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This is a photograph of President Warren G. Harding and First Lady Florence Kling Harding looking out at the crowds from the South Portico during the White House Easter Egg Roll ca. 1921-1923. Dating back to 1878, the Easter Egg Roll is a cherished springtime tradition in Washington, D.C., with children and their families gathering to enjoy festivities on the South Lawn. This photograph is from the Herbert E. French Collection, of the National Photo Company at the Library of Congress, which captured life in Washington, D.C., from the Wilson to the Hoover administrations.

Library of Congress

Once the White House was opened to public egg rolling festivities in 1878, first families had to decide whether they were going to join the throng of celebrants or just organize and play host to it. Previously, the South Lawn was reserved for their own private Eastertide activities. Now the grounds represented a famous rite of spring for the nation's capital. President Benjamin Harrison gave his grandson limited exposure to the crowds. The Clevelands kept their daughters Ruth and Esther in the house away from the crowd. The Theodore Roosevelt clan studied the action from the South Portico. First Lady Edith Wilson invited family friends and cabinet members to join in the fun. Two Hoover grandchildren spoke from the bandstand for the news crews in 1931.

First Lady Grace Coolidge walks her dogs during the Easter Egg Roll at the White House in April 1925. She is flanked by Secret Service Agents.

Library of Congress