Abigail Powers Fillmore

Born Stillwater, New York

First Lady 1850–1853

Abigail Powers Fillmore came from hardscrabble beginnings. Her minister father died when she was a small child and left behind a singular possession: his library. Mr. Powers gifted his daughter his books, and she went on to devote her life to learning.

As a young schoolteacher, Abigail Powers fell in love with one of her students, nineteen-year-old Millard Fillmore, who was just learning how to read. After their marriage, she made the unconventional decision to continue teaching as a way to support her husband’s aspirations in law and politics. When she was first lady, Abigail Fillmore helped establish a reference library in the White House, and she frequently invited popular authors and performers to visit with her at the presidential mansion. The gold chain that hangs from her neck in this portrait would have been attached to a watch to be used to keep up with her busy social schedule.

Nacida en Stillwater, Nueva York

Primera dama 1850–1853

Abigail Powers Fillmore tuvo orígenes muy difíciles. Su padre, ministro bautista, murió cuando ella era pequeña, dejándole una herencia singular: su biblioteca. Desde entonces ella dedicó su vida al estudio.Siendo una joven maestra de escuela, Abigail Powers se enamoró de uno de sus alumnos, el joven de 19 años Millard Fillmore, quien recién estaba aprendiendo a leer. Después de casarse, ella tomó la inusual decisión de seguir trabajando de maestra, a fin de apoyar las aspiraciones de su esposo en el campo del derecho y la política. En su etapa como primera dama, Abigail Fillmore propulsó el establecimiento de una biblioteca de consulta en la Casa Blanca, y solía invitar a autores y artistas populares a la mansión presidencial. La cadena de oro que lleva al cuello en este retrato habría tenido colgado un reloj, artículo imprescindible para su atareado calendario social.