Vermeil Room Renovations, Kennedy Administration

This photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, shows the Vermeil Room in the midst of refurbishments during the John F. Kennedy administration. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy collaborated with interior designer Stéphane Boudin to redecorate the room in a blue and white style. The Vermeil Room, located on the Ground Floor of the Executive Mansion, houses the extensive collection of vermeil, or gilded silver, that was bequeathed by Margaret Thompson Biddle to the White House in 1957 during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration. Prior to the bequest, the room was known as the Social Room because of its proximity to a ladies restroom. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was the first to display the newly acquired vermeil collection in the room.