Martin Van Buren Bust in Situ

This photograph is of the marble bust of President Martin Van Buren created by renowned sculptor Hiram Powers in 1840. The bust was photographed for "The White House: An Historic Guide" by Bates Littlehales in March 1962 as one of the highlights in the White House Collection. Powers originally modeled the bust in 1836, before moving to Florence, Italy, where artisans created marble replicas of Powers' clay original. The bust remained in the Van Buren family until 1889, when one of Van Burens' grandsons bequeathed it to the White House. Powers depicts Van Buren in a toga, a Neoclassical tradition intended to connect American politicians to ancient Greek democracy. Van Buren served as president from March 4, 1837 until March 4, 1841. His earlier career included vice president under President Andrew Jackson, serving in the United States Senate, as the governor of New York, and as an ambassador.