Collection Preservation of the White House
In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the...
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When President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan came to the house in 1981, they continued to add furnishings with historic White House associations. Notably, two 1818 East Room chairs and a brass and ivory presidential seal used by Abraham Lincoln were acquired. The first lady was a great force behind soliciting contributions for an extensive redecoration of the private quarters and the maintenance of public spaces. Over 150 collection objects, the marble walls, wood doors and floors in the public rooms were conserved.
First Lady Nancy Reagan commissioned a new state dinner and dessert service that had 220 place settings, each with nineteen pieces. The large and expensive service was acquired with funds donated from a private foundation, but it was widely criticized at a time of federal budget cuts. Under the Ronald Reagan administration, the first comprehensive conservation survey of the White House furniture collection was conducted, and the American Association of Museums accredited the house as a museum in 1988.
Service Plate, Fish/Lunch Plate, and Tea Cup & Saucer. Lenox, Inc., Trenton, New Jersey, 1981-82. The design of the new state service commissioned by Mrs. Reagan was based on the first American service made for the White House in 1918, but the color was changed to red, her favorite hue.
In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the...
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament....
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., the nation’s only unelected president and vice president, served thirteen terms in Congress before rising to...
From hot dogs to haute cuisine, U.S. Presidents have communicated important messages through food. Stewart McLaurin, President of the...
In 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in for the first of his four terms as president of the United States....
Since the founding of America, spouses and relatives have served as White House hostess, public servant, and unofficial presidential adviser....
Native Americans hold a significant place in White House history. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples, including the Nacotchtank and...
Since 1965, the White House Historical Association has been proud to fund the official portraits of our presidents and first ladies,...
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament....
The American experiment has long held the curiosity of people around the world, especially for Iain Dale, an award-winning British...
From First Lady Dolley Madison's sister Lucy Payne Washington's wedding in 1812 to the nuptials of President Joseph Biden and First...
Over 200 years ago, James Hoban left Ireland for America to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Selected by President...