Damaged Girandole Mirror in the Red Room

This photograph of the Red Room taken by Cecil Stoughton on November 5, 1963, illustrates the threat to publicly displayed antiques. A visitor hurled a decorative urn at a girandole mirror, resulting in its near destruction. The Red Room is located on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion. The room was first decorated with red fabrics during the James K. Polk administration in 1845. The space is often filled with furnishings in the American Empire or Grecian style. The parlor has been used for intimate receptions, teas, and meetings.