Lady Bird Johnson Home Movie #1: Spring-Fall 1940

Home Movie #1: This Lady Bird Johnson Home Movie features footage of the Spring through the Fall of 1940. This film is color and Mrs. Johnson narrates. Following is a scene by scene account. Lady Bird's love of flowers shines through in this film.
The first part features various Washington, D.C. scenes and some footage of CTJ with flowers. First we see the Capitol building and then a motorcade with FDR in "Queen Mary" touring car. Cut to the Washington Monument and the cherry blossoms and Tidal Basin scenes. Ann Thomas, daughter of Cong. Albert Thomas, poses in the park with cherry blossoms.
Next we see Jefferson Monument under construction and Ann Thomas in the park. More views of the Washington Monument and scenes around the Tidal Basin. CTJ poses next to cherry blossoms and they are in full bloom. Ann Thomas poses next to magnolia tree in bloom.
The next scene features the Federal Reserve building in D.C. Mrs. John Sparkman of Alabama holds a camera. We see a water fountain in a park and the US Public Health Service Bldg.. Yellow flowers bloom next to a fence, and Mrs. Johnson smiles amongst them.
The camera shows more flowers in bloom and a monument at the Arlington. It cuts to the Washington skyline from Arlington Cemetery and then a water fountain and red and white flowers in bloom. This parts ends on the Pan American Union Bldg.

The next part of this film features views of George Washington's home at Mount Vernon. It starts with George Washington's home, and the garden next to the house, and school house building. We see the Potomac River from Washington's house and a Wilson Line ship for sightseeing at the dock. The final shot shows people visiting Washington's tomb.

The third part of Home Movie #1 features various friends of the Johnsons in the park. Congresswoman Nan Wood Honeyman of Oregon stands next to a tree. Mrs. Jim Cain plays with their first child Stephanie. "Kitty" Ida Mae Wirtz holds Stephanie, and then Stephanie Cain crawls in the grass. We see shots of trees blooming in the park.

This next part of the film shows Lady Bird posing amongst trees and flowers at Lee mansion in Virginia. There are vibrant shots of various blossoms and trees.

The following scenes are of various embassies in Washington D.C. : the British Embassy, the Venezuelan Embassy and the Japanese Embassy.

The final scenes are taken by Lady Bird as she is on her way to Texas. We see a marker describing the birthplace and life of Sam Houston (Rockridge County, Virginia) and a sunset over the land from a moving car. There is a scene of Andrew Jackson's The Hermitage among the trees and detail of a drain pipe on the house. We see the front door of the house and flowers in the garden and the house and monument in the park with tombstones.
The film concludes with shots of the house and of flowers blooming.
If you recognize any of the people in this film that we have not yet identified, please let us know by leaving a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

Credit: LBJ Library Video by Mrs. Johnson's Home Movies
Rights Info: No usage fees.

Category:

Education

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• 1940s
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• cherry blossoms
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