Eight of the 26 dresses in the exhibition are new to the displays . `` We wanted to balance color and style and time periods , '' the curator says . Videos and pictures of the first ladies wearing the gowns accompany the dress display at the museum , adding another dimension to the way visitors see the dresses . The show is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which has been collecting American fashion since its founding in 1848.
Eight of the 26 dresses in the exhibition are new to the displays . `` We wanted to balance color and style and time periods , '' the curator says . The show is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which has been collecting American fashion since its founding in 1848.