On Monday, Barack Obama will be sworn in for his second term as President of the United States, his lease to the halls of the West Wing renewed for four more years. Following him into that White House labyrinth, once again, will be official White House photographer Pete Souza, the latest in a hallowed line of shutterbugs granted fly-on-the-wall access to the president and his family. From JFK Jr. toddling around the Oval Office to the Obamas stealing a private dance, here’s a look back at some of the most memorable behind-the-scenes photos.
The White House
Some of us dream of walking through the Oval Office at some point in our lives. John F. Kennedy, Jr. learned how to walk there. In this photo by Robert Knudsen taken in May 1962, the elder Kennedy holds out a pencil to his wobbly son as the 18-month-old totters around the office.
Richard Nixon stands on the steps of the presidential helicopter as he waves goodbye to the White House for the final time after resigning the presidency Aug. 9, 1974 (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
David Hume Kennerly/White House, via AP
As a very personal matter goes public, Gerald and Betty Ford steal a private moment in a hallway near the Presidential Suite at the Bethesda Naval Hospital. The photo was taken on Oct. 4, 1974, by David Hume Kennerly following the first lady’s breast-cancer surgery. The president is holding a gift for his wife: the game ball from the Washington Redskins’ 30-3 victory over the Denver Broncos, sent to her by Redskins coach George Allen.
Looking down over the West Wing from the living room window of the private White House residence, Betty Ford catches a glimpse of her husband as he walks out of the Oval Office. David Hume Kennerly took the photo in December 1975.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan works on his inaugural address in his private study off the Oval Office in the White House in Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 1985. (AP Photo/Pete Souza/White House)
Pete Souza/The White House via AP
George W. Bush speaks to Vice President Dick Cheney on the phone from aboard Air Force One. The photo was taken by Eric Draper on Sept. 11, 2001 as the president departed Offutt Air Base in Nebraska, where he was sent after two planes hit the World Trade Center.
Surrounded by members of a Washington, D.C.-area Pop Warner football league, President Bush tosses a coin to determine which NFL teams would kickoff or defend on opening day of the season. The coin toss was broadcast to 10 NFL stadiums across the country. Tina Hager’s photo was taken on Sept. 9, 2001.
The moment he won: This photo by Eric Draper captures George W. Bush as he receives a phone call from Sen. John Kerry conceding the presidential election on Nov. 3, 2004.
Sometimes, the official White House photographer follows the president outside the walls of the West Wing. This photo of Gerald and Betty Ford relaxing at the Mauna Kea resort in Hawaii was taken by David Hume Kennerly in December 1973.
Taking a break from the White House following his stint as Ronald Reagan’s official photographer, Pete Souza worked for the Chicago Tribune, which asked him to document the first year of an incoming U.S. senator named Barack Obama in 2005. Souza followed Obama all the way to the White House, where he remains his official photographer. This photo, taken in October 2009, captures the president playing with the daughter of the director of advance Emmett Beliveau.
In March 2009, Souza captures a jogging President Obama welcoming the family’s new puppy, Bo, to the White House.
Pete Souza/White House, via AP
Not exactly the traditional polar bear plunge, Souza snapped Obama taking a dip at Pyramid Rock Beach in Hawaii on Jan. 1, 2013, where the president was vacationing with his family.
This photo, taken Dec. 14, 2012, shows the moment President Obama learned of the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn. He’s being briefed in the Oval Office by chief counterterrorism adviser John Brennan.
At last. Replicating the iconic first dance to the Etta James classic at the inaugural ball four years ago, Barack and Michelle Obama share a quick dance in the Blue Room of the White House prior to an “In Performance at the White House” concert honoring Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
Pete Souza/The White House via Getty
