Cover Story: Katharine Graham, CEO  

May 21 – October 24, 2021

Exhibit Identity / Installation / Wall + Floor Graphics

Native New Yorker Katharine Meyer Graham (1917-2001) never expected to become the president, publisher, and CEO of the Washington Post, but she thrived in that position—and even helped end a war and a corrupt U.S. presidency by revealing the Pentagon Papers and Watergate to an outraged public. On display in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery, this exhibition examines a transformative period in Graham’s life, as her devotion to the Post helped her grow from a self-effacing widow into an authoritative, decisive media executive. 

It was this new Katharine Graham—already one of the most important women in America—whom Truman Capote honored with a spectacular Black and White masquerade ball at the Plaza Hotel in 1966. Graham’s evening gown and mask, Capote’s tuxedo, and designer gowns worn by famous guests like Aileen Mehle and Brooke Astor bring the “Party of the Century” to life and illustrate how Graham’s contact with new networks of power and celebrity helped consolidate her influence in journalism. 

Exhibit review 1 - WP

Exhibit review 2 -NYT