The White House Historical Association announces publication of issue number 13 of White House History, its semiannual journal devoted to the history of the White House and its occupants. This new edition is the first part of a special double set of the journal that will capture the importance and legacy of the Kennedy restoration of the White House. This issue will present articles on President and Mrs. Kennedy’s relationship with the house and its environs and the life they believed appropriate for a presidential household.
“If President Truman’s metamorphosis of the house had altered everything structurally, President Kennedy’s brief years in the presidency were to see the house transformed forever in the world’s understanding of it. The change was almost spiritual in character. It was not simply a matter of antique furnishings and period interiors that made the difference,” writes William Seale, editor of White House History.
Items include journalist Hugh Sidey recalling Jacqueline Kennedy’s “fascinating but dusty adventure” to bring back the furnishings and the art of America’s illustrious past in Editing the First Lady: Life Magazine Goes to the White House.” Letitia Baldrige writes about Remembering the Glorious Kennedy Times, from the vantage point of a social secretary who “sometimes felt black and blue from the pressures applied by those who lobbied incessantly to be on the guest list.” The battle to preserve Lafayette Square and the plans for its preservation are chronicled by architect John Carl Warnecke in The Rescue and Renaissance of Lafayette Square. Through previously unpublished correspondence, historian William B. Bushong provides a glimpse into the relationship of Jacqueline Kennedy and her collaborator David E. Finley, guardian of Washington’s cultural and historic landmarks and first chair of the White House Historical Association.
White House History is published twice each year by the White House Historical Association and features articles on White House history, architecture, fine and decorative arts, and gardens, as well as stories about the occupants of the White House and their experiences while living there.
Two year subscriptions ($30) to White House History may be placed by contacting the White House Historical Association at 202.737.8292 or on the web site www.whitehousehistory.org. White House History is also available for $6.95 per copy (plus shipping and handling).
The White House Historical Association, established in 1961, is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to enhance the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the White House. All proceeds from the association’s trusts, publications and other items are used to fund acquisitions of historic furnishings and artwork for the permanent White House collection, assist in the preservation of the public rooms, and further its educational mission.
