The Monroes' Legacy

Gallery

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This Parisian-made elegant centerpiece, or plateau, has impressed White House dinner guests since the Monroe administration.
Bruce White for the White House Historical Association
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Candelabrum, Paris, ca. 1817 in the East Room.
Bruce White for the White House Historical Association
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Bruce White for the White House Historical Association
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Blue sapphire draperies and silk upholstery fabrics, carpet, and wallpaper, reproduced from 19th century documents for a 1995 Clinton administration refurbishment, created an elegant space for the French Monroe-era furnishings.
Bruce White for the White House Historical Association
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William King, Jr., a Georgetown cabinetmaker, made this 1818 mahogany chair, once part of a suite with 24-chairs and four sofas, for the East Room.
Bruce White for the White House Historical Association
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Basket, ca. 1817. Three gilded baskets with figures of the “Three Graces” accompanied a mirrored plateau acquired for the State Dining Room in 1817.
Bruce White for the White House Historical Association
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President Monroe ordered a suite of 53 pieces of carved and gilded furniture, ca. 1817, for the Blue Room. Eight original pieces remain in the room today.
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Four silver wine coolers purchased in Paris while President Monroe lived in France serving as a diplomat were sold to the U.S. Government and remain in the White House, 1798-1809.
Bruce M. White for the White House Historical Association
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Dessert Plate, Dessert Cooler, and Basket, ca. 1817.
Bruce White for the White House Historical Association
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James Monroe by Samuel F.B. Morse, ca. 1819, and Elizabeth Kortright Monroe by Eben F. Comens after John Vanderlyn, 1816 or 1820.
White House Historical Association (White House Collection), Courtesy of the Edwards Family

About this Gallery

President and Mrs. Monroe left a residence that reflected splendor, social form and gentility. President Monroe purchased furniture from France as part of the refurnishing of the White House after the fire of 1814. He imported a suite of gilded beechwood furniture by the noted Parisian cabinetmaker, Pierre-Antoine Bellangé (1760-1844) as well as of a table plateau, vases, clocks, tables, gold centerpieces, and candelabrum to create a splendid setting for social events. Many of these pieces are in the White House Collection today.