Collection The Kennedys and the Arts
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s advocacy for the arts endures as a vital part of th...
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The collection of fine art at the White House has evolved and grown over time. The collection began with mostly presidential portraits, commissioned or purchased by Congress, or donated by presidential descendants. In the era before photography, some presidents invited painters to set up studios in the White House to record significant events and paint their likeness. In the late nineteenth century, a few landscape paintings were acquired for the White House, but not until the John F. Kennedy administration was the first curator hired and protocol developed for maintaining and adding to the collections. Since that time, it has grown exponentially under the guidance of a professional curatorial staff and now includes more than 500 works of art, selected for their historical and cultural significance.
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s advocacy for the arts endures as a vital part of th...
For two hundred years, Decatur House has stood as a near neighbor to the White House across Lafayette Square. Stewart...
The White House Historical Associationcommissions the official White House Christmas ornament each year. This is the 36th ornamentin the series...
James Archer AbbottJames Archer Abbott currently serves as the Executive Director of the Lewes Historical Society in Lewes, Delaware. A...
20202020 American Alliance of Museums Publication CompetitionWhite House History Quarterly 52: Mid-Century Fashion and the First Ladies: From Ready-to-Wear to Haute Couture,...
Jim AdamsJim Adams has been gardening in Washington, D.C., for over 25 years. His D.C. career began at the...
October 1, 20209:00-9:15amWelcome and Overview Stewart D. McLaurin, President, White House Historical AssociationFrederick J. Ryan Jr., Chairman, Board of Directors,...
The 2021 White House History Teacher Institute will be held as a free virtual program. Scroll down for more information &...
JAMES ARCHER ABBOTT is the Executive Director of the Lewes Historical Society in Lewes, Delaware. His publications include JANSEN, JANSEN...
White House History Quarterly, the award-winning journal of the White House Historical Association, is published four times each year. One,...
January 14, 1964: State Dinner for Italian President Antonio Segni was hosted by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Featured entertainment included Robert Merrill...
Authors The late LONELLE AIKMAN was the author of the first edition of The Living White House. Her other books...