The Kennedys/ Portrait of a Family: Photographs by Richard Avedon looks back on the eve of John F. Kennedy's inauguration through the eyes of photographer Richard Avedon. Featuring 27 black and white photographs from a January 3, 1961 session for Harper's Bazaar and Look magazines, the exhibition includes candid and posed portraits of the young president-elect; his wife, Jacqueline; and their children, Caroline and John Jr.

The exhibition is from the Collections of the National Museum of American History and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES), The Kennedys/Portrait of a Family is supported by the Rudolph Eickemeyer Jr. Fund and Collins Design, An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. The exhibition and national tour are sponsored by The History Channel. The exhibit's appearance in Chattanooga is sponsored by Kitty and L. Hardwick (Hacker) Caldwell III, immediate past Chair of the Smithsonian National Board, and Paul Neely, current Chair of the Smithsonian National Board.