Read Digital EditionForeword: "A Changing Portrait of America" by Marcia Mallet AndersonThe Official White House Portraits of President and Mrs. Barack Obama: David Rubenstein’s Conversation with the Artists, Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung Introduction by Stewart McLaurin The Peales in the White House: America’s First Family of Artists by Carol SoltisWhen Harry Met Pablo: The Strange True Story of t

The White House Collection and the Atlantic World Jennifer L. Anderson, Mahogany: The Costs of Luxury in Early America (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012). Vernon C. Stoneman, John and Thomas Seymour, Cabinetmakers in Boston, 1794-1816 (Boston, MA: Special Publications, 1959). Sarah Fling, “Sugar, Slavery, and the Washington China,” White House Historical Association, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/sugar-slavery-and-the-washington-china.Hannah Boettcher and Ronald W. F

For most of the 19th century, the structure of the White House staff remained generally the same. At the top was the steward, a federal employee who was bonded; the Congress created this position to safeguard the silver and furnishings in the house. The steward was on the government payroll. He functioned as the manager of the house. The job

A group of physicians and surgeons meeting in Washington 1891 was treated to a reception at the White House on the evening of September 24. President Benjamin Harrison moved among the gathering, and "extended a hearty grasp to each of the doctors."1 The event included "lively airs" by the Marine band, and a chance to wander through the conservatory and reception rooms.

White House History WeeklyEvery Tuesday, Stewart posts an episode of White House History Weekly on his Twitter and LinkedIn. In each episode, Stewart poses a question to somebody who can provide insight into a significant moment, tradition, or room in the White House. Stewart is often joined by a White House Historical Association historian, board member, or former White House

October 1, 20209:00-9:15amWelcome and Overview Stewart D. McLaurin, President, White House Historical AssociationFrederick J. Ryan Jr., Chairman, Board of Directors, White House Historical Association Katharine P. Booth, Vice Chairwoman, Board of Trustees, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library9:15-10:00amCrafting American TasteIntroduced by Colleen Shogan, Senior Vice President and Director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History,

James Archer AbbottJames Archer Abbott currently serves as the Executive Director of the Lewes Historical Society in Lewes, Delaware. A graduate of Vassar College and the State University of New York/FIT, he has previously served as a museum director and/or curator for Johns Hopkins University’s Evergreen Museum & Library, the Baltimore Museum of Art, Boscobel House and Ga

Elaine Rice Bachmann

Construction on the President’s House began in 1792. The decision to place the capital on land ceded by two slave states—Virginia and Maryland—ultimately influenced the acquisition of laborers to construct its public buildings. The District of Columbia commissioners, charged by Congress with building the new city under the direction of the president, initially planned to import workers from Europe

Construction on the President's House began in 1792 in Washington, D.C., a new capital situated in sparsely settled region far from a major population center. The decision to place the capital on land ceded by two pro-slavery states-Virginia and Maryland-ultimately influenced the acquisition of laborers to construct its public buildings. The D.C. commissioners, charged by Congress with building the

Congress has always been tasked with appropriating funds for the care, repair, refurnishing and maintenance of the White House and its grounds. Each incoming president has found furnishings that were worn out and in need of replacement due to everyday wear and tear. Congress approved funds enabling a new president to carry out structural improvements and purchase new furnishings from