Tourists are finally allowed to Instagram inside of the White House, and these are the very first photos

Earlier today, Michelle Obama used Instagram to announce that the White House will now allow tour groups take photographs and use social media.

The White House's ban on photography has been in place for more than 40 years. 

Today is the first time that visitors will be able to use various social platforms to document their experience exploring the White House.

We've collected some of the best shots we've seen so far on Instagram.

These are the very first Instagrams taken by tourists from inside the White House.

After Michelle Obama tore apart the sign that prohibited photography, tourists snapped a picture of this sign that encouraged it.

Here's a picture of a young woman exploring the East Room, where Gilbert Stuart's famous full-length portrait of George Washington hangs.This tourist is standing in front of the White House blue room, where the White House Christmas tree stands each year, according to the White House website. When Americans get a peek inside the White House, it's usually through the photographs of the Obama Administration's official photographer, Pete Souza. While Souza's photographs are stunning, the emergence of social media inside the White House walls has the potential to forever change how Americans see the national icon. 

In this photo of the Grand Staircase, you can spot a portraits of Presidents Bill Clinton and Harry Truman. 

 

"Effective today, guests are now welcome to take photos throughout the White House tour route and keep those memories for a lifetime," read a statement released by the Office of the First Lady. 

White House guests had the honor of meeting the Obama family dogs, Bo and Sunny.

 

The White House has encouraged visitors to share their photos using the hashtag #WhiteHouseTour.

This shot was taken in Cross Hall, where the president frequently delivers televised addresses to the nation.

Here's a photograph looking over the South Lawn of the White House (that's where the helicopter lands!) Video cameras, as well as tablets, tripods, and livestreaming are still not permitted inside the White House, NPR reports.  And no selfie sticks!

This woman took a selfie with a bust of George Washington that stands in Cross Hall.

 Here are two more photos taken in Cross Hall.

 

  This endorsement of social media comes from an administration that has repeatedly utilized emerging social media to advance its interests. Barack Obama effectively utilized Facebook to win the 2008 Presidential election, and he now serves as the first President of the Social Media Age, according to Julier Eilperin of the Washington Post. Here's a picture of the chandelier in the Blue Room. 

 

As Instagram, Snapchat and other social media apps continue to rise, White House officials see an incredible opportunity to reach out to young audiences. "Our consideration is these platforms just reach so many people, we can't not play in that space," White House Deputy Communications Director Amy Brundage told the Washington Post earlier this year.

This picture of the south side of the White House taken from the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.

 

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