A new exhibit honoring the life and legacy of Lady Bird Johnson, wife of 36th U.S. president Lyndon Baines Johnson, has opened at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin.
According to a press release from the LBJ Library, this is the first major exhibit the library has curated showcasing the complete political and personal life of the former first lady.
"The grand opening of our new exhibit, Lady Bird: Beyond the Wildflowers, is a landmark moment for the LBJ Presidential Library,” Mark Lawrence, director of the LBJ Library, said in the statement.
“Although it's long been clear that Mrs. Johnson played a pivotal role in her husband's administration, the exhibit is the first time the Library has delved deeply into her life. Visitors will gain appreciation for the first lady's passionate dedication to the environment, her political acumen and her importance to her era of American history."
One of the major features the exhibit plans to highlight are letters between Lady Bird and Lyndon Johnson during WWII and her work as a businesswoman. According to the release, Lady Bird and Lyndon wrote each other daily between 1942-1968.
The exhibit of the former first lady's life also includes photographs, clothing and artifacts that have never been seen by the public.
Lady Bird, whose real name was Claudia Alta, was born in East Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in both history and journalism, and the school is home to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The LBJ Presidential Library explores more than the former first lady's environmental conservation and the wildflower center that she is known for in Austin.
The LBJ Presidential Library is located on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. Advanced ticket purchase is required and can be made by visiting www.lbjlibrary.org.