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This file unit includes material related to the Christmas gift of an Italian chrche to First Lady Lady Byrd Johnson.
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81556745
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Gift - Italian Creche - 1967
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doc
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document
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1
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81556745
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contentType
document
title
Gift - Italian Creche - 1967
description
This file unit includes material related to the Christmas gift of an Italian chrche to First Lady Lady Byrd Johnson.
citationUrl
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Betty Ford White House Papers
First Lady General Subject Files
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Gifts
Christmas
Holidays
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81556745
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1967-12-01
month
12
year
1967
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1967-12-01
month
12
year
1967
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nara-archive
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The original documents are located in Box 38, folder "Gift - Italian Creche - 1967" of the
Betty Ford White House Papers, 1973-1977 at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Betty Ford donated to the United States
of America her copyrights in all of her unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
FOR RELEASE AFTER 9:00 A. M.
Wednesday, December 13, 1967
Office of the Press Secretary
to Mrs. Johnson
THE WHITE HOUSE
The White House has received an exquisite Christmas gift--
an 18th century Italian creche -- from Mr. and Mrs. Charles W.
Engelhard, Jr. of Far Hills, New Jersey.
The Nativity scene contains thirty baroque carved figures
including the Holy Family, the three kings and their attendants,
shepherds, angels, cherubs, and various animals associated with
the manger scene. Brightly colored and richly clothed, the figures
range from 12 to 18 inches high and are delicately carved in wood.
Mrs. Johnson has long hoped that a creche might be acquired
for the permanent collection that would be a work of art commensurate
with other White House treasures. In previous years, a creche has
been borrowed, and last year Mrs. Engelhard provided a contemporary
creche with figures made of gold fabric and paper mache.
After extensive research and travel in Europe on the subject
of creches, Mrs. Engelhard acquired the figures from Marisa
Piccole Catello of Naples, Italy, whose family has been collecting
Nativity figures for more than 300 years.
Noted stage designer and theater consultant Donald Oenslager
of New York City has contributed his time and talents to create the
setting and lighting. The figures will be arranged on a multilevel
stage placed in the center window of the East Room. The baroque
proscenium arch is ivory colored with gold trim, and the archi-
tectural details match the decor of the East Room.
The stage extends four feet from the window, and the entire
set is about 14 feet high. The backdrop (cyclorama) is a luminous
dark blue, and three angels and a small cherub are suspended over
the manger. Lights are contained within the structure, and the
entire creche can be easily disassembled X for storage.
Mr. Oenslager has designed settings for numerous plays and
operas, and he was a consultant on the New York State Theater
and Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center. Mr. Richard Casler
is associated with Mr. Oenslager in supervising the arrangement
of the creche.
The creche will be unveiled by Mrs. Johnson at a reception
6:30 p.m. Friday, December 15. After a brief presentation
ceremony in the East Room, there will be a receiving line in the
Blue Room and refreshments in the dining room.
Among the 75 guests will be Mr. and Mrs. Engelhard and
their family, the Ambassador of Italy and Mrs. Ortona, Mr. and
Mrs. Oenslager, Mr. Angelo Stefanucci, president of the Italian
Christmas Crib Association, Rev. Aloysius Horn, president of
the American Christmas Crib Society, and numerous American
museum officials.
###
GERALD 1 FORD LIBRARY
Some items in this folder were not digitized because it contains copyrighted
materials. Please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library for access to
these materials.
SOCIETY
The Thening Star
HOME
WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1967
A-11
-Star Photographer Rosemary Martufi
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard Jr., their granddaughter,
FORD.
Beatrice Reed, 6, and Mrs. Johnson look at the 18th Century
Italian creche presented to the White House.
Johnsons Hail Gift of Creche
By ISABELLE SHELTON
hards' family, including four
also were guests, including
acquire them from their own-
Star Staff Writer
daughters, were present for
Arthur A. Houghton Jr., pres-
er, Marisa Piccole Cant Ca-
The White House last night
the reception and stayed on
ident of the board of direc-
tello of Naples, Italy, "except
celebrated receipt of a new
afterwards with them for a
tors of New York's Metropol-
that it was for the White
East Room creche that Na-
private dinner in the second
itan Museum of Art. who
House."
The Washington ¥
FORD
for and about WOMEN
CLASSIFIED
ADVERTISING
SECTION C
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1967
C1
Curtains Open
On Creche Scene
By Dorothy McCardle
Washington Post Staff Writer
An 18th Century nativity
created for the 30 figures of
scene in a 20th Century stage
the tableau.
setting was presented to the
The miniature proscenium
American people for this
or boxlike stage with the
and every coming Christmas
slopes of Bethlehem and the
at a ceremony at the White
textured blue sky of pale
House last night.
silk and gauze is the work
The gift, valued at $25,000,
of New York stage designer
was presented by Mr. and
Donald Oenslager who gave
Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard
his time and talent for the
TT'LL
GERALD R. FORD LIBRARY
ITEM TRANSFER FORM
The item described below has been transferred from this file to:
X Audiovisual Unit
Oversized Container
Book Collection
Ford Museum in Grand Rapids
Item:
10 6x12 photos of Italian crèche from 1967 White House decorations
The item was transferred from:
Betty Ford White House Papers
Box: 38
Folder: Gifts - Italian crèche 1967
Initials/Date: JJO 3/20/2018
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