First Ladies

A collection of books by the First Ladies of the United States. Listings include scarce first editions, signed first editions, signed association copies and limited edition publications. Beginning in the 20th Century, memoirs by former First Ladies became a sought after first-person perspective on the inner workings of a presidential administration.

The first memoir by a former First Lady was written by Julia Grant and titled The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant, but she was unable to find a publisher. Her writing was followed by Helen Taft who authored Recollections of Full Years, the first published memoir of a First Lady. My Memoir by Edith Wilson continued on the tradition and detailed her time as the de-facto president, while Woodrow Wilson recovered from a stroke.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a prolific writer and published four autobiographies during her 12-Years in the White House. Mrs. Roosevelt helped to establish the market for memoirs by first ladies which continues to thrive today.