845." Sadly this favorite niece of Mrs. Polk would die while giving birth, just five years after receiving this gift.