Holiday Book Fair

The White House Historical Association is pleased to announce its upcoming Holiday Book Fair, a full day of holiday shopping and festivities with 18 authors available to sign copies of their award-winning books. Books will be available for purchase during the event, in addition to our full range of White House-inspired gifts.

Since 1962, the White House Historical Association has published books on the history of the White House—covering topics such as architecture, gardens, fine and decorative arts, food, and presidential families. Authors include former White House staffers, historians, political cartoonists, and scholars from diverse fields.

This special 2019 Holiday Book Fair will feature:

• Book signings with 20 award-winning authors
• Holiday music will be performed on a unique replica of the gilded Steinway gran piano made for the Theodore Roosevelt White House. This piano, the 100,000th made by Steinway, was presented by Steinway and Sons to President Roosevelt in January of 1903. The instrument is a work of art, covered in gold leaf and decorated with the coats of arms of the thirteen original states.
• Ten winning White House photographs selected from hundreds of submissions to our 2019 White House History Quarterly call for photographs will be exhibited. These photographs will be featured in a 2020 issue of the Quarterly on "Photographing the White House."
• Special Guest President Thomas Jefferson (as portrayed by Bill Barker of Monticello) will share memories and unique insights on his life and history of the White House and will sign his new book Becoming Jefferson.
• Former White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier will sign his new book Creating the Sweet World of White House Desserts. Selections from his unique collection of antique chocolate and ice cream molds will be on display. We will serve his authentic White House Eggnog.
• "Anyone can learn to draw!" says artist John Hutton, author of our new book How to Draw the Presidents. Dr. Hutton will offer lessons in creating presidential portraits and four original Hutton illustrations will be raffled.
• Examples of President Obama’s presidential china on display and former White House Curator William Allman, author of Official White House China, will be available to answer questions.
• Jonathan Pliska, Author of A Garden for the President, will discuss his collection of heirloom seeds, which match those purchased for the earliest White House gardens.
• Reproductions of two dresses worn by First Lady Jackie Kennedy and featured in "Mid-Century Fashion and the First Ladies" will be on display.
• A limited number of the signed and numbered deluxe edition of To Live on Lafayette Square by William Seale will be available on a first come basis.
• Author Osborne Mackie will discuss examples of a rarely seen artifacts in the Decatur House collection, which will be on display in connection with our recently released book, The Stephen Decatur House: A History

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