 |
|
|
White House Restoration
Jacqueline Kennedy found the executive mansion poorly maintained and lacking in any furnishings from the previous century. She wasted no time in appointing the first White House curator, and in forming the Fine Arts Committee for the White House to procure furniture and artwork that was either owned by previous presidents, or representative of particular periods in the building’s history.
She was careful to insure the public understood that this was not a matter of decorating to her tastes, but an effort to honor American history and craftsmanship: “It would be sacrilege to merely redecorate it—a word I hate. It must be restored, and that has nothing to do with decoration. That is a question of scholarship.”
With the formation of the White House Historical Association in November 1961, Mrs. Kennedy oversaw the publication of The White House: An Historic Guide, the first official guide for the building. Highly successful, proceeds from the sale of the guide helped pay for the restoration, and it is still in print today.
In the exhibition, you’ll see correspondence and other documents from Jacqueline Kennedy and her colleagues that detail her extensive efforts to restore the White House.
Learn about the first lady’s televised tour of the White House. >>
|
|
|
|
