Curator Lorraine Waxman Pearce with Guest in the China Room

In this photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on September 21, 1961, White House Curator Lorraine Waxman Pearce (left) shows an artifact to an unidentified guest in the China Room. The White House Office of the Curator was created in 1961, after First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy recognized that the historic furniture and artwork of the White House should be preserved and managed according to museum standards. Lorraine Waxman Pierce was the first person to hold the staff position of White House Curator.