Collection Preservation of the White House
In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the...
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Framed by the fan window in the West Sitting Hall of the Second Floor, a workman finishes the installation of new trim on February 5, 1952.
Harry S. Truman Library Presidential Library and Museum/NARADwarfed by the massive steel beams and supporting structures, a worker inspects the new elevator well in the sub-basement on October 25, 1950.
Harry S. Truman Library Presidential Library and Museum/NARASculptor Ferdinand J. Bruyninck with an example of his work, the ornamental plaster seal to be placed over the doorway to the Blue Room on September 14, 1951.
National Park ServiceTo underscore the size of the massive new ventilation system being installed above the tunnel in the new White House basement, Rowe placed workmen inside the illuminated ductwork on July 19, 1951.
Harry S. Truman Library Presidential Library and Museum/NARAA massive new 36-inch concrete sewer line is laid through the concrete foundation wall. While one workman prepares to send excavated dirt through one section of the sewer line, another prepares a new section for installation into the excavated area by hydraulic jacks on July 6, 1950.
National Park ServiceAbout this Gallery
As skilled craftsmen molded the raw materials into finished floors, walls, and ceilings, Abbie Rowe captured on film the contributions of the various construction trades. To add scale and a human personality, he was careful to include the faces of workers in many of his photographs. Their expressions often revealed their pride in contributing to the rebuilding of the White House.
Where once the White House had nearly collapsed from its structural deficiencies, now 660 tons of steel strengthened the new concrete inner walls and floors. Although retaining much of its historical appearance, the interior of the house now sparkled with new paint, wall coverings, parquet flooring and tile. At a cost of $5.7 million, the White House had been rebuilt to serve the needs of the modern Presidency while retaining the symbolism as the historic home of the President.
In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the...
Since 1965, the White House Historical Association has been proud to fund the official portraits of our presidents and first ladies,...
Over 200 years ago, James Hoban left Ireland for America to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Selected by President...
When First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy took on the herculean task of restoring the interior of the White House, she appointed...
Many people approach the decor of their homes as a reflection of oneself. But what happens when a home's interior...
James Hoban came from humble beginnings as a young carpenter and architect in Ireland, and went on to collaborate with...
From the beginning of its construction in 1792, until the 1902 renovation that shaped the modern identity and functions of the interior...
Since the White House was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800, influential people and organizations—or those who hoped to...
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s advocacy for the arts endures as a vital part of th...
A dinner at the White House has always had significance beyond the gastronomical delights. The elegance of the State Dining...
Two grand houses were under construction in the young Federal City in 1816: one the President’s House, reconstructed after it wa...
James Hoban's life is a memorable Irish-American success story. In his boyhood he learned the craft of carpenter and wheelwright,...