Cover of Holiday Tour Booklet, 1990

This is the cover of a tour booklet that was given to visitors to the White House who came to view the holiday decorations in 1990. That year, First Lady Barbara Bush selected "A White House Nutcracker Christmas" as her decorating theme, drawing inspiration from Tchaicovsky's ballet and the first theme selected for the Blue Room Christmas Tree by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961. Information about White House holiday decorations have been provided to visitors since at least 1975, when guests were given information about First Lady Betty Ford's handcrafted ornaments and instructions for how to recreate them at home. Tour booklets have been created to provide context on the theme and seasonal decorations at the White House since Jimmy Carter's presidency.