Collection An Artist Visits the White House Past
From its construction in 1792, until the 1902 renovation that shaped the modern identity and functions of the interior of the White...
Why is the White House White?
- Photographer
- Erik Kvalsvik
- Date of Work
- 1990
- Medium
- Photo
- Credit
- White House Collection/White House Historical Association
Why is the White House White?
This photograph of burn marks on the White House stonework was taken in 1990, during the George H.W. Bush administration. In preparation for the White House cornerstone's bicentennial in 1992, the White House underwent a renovation that included the removal of approximately 30 layers of paint. This process revealed scarring beneath the paint, sustained when the British burned the White House during the War of 1812.
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