Presented by the White House Historical Association
Presidential Portraits
- Host
- Stewart McLaurin
- Guest
- Betty Monkman, Former White House Curator, and William Kloss, Art Historian
- Date
- 2/23/17
- Duration
- 34 minutes
Portrait artists have captured the image and personality of our presidents throughout history, providing a record of their time in office and highlighting their accomplishments and leadership. It wasn’t always tradition to commission a portrait for the president, as it is today. Each one comes with a unique story, from the symbolism in the portrait to the artist who painted it. White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin talks to Former White House Curator Betty Monkman and Art Historian William Kloss to learn more about the history of these portraits, how the White House began to collect them, and the stories they tell.
Browse the Presidential Portraits and First Lady Portraits.
Episodes
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First Lady Barbara Bush
Featuring Susan Page, author of "The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty" and USA Today Bureau Chief
-
Life on Lafayette Square
Featuring William Seale, author and historian
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The White House Gardens
Featuring Jonathan Pliska, author and garden historian, and Linda Jane Holden, author and garden historian
-
The Legacy of First Lady Patricia Nixon
Featuring Anita McBride, Former Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush, Bob Bostock, Special Assistant to Former President Nixon, and Melanie Eisenhower, Granddaughter of President Nixon and Pat Nixon and Great-Granddaughter of President Eisenhower and Mamie Eisenhower
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The White House in the Age of Eisenhower
Featuring Dr. William Hitchcock, author and professor of history at the University of Virginia
-
White House Military Social Aides
Featuring Ann Stock, former Social Secretary, Charles "Chuck" Robb, former Governor, Senator and Military Aide, Brian Lamb, former Military Aide and founder of C-SPAN, and Kenn Riordan, Jr., former Military Aide and head of The Society of White House Military Aides
President of the White House Historical Association
As President of the White House Historical Association Stewart McLaurin leads the nonpartisan, nonprofit in its mission to preserve, protect, and provide access to White House history. As a lifelong student of history, Stewart is an avid reader and storyteller. His first book, White House Miscellany was published this past year and he authors a quarterly column in the White House History Journal. Drawing on his own experiences, relationships, and knowledge he provides listeners with a front row seat to history at the White House.