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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When President and Mrs. Richard M. Nixon took residence at the White House in 1969, the wear and tear of thousands of earlier visitors and guests necessitated improvements. From the beginning Mrs. Nixon was keenly aware of the need to support a program for the acquisition of artwork and objects for the collection and played a major role in fulfilling this need.
Acquisitions to the White House Collection during the Nixon administration were substantial bringing more than 600 pieces of art, furniture, chandeliers, notable examples of china services from past administrations, and carpets among other things to the White House. Mrs. Nixon considered the iconic portrait of Dolley Madison painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1804 to be the most important acquisition (loaned from the Pennsylvania Academy of Art in 1970 and acquired by the White House through the gift of Walter H. and Phyllis J. Shorenstein Foundation, 1994).
In 1970, First Lady Patricia Nixon and the Committee for the Preservation of the White House began a program to furnish the Red, Green, and Blue Rooms in high quality American decorative arts from the early 19th century. Major examples by cabinetmakers Duncan Phyfe and Charles-Honore Lannuier were acquired for the Green and Red Rooms.
See the items in a flickr slideshow.
In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the...
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament....
On January 20, 1969, Richard Nixon was inaugurated as the thirty-seventh president of the United States. During his time in the White...
Since 1965, the White House Historical Association has been proud to fund the official portraits of our presidents and first ladies,...
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For two hundred years, Decatur House has stood as a near neighbor to the White House across Lafayette Square. Stewart...
The Bellangé furniture, originally purchased by James Monroe, has adorned the Blue Room in the White House for decades. Thanks t...
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Pat Nixon entering the White House as First Lady. Through hard work and...
In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy resolved to make the White House a “living museum” by restoring the historic integrity of the...
While there has yet to be a female president, women have played an integral role in shaping the White House...
From the beginning of its construction in 1792, until the 1902 renovation that shaped the modern identity and functions of the interior...
The collection of fine art at the White House has evolved and grown over time. The collection began with mostly...