Cook in the White House Kitchen, 1893

This photograph is possibly of Dolly Johnson, chief cook for President Benjamin Harrison, in the White House kitchen in 1893. In 1889, Johnson came to Washington, D.C. from Louisville, Kentucky, to serve as chief cook for President Harrison. Her immediate predecessor, Madame Madeleine Pelouard of France, was known for her haute cuisine, but several newspapers of the time deemed Johnsons cooking more suitable for the presidents plain American taste. She also worked in this role during President Grover Cleveland's second term as president. Frances Benjamin Johnston took the photograph.