Pineapple Bedroom, Kennedy Administration

This photograph of the Pineapple Bedroom was taken by Robert L. Knudsen during the John F. Kennedy administration. The Pineapple Bedroom and accompanying Pineapple Sitting Room are located on the Third Floor of the White House. In 1963 First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the restoration of the two rooms, including the installation of light green Japanese silk wallpaper. The room got its name from the pineapple-shaped finials on the two mid-19th century beds located in the bedroom.

Photographer: Robert L. Knudsen
Date of Work: ca. 1961-1963
Type: Photograph
Credit: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/NARA

View in the Digital Library

Event
History Happy Hour: Wine and the White House

Join us for a captivating episode of History Happy Hour with Fred Ryan, who will discuss his book, "Wine and the White House." Winner of twelve national and international awards, the book is a comprehensive journey through the history of White House hospitality that explores every president’s experience of wine. Early presidents recognized the important function wine played in entertaini
Scholarship
Jimmy Carter, Iran, and the Canadian Caper

The Iran Hostage Crisis was one of the most important issues of Jimmy Carter’s presidency and likely one of the reasons for his election loss in 1980. But at the beginning of Carter’s presidency, the United States and Iran were allies. Carter called Iran “an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world” during a visit
Event
White House History Trivia Night

Calling all history buffs! Grab your friends and test your knowledge of White House history at trivia night. Play on teams of 2 to 6 players while enjoying complimentary pizza and soft drinks. Questions will cover a variety of topics in White House history, from presidents and first ladies to art and popular culture! Prizes will be awarded to the winning team.
Event
White House History Live: Awakening the Spirit of America

Join us in learning more about White House History right from your own home. Our Facebook Live series, White House History Live, delves into the stories that make up the history of the Executive Mansion. Author Paul Sparrow, former director of the FDR Presidential Library, will join to discuss his new book, Awakening the Spirit of America. This sweeping narrative
Press Release
NEW Episode: The White House 1600 Sessions Podcast “Washington National Cathedral and the White House”

The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast today featuring a conversation on the history and grand treasures of the Washington National Cathedral. The Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, sits atop Mount Saint Alban, the highest point in Washington, D.C. In this episode, Stewart
Press Release
iCivics and The White House Historical Association Launch "Brief the Chief," A New Digital Game Showing Students How Presidents Throughout History Relied on Multiple Perspectives to Make Difficult Choices

iCivics, the nation’s leading civic education nonprofit, and the White House Historical Association today launched Brief the Chief, a new digital game that teaches students how the President of the United States makes difficult governing decisions, providing insight into how presidents rely on an array of advisors to make tough judgment calls. Brief the Chief also gives students an in
Podcast
Washington National Cathedral & the White House

Featuring Very Reverend Randolph Hollerith and Reverend Canon Jan Naylor Cope
Event
History Happy Hour: Three First Ladies and Four Great Speeches

At the turn of the 21st century, experts in public address were asked to identify the top 100 political speeches of the 20th century. Over 100 scholars submitted their choices and among the final 100 were four by first ladies--two by Eleanor Roosevelt, one by Barbara Bush, and one by Hillary Clinton. This upcoming History Happy Hour program explores the entrance of first
Video
Passover Celebrations at the White House

More than 70% of Jewish Americans take part in the Passover Seder, making Passover the most celebrated of Jewish holidays. Since 2009, the White House has joined in celebrating Passover in various ways. Rubenstein Center Research Fellow Dr. Phillip Lieberman will discuss this tradition, as well as the ebb and flow of presidential participation in the Jewish Feast of Freedom.
Article
Where Hospitality Makes History: State Visits

Since World War II, an ever-lengthening procession of foreign leaders has come to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to confer on global problems. These dignitaries are often formally entertained at the White House, and an invitation to attend such a function is highly coveted. Certainly a State Dinner to honor a visiting head of government or a reigning monarch is one of the
Event
History Happy Hour: Eliza Scidmore - From Early White House Reporting to Washington’s Cherry Trees

Eliza Scidmore earned her journalistic stripes as a “society writer” in Gilded Age Washington, reporting from the White House and around the nation’s capital. Fired by a spirit of adventure, she took up travel writing, educating Americans about little-known places like Alaska and Japan. In her best-known legacy, Scidmore carried home from Japan the idea of planting cherry-blossom trees along
Video
Protest at the White House

There is a rich history of protests and demonstrations at the White House and Lafayette Park, from the suffragists' silent pickets to a peace vigil that has spanned across decades. For more short, educational videos from the White House Historical Association, click here. For our education resource about protest at the White House, click here. For more information about this