Cross Hall Decorated for Christmas, Nixon Administration
This photograph, taken December 14, 1973, shows the Cross Hall festively furnished for the holiday season. To match the "gold" Christmas theme selected to honor former President James Monroe, First Lady Pat Nixon had the columns in the Cross Hall covered in shining wrapping paper, so they appeared to be made of gold, and the official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room decorated with miniature gilded fans. This would be the final Christmas that the Nixons would celebrate in the White House.
This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as the executive chef at the White House from 1966-1987.
Families taking up residence at the White House since the Theodore Roosevelt administration have encountered the public's insatiable appetite for stories of everyday life in the Executive Mansion. With the common reproduction of photographs in newspapers and magazines by the early 20th century, presidential pets had to accept the same scrutiny as their distinguished masters. Whether providing companionship or humanizing
Since the beginning of the American presidency, dogs have often shared a presence in both the first family and the White House. In fact, 30 out of the 44 presidents have had a dog at some point during their respective presidencies. These dogs were not only important in the lives of the presidents and their families, but also to the American public.