"This special edition was produced to accompany C-SPAN's First Ladies: Influence and Image, an original series exploring America's first ladies, their lives, the times in which they lived, and their effect on the country. The book not only provides a special perspective on national life, but also offers a considered insight into the lives of notable women. The first ladies are brought to life with portraits drawn from the White House collection, as well as public and private collections, by such artists as Gilbert Stuart, Henry Inman, Howard Chandler Christy, and photographer Mathew Brady."--Jacket.