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Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
AND TYPE
001. list
RE: Donors to the White House Historical Association (1 page)
00/00/0000
b(6)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
First Lady's Office
Karen Finney (Press Office)
OA/Box Number: 11104
FOLDER TITLE:
[Preservation of the White House]
2015-0734-S
db3887
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - [44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA]
b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
2201(3).
concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIA]
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Office of the Curator
August 30, 1993
THE PRESIDENT'S OVAL OFFICE
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt had the architectural
firm of McKim, Mead & White design and construct an office
building to the west of the original White House at the end of
the colonnade built in the Jefferson administration. From the
Second Floor of the Executive Mansion he then removed his office
and Cabinet Room to new quarters in this "West Wing".
The President's Room, which was then a rectangular rather than an
oval office, was placed in the southeast corner, the Cabinet Room
adjoining it to the north.
In 1909, President William Howard Taft expanded the wing to
the south, constructing the first "Oval Office" at the center of
this addition, moving the Cabinet Room to the southeast corner.
In 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt moved the Oval
Office and its 1909 white marble mantel to its present southeast
corner location and returned the Cabinet room to the northeast
corner in a further-expanded West Wing.
Architectural features of the present Oval Office include:
the Presidential Seal in plaster relief in the ceiling; the
classically-designed marble mantel which was original to the
1909 Oval Office; the doors to the veranda and study, each with
a pediment above a horizontal fasces, the classical symbol of
the governing authority; and the window and shelf niches with
shell canopies.
In August 1981, this room was painted its current colors -
an off-white color for the walls with the cornice and woodwork
highlighted with a purer white.
In August 1982, a new floor of walnut and white oak was
added. Donated by Kentucky Wood Floors of Louisville, Kentucky,
this hardwood floor replaced a wood-grain vinyl installed in 1969
during the Nixon administration. That, in turn, replaced a cork
flooring installed in Franklin Roosevelt's new office in 1934.
During August 1988, the cove lighting around the ceiling of
the Oval Office was improved using the most recent developments
in fluorescent lamp technology. These new fixtures, which are
more compact and provide light of warmer color, replaced lights
originally installed during the Nixon Administration.
-2-
On January 20, 1993, with the inauguration of President
Clinton, new gold damask draperies were installed, consisting of
a six-swag valance and three pairs of straight overcurtains in a
popular 18th-century acanthus-leaf pattern. This fabric was made
by the New York firm, Scalamandre. A fragment of a red damask in
this same pattern, found in the Philadelphia house once occupied
by President George Washington, is now in the Valley Forge
Museum. At the same time, the two high-back armchairs before
the fireplace, acquired for the Oval Office in 1981, were
reupholstered in a gold fabric.
The changes to the Oval Office were completed in
August 1993, under the direction of Little Rock designer,
Kaki Hockersmith. An ornamental blue tape was added as trim
to the drapery valance and panels. Two sofas acquired in 1990
were rebuilt and recovered in a red-and-cream striped silk with
pillows of red silk decorated with gilt leaf medallions. The
seats of the cane-backed armchairs around the room were recovered
in a specially made blue silk called "Little Rock diamond". All
of these additional fabrics also were provided by Scalamandre.
A new oval wool carpet was woven for the room in the
United States by Scalamandre. A dark blue field centers a
full-color Presidential Coat-of-Arms encircled by fifty white
stars and framed by a gilt rope band nestled into a plain red
band. This framing band is repeated on the exterior of the rug's
border which features green olive branches and gold laurel
wreathes separated by red rosettes on a white field, framed on
the interior by a gilt rope band.
The objects in the Oval Office will be described on the
following pages in a counter-clockwise direction beginning to
the right of the door as one enters the room from the corridor.
-3-
Portrait of Andrew Jackson by Thomas Sully (1783-1872)
The handsome portrait of Jackson to the right of the door
was painted by Thomas Sully, one of America's foremost
portraitists. After studying with John Trumbull and Gilbert
Stuart, Sully opened a Philadelphia studio where he painted many
illustrious Americans. He was also highly respected for
encouraging young artists. This painting has been on loan to
the White House from the National Gallery of Art since 1976.
L76.NGA017.1
Cane-Back Armchairs
The four cane-backed armchairs around the room have been in
use in the Oval Office since 1930 and were provided for the new
West Wing in 1902 by A.H. Davenport, Boston, Massachusetts. An
interpretation of the later Federal style, circa 1810-1825, one
of these has arms scrolled atop partly-reeded supports over
turned and reeded front legs; the other three have arms scrolled
on concave supports over square tapering front legs.
902.3482, 3485-86, .3488
Eagle Card Table
The mahogany folding-top card table below the northwest
bookcase was made in Salem, Massachusetts, circa 1810. It is
unusual in that the table top is supported by a large carved and
gilded spread-winged eagle. This table was acquired for the
White House in 1972 with funds contributed by the White House
Historical Association.
972.898.1
Bust of Thomas Jefferson
The bust on the eagle card table belongs to President
Clinton. A modern reduction of the 1786 bust by Jean-Antoine
Houdon, it was produced of a bronze-toned synthetic material by
Alva Studios.
Pitcher
The late-19th-century French porcelain pitcher in the north
shelves features a magenta neck above a decorative device on one
side of an American eagle and cross flags.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joey Bishop.
962.279.1
-4-
Dinner Plates
The two dinner plates flanking the pitcher, made by
Wedgwood, Etruria, England, are from a set of 60 such plates
purchased for the White House in 1893 by Mrs. Frances Cleveland.
They feature a edge band of red zig-zag and leaf motifs on a gilt
ground. The rim is decorated with gilt swags on a cream ground.
893.3843.1-51
Bust of John F. Kennedy
The bust in the north shelves on the card table, belongs to
President Clinton. Modeled by Robert Berks, it was produced of a
bronze-toned synthetic material by Alva Studios.
Gilt Baskets
The pair of gilded silver baskets were made in London, circa
1780-1788, by John Wakelin & William Taylor. The pierced oval
baskets (1780-81) and stands (1787-88) are probably from a larger
set with interchanged components. On the center of each side is
the coat-of-arms of Order of the Garter, the highest order of
British nobility. Part of the vermeil collection bequeathed to
the White House by Mrs. Margaret Thompson Biddle in 1956.
958.4179.1-2
Vase
The small porcelain vase was made in France c.1800-1810.
The dark blue ground is contrasted with a gilt floral spray
framed by laurel leaves, gilt lion's head handles, and a gilt
neck and foot. Gift of Miss Pauline Herrmance.
961.118.1
Basket
The silver-gilt basket, reeded like a cluster of bamboo, is
from a set of 24 made in France for Tiffany & Co. in 1962.
Gift of Mrs. Paul Mellon.
962.408.2
Dinner Plates
The two red-rimmed dinner plates flanking the basket, are
from a set of 24 such plates made by Lenox, Trenton, New Jersey,
that was purchased in 1916 under President Woodrow Wilson to
supplement a group of similar Wedgwood plates purchased for the
White House in 1893 by Mrs. Frances Cleveland.
916.3845.1-17
-5-
Works of Theodore Roosevelt
On the south shelves is a 24-volume set of the writings of
Roosevelt. Published in 1926, this limited edition was a gift
from the Theodore Roosevelt Association in 1977.
977.1332.1-24
Bust of Theodore Roosevelt
The bust in the south shelves belongs to President Clinton.
Modeled by Gleb Derjinsky, it was produced of a bronze-toned
synthetic material by Alva Studios with the subject's facsimile
signature on the base.
Sapphire Busts - Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln
The square display case in the south bookcase niche contains
three presidential busts carved from some of the world's largest
sapphires found in Queensland, Australia. These gemstone
sculptures were a 1983 gift from the Kasanjian Foundation, which
had acquired the stones and commissioned their carving in the
1950's. The bust of Abraham Lincoln - 1318 carats - was carved
in 1951 by Norman Maness, after a life-mask executed by Leonard
Volk in 1860. This was followed by the 1056-carat bust of George
Washington carved by Harry B. Derian after a bust of Jean-Antoine
Houdon and a painting by Gilbert Stuart. The bust of Thomas
Jefferson - 1381 carats - was also carved by Derian in 1957 after
an 1825 life mask by J.H.I. Browere and a painting by Mather
Brown.
P88.A03441.1-3
Chest of Drawers
The mahogany chest of drawers to the right of the windows
was made in the Hepplewhite style in Massachusetts, circa 1790.
Each of the four graduated drawers in the serpentine front shows
a rectangle of string inlay, the corners of which are filled with
inlaid fan quadrants. This chest was acquired for the White
House in 1977 with funds from the White House Historical
Association.
977.1329.1
-6-
Sculpture - "Appeal to the Great Spirit"
by Cyrus Edwin Dallin (1861-1944)
Dallin, a native of Utah, was an eloquent defender of the
American Indian, particularly through four great equestrian
statues which depict the cycle of their relations with the
white man. This image, first exhibited in 1908, was the fourth,
a stoic and dignified appeal for deliverance, of which a
monumental casting was installed in front of the Museum of Fine
Arts in Boston in 1913, the year in which Dallin copyrighted the
image. In 1916, he collaborated with the Gorham Company foundry
in producing reductions of his Indian statues in three sizes.
This example, an early casting of the middle size, circa 1916,
was given to the White House in 1991 by The Barra Foundation,
Inc.
991.1694.1
Painting - "The President's House" by an Unknown Artist
after William Henry Bartlett (1809-1854).
This slightly fanciful depiction of the White House above
Tiber Creek, where now runs Constitution Avenue, is believed to
have been executed in the mid-nineteenth century after an 1839
engraving of a drawing by English artist, William Henry Bartlett.
This painting was a gift to the White House from Mr. and Mrs.
Hawley S. Simpson in 1967.
967.611.1
Sofa Table
The modern sofa table against the windows, made in the late-
Sheraton style by Smith & Watson, New York, was acquired for the
Oval Office in 1969. Fitted with drop leaves and drawers, it is
supported at each end by a flat pedestal on splayed legs braced
by an arching trestle.
Bust of Abraham Lincoln
The bust on the sofa table, a commercial casting modeled
originally by Robert Berks in 1958, belongs to President Clinton.
Bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt
The bust on the sofa table, belongs to President Clinton.
Modeled by Jo Davidson in 1934, it was produced of a bronze-toned
synthetic material by Alva Studios.
-7-
"Resolute" Desk
This double pedestal desk, usually called the "Resolute
desk", was made from the oak timbers of the British ship H.M.S.
Resolute as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from Queen
Victoria in 1880. It has been used by every president since
Hayes, excepting Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Ford, 1964-1977.
It was used in the President's Office on the Second Floor of
the Residence from 1880 until 1902, at which time the office was
moved to the newly constructed West Wing. This desk remained,
however, on the Second Floor of the Residence in the President's
Study. President Franklin D. Roosevelt requested that the rear
kneehole be fitted with a panel carved with the presidential
coat-of-arms, but he did not live to see it installed in 1945.
After the Truman Renovation of the White House 1948-1952,
it was placed in the Broadcast Room on the Ground Floor where it
was used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower during radio and
television broadcasts. It was first used in the Oval Office in
1961 at the request of President John F. Kennedy. After President
Lyndon B. Johnson selected another desk for his office, it was
lent to a Kennedy Library traveling exhibition, 1964-1965, and
then to the Smithsonian Institution for exhibition, 1966-1977.
In January 1977, President Jimmy Carter requested that this
historic desk be returned to the White House for use again in the
Oval Office. In 1981, President Ronald W. Reagan also chose to
use this desk in the Oval Office. President George Bush used it
in the Oval Office for five months in 1989 before having it moved
to his Residence Office in exchange for a partner's desk which he
had used in his West Wing office as Vice President.
On January 20, 1993, this historic desk was returned to the
Oval Office for use by President Clinton.
A brass plaque affixed to the desk records the history of
its creation:
"H.M.S. 'Resolute', forming part of the expedition sent
in search of Sir John Franklin in 1852, was abandoned in
Latitude 74'41' N. Longitude 101°22' W. on 15th May 1854.
She was discovered and extricated in September 1855, in
Latitude 67° N. by Captain Buddington of the United States
Whaler 'George Henry'. The ship was purchased, fitted out
and sent to England, as a gift to Her Majesty Queen Victoria
by the President and People of the United States, as a token
of goodwill & friendship. This table was made from her
timbers when she was broken up, and is presented by the
Queen of Great Britain & Ireland, to the President of the
United States, as a memorial of the courtesy and loving
kindness which dictated the offer of the gift of the
"Resolute'."
-8-
Desk Chair
The brown leather desk chair was acquired by the White House
in 1989.
Pair of Chinese Fish Bowls
The large circular porcelain bowls presently being used as
planters on either side of the sofa table were made in China,
circa 1800. Decorated in the "famille rose" style with exotic
birds among rocks and flowering trees on a white ground, they
were a gift to the White House from Mrs. Lammot duPont Copeland
in 1980.
980.1420.1-2
Chest of Drawers
The simple mahogany chest to the left of the south windows
is a mid-nineteenth-century country version of a Federal-style
chest of the late eighteenth century. Four graduated drawers are
ornamented with satinwood stringing and brass pulls stamped with
the American eagle. This American chest was acquired with
contributed funds in 1962.
962.335.1
Sculpture - "The Thinker" by Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)
This bronze of Rodin's famous sculpture was cast early in
the 20th century by the Alexis Rudier Foundry. It reportedly
descended in the Rodin family until it was given to Paul Doumer,
French statesman and President of the French Republic, 1931-32.
It has been lent for President Clinton's Oval Office by the
B. Gerald Cantor Collection, which acquired it in Paris in the
mid-1970s.
L93.196.1
Painting - "The Avenue in the Rain"
by Frederick Childe Hassam (1859-1935)
During and shortly after World War I, the streets of New
York were often hung with flags and banners in support of the
Allied war effort. From 1916 to 1919, Childe Hassam executed
about 30 paintings of these patriotic scenes. Painted in
February 1917, even before the United States entered the war,
this oil on canvas, one of Hassam's best, shows large American
flags multiplied by their own reflections in the wet pavement.
This painting was a gift to the White House in 1963 from
T.M. Evans.
963.422.1
-9-
Sculpture - "The Bronco Buster"
by Frederic Remington (1861-1909)
The important bronze sculpture of a cowboy riding a spirited
horse was cast by the Roman Bronze Works, Corona, New York, circa
1903. The original design, which was Remington's first work of
sculpture, was copyrighted by him in 1895 and at first sand-cast
by the Henry Bonnard Company. This example, #23 of the lost-wax
castings executed by the Roman Bronze Works, was a gift to the
White House in 1973 from Miss Virginia Hatfield and Mrs. Louise
Hatfield Stickney in memory of their father, James T. Hatfield.
973.1019.1
Tall-Case Clock
The case of the magnificent American clock standing against
the east wall was probably made by John and Thomas Seymour,
prominent Boston cabinetmakers, in the early nineteenth century.
Although the dial is not marked, the works are possibly by James
Douell of Charlestown, Massachusetts, who made the works for a
nearly identical Seymour case. This case is fashioned of a
richly grained mahogany and features the beautiful craftsmanship
of the Seymours. This clock and many other pieces of Seymour
furniture were acquired for the White House in 1972 with funds
contributed by the White House Historical Association. 972.919.1
Card Tables
The pair of mahogany folding-top card table flanking the
mantel was made in New England, possibly in Connecticut, 1790-
1810. Crafted in the Sheraton style with a bowed apron, turreted
front corners, and tapering reeded legs, these tables are
decorated with bands of a key-motif inlay and panels of fancy-
grained veneers. They were a gift to the White House from Mrs.
Francis B. Crowninshield in 1946.
946.1333-1334
Bust of Benjamin Franklin by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828)
This portrait bust of Franklin in plain period dress is
probably the most familiar depiction of this famous American
statesman, largely because so many other artists copied Houdon's
likeness. A terra cotta bust executed in 1778, when Franklin was
American minister to France, was possibly the original from which
Houdon fashioned this bronze copy, the only one accepted to be by
Houdon himself, and other plaster and marble copies. This
important bust, by one of the most famous sculptors, was a gift
to the White House in 1980 from J. William Middendorf, II, and
the White House Historical Association.
980.1427.1
-10-
Painting - "The Three Tetons" by Thomas Moran (1837-1926)
The English-born Thomas Moran is best known for his
landscapes of the American West, notably the Yosemite, Zion,
Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone regions. His first trip west was
in 1871 when he accompanied Dr. F.V. Hayden's survey party, the
first officially to describe and map the Yellowstone Canyon.
His watercolor studies, together with Hayden's reports and
William H. Jackson's photographs, helped to convince the U.S.
Government to establish Yellowstone National Park in 1872 as the
first such public wilderness preserve in the country. This oil
on canvas landscape, a view of the Idaho or western side of the
Teton Range, was executed circa 1895, apparently from sketches
made in 1879 during Moran's only visit to those mountains.
It was a gift to the White House from C.R. Smith in 1966.
965.591.1
Portrait of George Washington by Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860)
The portrait of George Washington over the mantel is one of
the so-called "porthole" portraits by noted American artist,
Rembrandt Peale. The original likeness, begun in 1823, is
believed to be the one which now hangs in the Old Senate Chamber
of the United States Capitol. From it, Peale painted 79 similar
portraits, some in civilian dress, as the Capitol painting, and
some in the buff and blue uniform of the Continental Army, such
as this example. This oil on panel portrait was a gift to the
White House from Mrs. John N.M. Howells in 1962. 962.313.1
Mantel
The white marble mantel was installed in the original Oval
Office when that room was constructed in the expanded West Wing
in 1909 during the administration of President William Howard
Taft. When the Oval Office was moved to its present location
during the 1934 expansion of the West Wing, this mantel was
installed in this new room. Its classical lines include Ionic
columns, a frieze carved with drapery and rosettes, and a row of
dentils beneath the cornice.
P09.B02635.1
Pair of Chinese Jars
The tall porcelain jars on the mantel were made in China in
the K'ang Hsi period (1662-1722). These baluster-shaped jars are
decorated in the "kanulle verte" style with a handsome garden
motif of flowering trees rising from behind walls. The lids are
surmounted by polychrome "fo-dog" finials, a Buddhist guardian
symbol. These vases were acquired for the White House in 1973.
973.988.1-2
-11-
Chinese Export Porcelain Bowl
The small circular bowl on the mantel, used for plants, was
made in China early in the 19th century. It is decorated in the
"famille rose" style with a gold and red cross-hatched border on
the exterior and interior of the rim. The white exterior bears
a scroll-framed reserve panel of a peacock. This bowl was a gift
to the White House from Mrs. Herbert Pratt in 1929. 929.1356.1
American Andirons
The fireplace is equipped with a pair of Chippendale-style
brass andirons made circa 1780. They have urn finials atop tall
columns supported by spurred cabriole legs on ball-and-claw feet.
These andirons were acquired for the White House in.1973 with
funds contributed by the White House Historical Association.
973.1022.1-2
American Fender
On the hearth stands a serpentine fender, circa 1800,
probably made in New York. The brass rim supports three urn
finials, while the iron wirework grill is decorated in a
scrolled-vine motif. This fender was a gift to the White House
from Sotheby-Parke Bernet, Inc., in 1973.
973.968.1
Firetools
The set of brass firetools - shovel, poker, tongs, brush,
and stand - have been used in the Oval Office since the Kennedy
administration. The tools feature a double-urn finial, while the
stand base is pierced in an oval pattern.
P00.F00706.1-5
Painting - "City of Washington From Beyond the Navy Yard"
by George Cooke (1793-1849)
This oil on canvas painting, to the left of the mantel,
depicts the city of Washington in 1833 as seen from the
southeast, across the Anacostia River on which is situated the
Washington Navy Yard. The White House can be seen at the left
center and the U.S. Capitol, with the Bulfinch dome, at the right
center. An engraving based on this painting was a popular
nineteenth-century depiction of the city. This painting was a
gift to the White House from The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz
Foundation in 1972.
972.883.1
-12-
Bust of Harry S. Truman by Charles Keck (1875-1951)
The bust of President Truman on the card table to the left
of the mantel was cast in bronze in 1947 by the Roman Bronze
Works, Corona, New York. It was presented to the President,
who had posed for the sculptor in the Oval Office, by the
American Legion in an Oval Office ceremony in June 1947.
Armchairs
The two upholstered armchairs in front of the fireplace were
made in the Chippendale style by Kittinger & Co., Buffalo, New
York. They feature a serpentine crest, upholstered arms on
recessed concave supports, and cabriole front legs with carved
knees and ball-and-claw feet. These chairs were purchased for
the Oval Office in 1981.
Pembroke Tables
The breakfast or "pembroke" tables, adjacent to the sofas,
were made in the Hepplewhite style in New York, circa 1785-1800.
Each has a single drawer and drop leaves. The characteristic
square tapering legs are inlaid with satinwood bellflowers, mock-
fluting, and cuffs, while satinwood stringing appears throughout.
One table was a 1960 gift to the White House from the National
Society of Interior Designers; the other was acquired to match in
1973 with funds contributed by the White House Historical
Association.
960.3773.1, 973.1004.1
Table Lamps
Standing on the pembroke tables are a pair of French Empire
porcelain urns made in Paris, c.1810, which have been mounted as
lamps. An unidentified coat-of-arms appears on the heavy gold
and red geometric band on the neck, a motif repeated on the
shoulder of the bowl. Gilded handles emerge from classical white
male masques. These were acquired with funds contributed to the
White House in 1974.
974.1065.1-2
Sofas
The pair of modern upholstered sofas were purchased for the
Oval Office in 1989. Of simple rectilinear line with a rolled
crest and arms, these sofas were purchased with funds donated for
the 1989-1990 redecoration of the office.
P89.H03471.1-2
-13-
Coffee Table
The oval coffee table was specially designed for the 1993
redecoration. Made by Trosby, Atlanta, it features a star-inlaid
cross-banded top on a low pedestal with four reeded legs.
Rug
A new oval wool carpet, 30'3" X 23'2", was woven for the
room in the United States by Scalamandre. A dark blue field
centers a full-color Presidential Coat-of-Arms encircled by fifty
white stars and framed by a gilt rope band nestled into a plain
red band. This framing band is repeated on the exterior of the
rug's border which features green olive branches and gold laurel
wreathes separated by red rosettes on a white field, framed on
the interior by a gilt rope band.
WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES RESTORATIONS
As have most of their predecessors in the White House,
President and Mrs. Clinton have undertaken several interior
refurbishings and restorations to ensure the upkeep of the
Executive Mansion as a living museum that has been the home and
office of every President since John Adams. No public funds were
spent on the work.
The recently completed work is part of the routine
maintenance and restoration of the White House and concludes the
initial phase of a broader restoration project to include
additional repairs and maintenance. According to White House
Curator Rex Scouten, significant restorations are necessary about
every 10 years due to the heavy volume of tourists and guests who
visit the White House each week.
In addition to the routine maintenance and restoration, some
changes reflect the lifestyle of the occupant family, such as
converting the butler's pantry into an everyday kitchen for
family meals, the President's work habits (installing bookcases
in the Treaty Room), and the taste and character of the
President's principal work place, the Oval Office, which now has
new drapes and carpet.
The restoration featured the re-upholstering or recovering
of 73 pieces of furniture and furnishings, the conservation of 23
pieces of furniture already in the White House collection and the
retrieval of 52 pieces of furniture and 22 historic and
decorative pieces from storage for use within the house. Two
floors were repaired and re-covered. Twenty-eight windows
received new curtains. Nineteen carpets and underlays worn and
needing attention were replaced. Eleven chandeliers were
conserved.
The President and Mrs. Clinton are already involved in
making needed refurbishments in the state rooms of the White
House. The Committee for the Preservation of the White House met
earlier this month to discuss the restoration projects in the
Blue Room and East Room. The President recently appointed
Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Director, Studio Museum in Harlem; J.
Thomas Savage, Jr., Curator, Historic Charleston Foundation; Dick
Moe, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation; Leonore
Annenberg and Kaki Hockersmith of Hockersmith Interiors to the
Committee for Preservation of the White House. The President re-
appointed the following members of the Committee for Preservation
of the White House: Leslie Greene Bowman, Curator, Los Angeles
County Museum of Art; Wendy Cooper, Curator of Decorative Arts,
Baltimore Museum of Art; Jonathan Fairbanks, Katherine Lane Weems
Curator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture, Museum of Fine Arts;
Richard Nylander, Curator of Collections, Society for the
Preservation of New England Antiquities; John Wilmerding,
Christopher Binyon Sarofim '86 Professor in American Art,
Princeton University; Mark Hampton; William Kloss and Charles W.
Engelhard, Jr. (A complete list of the members of the Committee
for the Preservation of the White House is attached.)
Included in the restoration were portions of the family
quarters and rooms widely used for private work, meetings,
official functions, and entertaining -- the Oval Office, Treaty
Room, West Sitting Room, and Lincoln Sitting Room. The most
extensive changes were made to enhance the special character of
the Oval Office and the Treaty Room -- the President's two
offices -- and to expand their use as public and private work
areas.
o New gold draperies were installed in the Oval Office
after President Clinton's inauguration in January.
Further improvements included restyling and recovering
the office's two sofas, reupholstering two high-back
armchairs, recovering several cane-back armchairs, and
installing a new oval carpet with 13 colors that was
woven specially for the room. The carpet, with its
deep blue field, features the Presidential Seal
encircled by fifty white stars and framed by a gilt
double rope.
Over the years, the Treaty Room, now a Presidential office
located in the residence, has served as a Cabinet Room, sitting
room, Presidential reception room, and private study. It has
also been the site of important treaty signings, such as the
Peace Protocol marking the end of the Spanish-American War in
1898 and the Treaty for a Partial Nuclear Test Ban signed by
President Kennedy. Aware of the room's rich past, President
Clinton was committed to restoring its 19th century character
while also maintaining it as a working office and meeting area
for visiting dignitaries. The table in the Treaty Room, now
serving as the President's desk, was used this fall by the
signators of the Israeli-Palestinian Agreement.
o The refurbishing of the Treaty Room was accomplished
with the addition of stained walnut woodwork, inlaid
walnut bookcases, new wallpaper, new upholstery and
draperies, and a repainted ceiling medallion.
In the family quarters of the residence, most of the
restoration consisted of necessary maintenance, repainting,
carpeting, and upholstering.
o A butler's pantry was converted into an everyday
kitchen now used for family meals. A large wood island
was removed and replaced with an expandable breakfast
table and chairs.
2
O The carpet on the second floor, worn from constant
use, was replaced and moved to the third floor hallway.
o The third-floor solarium, where the First Family
entertains and convenes meetings, received new drapes,
upholstery and wallpaper. Similar improvements were
made to the second floor master bedroom and family
room.
The recent improvements, totalling $396,429.46, were
financed by private donations of money to the White House
Historical Association, including a donation from surplus funds
of the Presidential Inaugural Committee as well as donations of
goods and services to the National Park Service. (The Inaugural
Committee also contributed funds to the Vice President's
Residence Foundation.) The Clintons chose not to use the $50,000
appropriated by Congress for White House restorations.
Among the donations to the National Park Service was $74,607
contributed by the Clinton/Gore Transition Foundation in payments
to Kaki Hockersmith of Little Rock, Arkansas, for her services as
the design consultant for the White House restoration project.
(The Transition Foundation is privately funded.) Ms. Hockersmith
devoted a significant amount of personal time to the project,
essentially closing her small business and dedicating nearly an
entire year to the White House refurbishment. Ms. Hockersmith
also donated draperies of her design which now hang in the
Lincoln Sitting Room. (Lists of those who contributed to the
White House Historical Association and the National Park Service
are attached. A list of members of the White House Historical
Association is also attached.)
In late November 1992, Ms. Hockersmith, president of Kaki
Hockersmith Interiors, began working with the White House curator
and usher's offices to review the condition of the residence and
offices used by the President to determine a priority list for
refurbishments. She oversaw the gathering and placement of
historic objects to be displayed throughout the residence and
offices of the White House -- a priority for the Clintons.
Ms. Hockersmith surveyed storage facilities inside the White
House and the main storage warehouse in Maryland for paintings,
furniture that could be used after refurbishment, and other
suitable furnishings. To minimize costs, nearly all of the
furniture used for the restoration came from Executive Residence
storage.
Most of the draperies and upholstering were done by Nelson
Beck, a Washington, D.C. firm recommended by the White House
curator and usher's offices and widely acclaimed for its quality
workmanship and attention to historical detail.
3
Nelson Beck has assisted in a number of earlier projects at
the White House, including upholstering the walls of the Green
Room, upholstering the Bellange chairs in the Blue Room, and
providing slipcovers and upholstery for the Bushes and the
Reagans.
Other work done by Nelson Beck includes drapery treatments
and upholstery for the Vice President's house during Nelson
Rockefeller's term, the draperies and window treatments in the
restored period offices at the Treasury Department, as well as
work for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the
National Portrait Gallery, the Renwick Gallery, the Museum of
Modern Art, the Corcoran Gallery, the DAR Museum and the U.S.
Capitol.
"We are grateful to the many Americans whose generous
contributions have helped preserve the White House as a proud
piece of American history and an ongoing national treasure," the
President and Mrs. Clinton said.
###
Attachments (4)
4
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
COMMITTEE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE WHITE HOUSE
MEMBERS BY EXECUTIVE ORDER
Dr. Robert McCormick Adams
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC
J. Carter Brown
Commission of Fine Arts
Washington, DC
Roger G. Kennedy
National Park Service
Washington, DC
James I. McDaniel
National Park Service
Washington, DC
Earl A. Powell, III
National Gallery of Art
Washington, DC
Rex W. Scouten
White House Curator
Washington, DC
Gary J. Walters
White House Chief Usher
Washington, DC
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
COMMITTEE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE WHITE HOUSE
MEMBERS BY PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT
Leonore Annenberg
Kaki Hockersmith
Wynnewood, PA
Little Rock, AR
Leslie Greene Bowman
William Kloss
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Washington, DC
Los Angeles, CA
If
Kinshasha Holman Conwill
Richard Moe
Studio Museum in Harlem
National Trust for
New York, NY
Historic
Preservation
Washington, DC
Wendy Cooper
Richard Nylander
Baltimore Museum of Art
Society for the
Baltimore, MD
Preservation of
New England Antiquities
Boston, NA
Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, Jr.
J. Thomas Savage
Far Hills, NJ
Historic Charleston
Foundation
Charleston, S.C.
Jonathan Fairbanks
John Wilmerding
Museum of Fine Arts
Princeton University
Boston, MA
Princeton, NJ
Mark Hampton
New York, NY
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
740 Jackson Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20503
(202) 737-8292
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Robert McCormick Adams
George B. Hartzog, Jr.
Smithsonian Institution
McLean, VA
Washington, DC
Robert L. Breeden
S. Roger Horchow
Washington, DC
Dallas, TX
J. Carter Brown
Roger G. Kennedy
Commission of Fine Arts
National Park Service
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Nash Castro
Dr. Elise K. Kirk
Palisades, NY
Washington, DC
Clark Clifford
James I. McDaniel
Washington, DC
Springfield, VA
Dr. G. Franklin Edwards
Ieoh Ming Pei
Washington, DC
New York, NY
George M. Elsey
Earl A. Powell III
Washington, DC
The National Gallery
of Art
Carson Glass
Washington, DC
Lubbock, TX
Hugh Sidey
Gilbert M. Grosvenor
Washington, DC
National Geographic
Washington, DC
Leonard Silverstein
Washington, DC
Alfred R. Stern
New York, NY
Joy Carter Sundlun
Washington, DC
Withdrawal/Redaction Marker
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
AND TYPE
001. list
RE: Donors to the White House Historical Association (1 page)
00/00/0000
b(6)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
First Lady's Office
Karen Finney (Press Office)
OA/Box Number: 11104
FOLDER TITLE:
[Preservation of the White House]
2015-0734-S
db3887
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - |44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA]
b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information [(a)(4) of the PRA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
2201(3).
concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIA]
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
THE OF THE INTERIOR
United States Department of the Interior
TAKE
AMERICA
U.S
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MARCH
SOBI
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
1100 OHIO DRIVE S. W.
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20242
CONTRIBUTORS TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
CONTRIBUTOR
CITY/STATE
CONTRIBUTION
Mr. Arthur Athas
San Francisco, CA
wallcoverings
and fabrics
Mr. George Bailey
Dallas, TX
fabrics,
Ms Lou Samuels
upholstery &
walleoverings
trim
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Bitter Long Island, NY
fabrics
Mr. Brett Blackstone
Dallas, TX
rugs
Mr. Ken Boyd
Dallas, TX
wallcoverings &
fabrics
Mr. Chuck Brown
Little Rock, AR
carpets
Mr. Rick Elliot
La Grange, GA
carpets
Mr. & Mrs. Lee Ficks
Cincinatti, OH
furniture
Mr. Stephen Gnadt .
Costa Mesa, CA
fabrics,
Mrs. Pat Gnadt
upholstery &,
wallcoverings
trim
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Hall
Dallas, TX
furniture
Mr. Stewart Hay
Cartersville, GA
carpet
Ms. Kaki Hockersmith
Little Rock, AR
fabrics
-2-
Mr. Christopher Hyland
New York, NY
wallcoverings,
Mrs. Seth Pariser
fabrics &
sheers
Mr. Dick Johann
Samford, CN
fabrics
trim
Edith Jourdan
Warwick, RI
wallcoverings
Mr. and Mrs. James LaBarge
Holland, Michigan
furniture
Mr. David Martinous
Little Rock, AR
rug
Mr. Noel McDaniel
Dallas, TX
fabrics
Mr. Steve Mittman
New York, NY
furniture
Mr. Brad Noe
High Point, NC
furniture
Mr. Craig Shoemaker
Mr. Richard Ramus
Atlanta, GA
furniture
Mrs. Charlie Harper
Ms Lou Samuels
Dallas, TX
furniture
Mr. Stuart Schiller
Hialeh, TX
furnishings
Meri Stevens
New York, NY
fabric
Mr. Ken Taylor
Dallas, TX
furnishings
Mr. Steve Vignolo
New York, NY
fabrics
Mr. Bill Wagner
Englewood, NJ
fabrics
Ms Debbie White
Benton, AR
furniture
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Office of the Curator
September 8, 1993
THE LINCOLN SITTING ROOM
This small southeast corner room seems to have been little
used in the early years of the White House, having been listed
simply as "empty" in the inventory taken in 1825. From at least
1829 until 1902, it was a part of the presidential office suite
at the east end of the Second Floor of the Residence, a room
usually occupied by clerks or secretaries. Although the larger
adjacent room was most often used as the president' office or
cabinet room, President John Tyler used this room as his office.
In 1866, under President Andrew Johnson, telegraph equipment
was installed, and in 1879, under President Rutherford B. Hayes,
the first White House telephone was added to this "Telegraph
Room". In 1898, the telegraph reported the news of the sinking
of the U.S.S. Maine in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, and the room
became the "War Room", in which President William McKinley
followed the course of the ensuing Spanish-American War. It was
also in this room that the news was first received at the White
House of the 1881 shooting of President James Garfield at a
Washington train station and the 1901 assassination of McKinley
in Buffalo.
When the presidential offices were moved to the newly
constructed West Wing in 1902, this room became a small bedroom.
In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt furnished it with maple furniture made
at the Val-Kill shop on the Roosevelt's estate, a cottage
industry she helped establish to provide fuller employment for
farm men and women in the area of Hyde Park, N.Y.
After the Truman Renovation of the White House, 1948-1952,
the room was refurnished more as a sitting room, with a small bed
serving as a sofa. In the Kennedy administration, it was
redecorated in the Victorian flavor, to better complement the
Lincoln Bedroom. An olive and rust color scheme was selected,
using a dotted fabric on the walls and paisley draperies. In
1973, the Victorian chandelier was added to a room which had
become a favorite of President Richard Nixon as a quiet hideaway.
In 1981, the room was refurbished in the same basic style, but
with new fabrics in a beige and rust color scheme.
-2-
In 1993, President and Mrs. Clinton requested a stronger
Victorian decor for the room, which was created by Kaki
Hockersmith, Little Rock, in burgundy, gold, and cream colors.
The ceiling has been covered with a bold coffer-patterned paper.
The walls have been painted a cream color with the window frames,
chair rail, and cornice in gold and a burgundy sub-cornice band.
At the two windows have been hung draperies of a burgundy
silk with gilt decorations, including paired leaf-tailed dolphins
seen most clearly at the base of the ovoid valance shield from
which swags hang. These draperies, designed by Ms. Hockersmith
in 1993 for a Little Rock showhouse, were donated by her.
The ingrain rug is patterned with alternating rosettes and
medallions in red, green, and gold. A two-ply wool carpet flat-
woven in 36-inch strips, a type popular in American, 1850-1875,
it was first reproduced for the Smithsonian Institution's 1976
exhibition on the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
-3-
FINE ARTS
Entry
Grand Reception at the White House, January, 1862
by Alfred Rudolph Waud (1828-1891)
from January 25, 1862 issue of Harper's Weekly
hand-colored wood engraving. President and Mrs. Lincoln
receiving guests in the Blue Room during a New Year's
Reception. White House Acquisition Fund.
965.584.1
North Wall
LINCOLN PROGRAM, paper, 1861, American.
Program for the Lincoln Inaugural Ball, March 4, 1861.
Acquisition undocumented.
961.16.1
A. Lincoln by Jordan Tchopp (?-?),
after a photo by Anthony Berger, taken at the Brady
Gallery, February 9, 1864
woven silk, 1866, Basel, Switzerland. Memorial portrait;
American eagle, flags, shield, and mourning Columbia;
inscription derived from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address,
March 4, 1865. Gift of Mrs. Elizabeth Bissinger. 962.235.1
Northeast Wall
Ulysses S. Grant by Henry Ulke (1821-1910)
oil on canvas, 1875. Life portrait of Grant painted during
his presidency. Ulke, a German-born artist, immigrated to
the United States in 1852 and lived in Washington, D.C.,
1860-1910, where he operated a photography and portrait
studio. U.S. Government Purchase.
879.1527.1
-4-
East Wall
Butterfly by Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902)
oil and pencil on paper on pasteboard, January 20, 1893.
The artist created many butterflies such as this to be small
tokens of his art for special acquaintances. He placed a
few daubs of pigment on paper that was then folded. With a
palette knife, he made a few strokes along the outside of
the paper which when opened would reveal a butterfly.
During a stay at the White House in 1878, Bierstadt executed
several butterflies for the Hayes family. These butterflies
along with one created by Mrs. Hayes using the artist's
technique are now part of the collection of the Hayes
Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Graham.
962.268.1
Ulysses S. Grant by Thomas LeClear (1818-1882)
oil on canvas, c.1881. Possibly a bust study for the
full-length portrait now hanging in the East Foyer.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 988.1644.1
South Wall
U.S. Capitol after William Henry Bartlett (1809-1854)
oil on tin, c.1840. The Capitol as completed in 1826
by Charles Bulfinch, Architect of the Capitol, 1817-1829.
The smaller side domes over the original House and. Senate
chambers remain today, but the larger central dome was
replaced when the building was enlarged, 1856-1865. At the
foot of the Capitol grounds appears Pennsylvania Avenue with
a few of the poplar trees planted at the direction of
President Thomas Jefferson. Gift of Lawrence Fleischman.
962.183.1
The Republican Court in the Days of Lincoln
by Peter Frederick Rothermel (1812-1895)
(formerly called Reception at the White House
and attributed to Francis Bicknell Carpenter)
oil on canvas, c.1867. Imaginary scene of a reception in
the East Room, showing President and Mrs. Lincoln, Vice
President Andrew Johnson, members of the Cabinet, and
prominent Union officers, including Generals Scott, Grant,
and Sherman, this painting was probably intended to be a
model for an engraving. A recently discovered, undated
broadside described the scene and announced plans for
publishing an engraving which, if it were even executed, has
never been discovered. Rothermel, best known as a painter
of historical subjects, more than likely used period prints
and photographs to recreate the East Room.
Mr and Mrs. Winslow Carlton in memory of
962.294.1
-5-
West Wall
President Lincoln and His Family by George Spohn (?-?)
after Anton Hohenstein c.1823-?)
published by Joseph Hoover, Philadelphia
lithograph, 1866. Fanciful outdoor scene, perhaps intended
to be the White House lawn looking towards the Potomac, of
President and Mrs. Lincoln and their three sons, Willie
(died 1862), Tad, and Robert in uniform (joined the army in
1864). Acquisition undocumented.
962.1173.1
Lincoln Family by Thomas Kelly (1836-1914)
colored lithograph, 1866. Fanciful indoor scene of
President and Mrs. Lincoln seated at a table before backdrop
drapery opened on view of the U.S. Capitol dome; sons Robert
and Willie standing behind, Tad at front left before Mary.
The Lincolns as a family never posed for an artist or a
photographer.
White House Acquisition Fund.
963.424.1
FURNISHINGS
North Wall
DESK (secretaire a abattant), mahogany and marble, 1932,
Washington, D.C., made by Morris W. Dove.
Reproduction of French Empire fallfront desk (now on exhibit
at the James Monroe Law Library, Fredericksburg, Virginia),
which Monroe purchased when he was Minister to France, 1794-
96, and reputedly used at the White House to sign his 1823
Annual Message to Congress (December 2) which included the
Monroe Doctrine concerning European non-interference in the
Americas. Among seven Monroe pieces copied for Mrs. Lou
Hoover in 1932, placed in what she called the "Monroe Room"
(Treaty Room). U.S. Government purchase.
932.391.1
MANTEL CLOCK, mahogany and gilded bronze, c.1815-1830, France.
Gilt dial and pendulum; four-column architectural housing.
Gift of Mrs. Beverley R. Robinson.
962.360.3
DESK SET, bronze, early 19th century, France.
Letter opener and paperweight with eagle head and wing.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick J. Stein and Family.
971.747.1-2
INKWELL, silver and glass, 20th century, by Black, Starr and
Frost.
Square glass body; chased, monogrammed, hinged silver lid.
Acquisition undocumented.
POO.D02288.1
-6-
North Wall (continued)
SIDE CHAIRS, pair, ebonized wood, c.1862, American.
From set with settee; rounded shield back; bronze plaque on
crest states they were presented by President and Mrs.
Lincoln to Mr. and Mrs. John DeWitt in 1862; gilt-lined
frame and turned front legs.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Parish, II.
962.22.2-3
Northeast Wall
MANTEL, marble, c.1951, American.
Grey; columns with white capitals and bases.
Purchased during the Truman Renovation.
P52.B02627.1
ANDIRONS, pair, brass and iron, late 19th century, American.
Gadrooned ball on spiraled shaft; square cabriole legs.
U.S. Government purchase.
960.2088.1-2
FENDER, brass, late 19th century, American.
Cross-pierced panel divided by rope molding; paw feet.
U.S. Government purchase.
960.1143.1
FIRETOOLS (shovel, tongs, brush, stand), brass,
late 19th century, American.
Canister-turned finials; circular pierced stand.
U.S. Government purchase.
960.1089.1-4
East Wall
EASY CHAIR, walnut/pine, c.1881, American.
Rolled crest and recessed arms; turned front legs.
Believed acquired for the Green Room in 1881 from Washington
retailer, W.B. Moses; used there until 1902.
U.S. Government purchase.
881.30.1
South Wall
OCCASIONAL TABLE, walnut with marble top, c.1860, American.
Victorian; scalloped top and frame; four cabriole legs.
Gift of Mrs. Emmett A. Lange.
961.172.1
-7-
South Wall (continued)
LAMP, brass and glass, c.1884, New York, designed by John
Williams.
Central shaft supported on a triangular base of three
dolphins; upper part of shaft has pierced round ornament.
Lamp was presented to Mrs. Grover Cleveland.
Gift of Mrs. T. Darrington Wadelton.
963.489.1
WATCH CASE, enameled gold, c.1865, possibly American.
Outdoors scenes of flowers and a girl with dog; associated
with the Petersen House in which Lincoln died, April 15,
1865; an 1865 gift from Mrs. Petersen to her niece, who had
only shortly recovered from an illness in the room in which
the wounded Lincoln was placed.
Gift of Mrs. Richard Bennett.
963.470.1
SOUP PLATE, porcelain, c.1880, Limoges, France,
made by Haviland & Co., designed by Theodore R. Davis.
From the commercial sets based on the designs for the Hayes
State Service; "Okra."
Gift of the Alma c. Brunner Trust.
991.1684.19
SOFA, walnut/pine, c.1881, American.
Rolled crest; large bolster arms; turned legs.
Believed acquired for the Green Room in 1881 from Washington
retailer, W.B. Moses; used there until 1902.
U.S. Government purchase.
881.35.1
CHEST OF DRAWERS, mahogany, c.1830-1850, American.
Late Empire style; tall; boldly veneered; faceted shallow
drawer below small faceted drawers flanking recessed white
marble basin slab; three graduated drawers between brackets
on scrolled feet. White House Acquisition Fund. 963.438.1
ASTRAL LAMPS, pair, gilt bronze and glass, c.1825-1830,
Philadelphia, by Louis Veron.
Empire in style with center oil font having two tiers of
glass prisms; double brackets hold vase-shaped glass globes.
Veron supplied lighting fixtures to the White House in the
Andrew Jackson administration.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 965.572.1-2
BOX, pressed glass and silverplate, 20th century, American.
Slender rectangle; diamond and diamond-star pattern.
White House Acquisition Fund.
P62.G03450.8
BOX, pressed glass and silverplate, late 19th century, American.
Round-ended rectangle; diamond and diamond-star pattern;
deep stars on bottom.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. O.V. Porter.
962.219.1
-8-
South Wall (continued)
COFFEE TABLE, mahogany, 1969, American.
French-style; oval cross-banded crotched-veneered top with
brass rail; square tapering legs with classically molded cap
and foot. White House Purchase.
P69.H01913.1
SOUP PLATE, porcelain, c.1880, Limoges, France,
made by Haviland & Co., designed by Theodore R. Davis.
From the commercial sets based on the designs for the Hayes
State Service; "The Frog."
Gift of the Alma C. Brunner Trust.
991.1684.18
West Wall
ARMCHAIRS, pair, mahogany, c.1860, American.
Rococo-revival style; flower-carved crest applied to balloon
back; padded arms; cabriole front legs with shell-carved
knees. Probably U.S. Government purchase.
960.65-66
CENTER TABLE, walnut and burl walnut, c.1880, American.
Louis XVI-revival style; rectangular with rounded ends;
large marquetry panel of agricultural implements and flowers
in top, oval marquetry reserves of musical instruments on
apron; incised lines throughout. Possibly acquired during
the Chester Arthur administration; used in the Green Room in
the late 19th century. U.S. Government purchase. 881.297.1
ANTIQUE CONTINENTAL TELEPHONE, gold-plate decoration on steel,
c.1892, Sweden, made by the Ericsson Company.
First hand-set type of telephone - mouthpiece and receiver
in single unit; in use in America, c.1894-1905; mechanically
renovated and updated, c.1963.
Gift of George Levine.
963.483.1
ASTRAL LAMP, brass and glass, c.1850, American.
Plain columnar shaft supports a frosted glass globe
decorated with flowers and leaves; faceted and notched tip
prisms hang below globe.
White House Purchase.
972.871.1
PIER MIRROR, gilded wood and glass, c.1825, probably American.
Tall, slender; large eagle on olive branch mounted on
frieze; acorns and acanthus leaves on cornice and base;
fluted-spiral engaged columns with grapevine band.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 963.476.1
-9-
CHANDELIER, cut and frosted glass, c.1860, possibly American.
Six electrified arms; diamond-pointed pendant prisms.
Gift of William Boswell.
973.1038.1
RUG, wool, 1993, New York, made by Scalamandre.
Alternating rosettes and medallions in red, green, and gold;
ingrain, flat-woven "Scotch" carpet in 36-inch strips, a
type popular in America, 1850-1875; reproduction first
created for the Smithsonian Institution's 1976 exhibition on
the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
Purchased with funds donated for the 1993 redecoration.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Office of the Curator
October 1993
THE TREATY ROOM
During the first half of the 19th century, this room was
used by the presidents as a sitting room or a private meeting
room. President Franklin Pierce (1853-1857), however, used it
as his office. During the Abraham=Lincoln administration, it
was a waiting room for appointments to the adjoining President's
Office (today's Lincoln Bedroom).
In 1866, President Andrew Johnson made the room his Cabinet
Room. It continued to be so used until 1902 under Presidents
Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, and McKinley
and for the first year under Theodore Roosevelt, retaining most
of the furnishings especially made for the room in 1869. On
August 12, 1898, this room was the site of the signing of the
Peace Protocol ending hostilities in the Spanish-American War.
In 1902, the Cabinet Room and the offices of the President
and his staff were moved into the newly constructed West Wing,
at which time this room became a private study for Presidents
Theodore Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding and Coolidge. During
the Hoover administration, it became a sitting room and was
furnished by Mrs. Hoover with objects from the Monroe era and
with reproductions of furniture that belonged to President
Monroe. It then became known as the Monroe Room.
During the Kennedy administration, this room became a
private meeting room for the President, furnished to resemble
the Cabinet Room of the late 19th century and named the Treaty
Room. On October 7, 1963, President Kennedy signed here the
ratification of the Treaty for a Partial Nuclear Test Ban, and
on September 30, 1972, President Nixon similarly signed the
ratification of the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic
Missile Systems.
In 1989, the room was converted back into a Residence office
for President Bush.
-2-
In 1993, this room, remaining a Residence office for
President Clinton, has been refurbished by Little Rock designer,
Kaki Hockersmith, incorporating furnishings associated with
the use of the room in the 19th century as the Cabinet Room.
The painted woodwork installed in the Truman Renovation has
been removed to storage and replaced with matching woodwork
in a dark-stained walnut. A pair of inlaid walnut bookcases has
been constructed for the east wall. Several chairs have been
upholstered in a dark red fabric ornamented with gold Napoleonic
laurel wreaths. This motif was also adapted for gilded gesso
wreaths applied to the center of the walnut cornices installed
above new draperies made of a red and blue fabric in a drapery-
swag pattern. The room cornice and ceiling medallion have been
repainted with details highlighted, while the walls have been
covered in a vinyl wallpaper simulating red leather. The 1869
Cabinet table has been returned as a desk along with other
historic White House furnishings and artworks (described on the
following pages counterclockwise from the hallway door).
-3-
FINE ARTS
North Wall- east
George Washington by an unknown artist
oil on canvas, c.1795. Full-length, seated outdoors
with a book.
Bequest of David Gray.
968.629.1
East Wall
View of Macao by an unknown artist
oil on canvas, c.1853. Between his two visits to Japan in
an attempt to open that country to American trade, Commodore
Matthew C. Perry and his naval squadron spent from July 1853
to January 1854 in China. This harbor scene, showing the
steam frigates U.S.S. Powhatan and U.S.S. Susquehanna, is
believed to have been painted in the fall of 1853 at the
time that Perry took up residence in Macao during the
refitting of his fleet.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 973.963.1
View of Hong Kong by an unknown artist
oil on canvas, c.1853. Perry's full squadron assembled in
Hong Kong on August 25, 1853. The three sidewheel steamers
at center of this view from Kowloon are the U.S.S. Powhatan,
U.S.S Susquehanna, and the U.S.S. Mississippi. These two
paintings were once owned by Lt. J. Hogan Brown of the
Susquehanna.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 973.963.1
Benjamin Franklin by Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (1724-1780)
oil on panel, 1777. Small standing portrait painted shortly
after Franklin arrived in Paris to help negotiate a treaty
between France and the new United States.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H.S. Schaeffer in memory of President
John F. Kennedy.
964.524.1
William McKinley and Ida Saxton McKinley
by Emily Draton Taylor (1860-1952)
watercolor on ivory, 1899. Pair of miniatures painted at
the White House; the only White House portrait of Mrs.
McKinley.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 968.630.1-2
-4-
East Wall (continued)
James Monroe (statuette) by an unknown artist
Dieppe ivory, late 19th century, France.
Probably a figure of George Washington, with hinged triptych
torso carved, however, to commemorate the life of James
Monroe; left panel - as young Virginia officer leading
charge in one of many Revolutionary War battles, promoted by
George Washington for "bravery under fire" at Trenton, 1776;
center - unidentified military meeting; right - standing
portrait with American flag, eagle, and scroll marked
"Monroe Doctrine", an extract from his annual Presidential
message, December 2, 1823, explaining the American position
against European interference in the Americas; similar
figures of Lincoln, Napoleon, Lord Nelson, and European
monarchs are known to exist.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Flock.
962.386.1
Andrew Jackson by Clark Mills (1815-1883)
white metal, 1855. This miniature version of Mills' heroic
rearing equestrian statue of Jackson, unveiled in the center
of Lafayette Square across from the White House in 1853, was
cast by the Philadelphia foundry, Cornelius & Baker, and
purchased by the government for the White House in 1859.
859.1451.1
Theodore Roosevelt by James Earle Fraser (1876-1953)
bronze, c.1910. This small bust shows Roosevelt in the
neckerchief and uniform jacket worn when he was a Rough
Rider (1st U.S. Cavalry Volunteers) in the Spanish-American
War. The sculptor is probably best known for his design of
the buffalo nickel.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Saul Lerner.
971.708.1
Horatio Nelson (bust) by an unknown artist
bronze/ oak and copper, 1905. For the centenary of the
death of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, October 21,
1805, the British Admiralty provided copper and oak from
Nelson's still extant flagship, H.M.S. VICTORY for the
making of this "memento" bust and pedestal sent to President
Theodore Roosevelt.
Gift of the British and Foreign Sailors Society. 905.1440.1
George Washington (bust) by an unknown artist
gilded bronze, c.1810.
Small uniformed bust matching ones used atop French
mantel clocks made for the American market.
Gift of an anonymous donor.
968.615.1
-5-
South Wall
Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Wilson (1721-1788)
oil on canvas, 1759. This half-length portrait,
commissioned by Franklin in London in 1758, shows a streak
of lightning at the left alluding to his electricity
experiments, a subject about which the artist had also
written. This painting was in Franklin's home in
Philadelphia when British troops were quartered there during
the Revolutionary War. Major John Andre, the infamous
conspirator with Benedict Arnold, took the portrait with him
to England, where it hung in Howick House, the home of his
commanding officer, Major-General Sir Charles Grey.
In 1906, in honor of the bicentenary of Franklin's birth,
it was given to the United States by the Governor General
of Canada, Albert Henry George, 4th Earl Grey. 906.3501.1
West Wall
Winston Churchill by Yousuf Karsh (1908-
)
black-and-white photograph. Seated half-length taken 1941.
Property of President Clinton.
Abraham Lincoln by Alexander Hesler (?-?)
black-and-white photograph, c.1956, from negative taken in
Springfield, Illinois, June 3, 1860. Pre-beard bust view.
Property of President Clinton.
George Washington (statuette) by an unknown artist
bronze, c.1830-50. Washington is depicted in military
dress holding a rolled document in his right hand.
Gift of Hugh D. Auchincloss, Jr.
961.101.1
Patrick Henry (bust) by an unknown artist
spelterware, cast by Warner, Miskey & Merrill, c.1860.
Gift of Mrs. William S. Paley.
962.213.2
The Loneliest Job in the World by George Tames (1919-
)
black-and-white photograph, 1991. President John F. Kennedy
looking out the south window of the Oval Office in 1991;
limited edition, #35 of 50, printed by noted New York Times
photographer from his original negative.
Gift of the photographer.
P93.P03606.1
-6-
West Wall (continued)
Signing of the Peace Protocol Between Spain and the United
States, August 12, 1898 by Theobald Chartran (1849-1907)
oil on canvas, 1899. Support in the United States for the
Cuban insurrection against Spanish rule, further incited by
the sinking of the battleship U.S.S. Maine in Havana harbor
(February 15, 1898), led President William McKinley to
request and Congress to enact a state of war with Spain as
of April 21. The brief hostilities, marked by dramatic
naval victories in Manila Bay in the Philippine Islands
(May 1) and off the coast of Santiago de Cuba (July 3) were
halted after the signing of a peace protocol in the Cabinet
Room of the White House on August 12. Shown signing is the
French Ambassador, Jules Cambon, who had negotiated on
behalf of the Spanish. Secretary of State William R. Day,
who signed for the United States, is seated beside him with
three American assistant secretaries and one French
secretary standing behind them. Although photographs of the
event show President McKinley at the north end of the 1869
Cabinet table (869.209.1), Chartran chose to reverse the
scene to show the window and view through the South Portico.
Although it seems that industrialist Henry Clay Frick
intended this to be a personal gift to President Theodore,
it was sent from Oyster Bay to the White House because, as
Roosevelt wrote, "the pictures of the White House [then
almost exclusively portraits] are not all that fancy".
Gift of Henry Clay Frick.
902.1537.1
North Wall - west
The Peacemakers by George Peter Alexander Healy (1813-1894)
oil on canvas, 1868. This scene depicts a meeting late
in the Civil War between President Abraham Lincoln and
(left-to-right) Major-General William T. Sherman,
Lieutenant-General Ulysses S. Grant, and Rear-Admiral David
D. Porter. On March 27 and 28, 1865, these leaders met
aboard the River Queen, the steamer which had brought the
Lincolns to Grant's headquarters on the James River during
the siege of Richmond, Virginia. They discussed the
favorable prospects for a speedy peace, which engendered
Healy's title and inclusion of an optimistic rainbow in the
cabin window. The likeness of Lincoln in this group
portrait, painted in Rome, closely resembles Healy's 1869
portrait of the president which currently hangs in the State
Dining Room. Healy is also represented in the White House
collection by six other presidential portraits.
U.S. Government purchase.
947.2558.1
-7-
FURNISHINGS
North Wall - east
STAND, walnut, late 19th century, American.
Square; neoclassical motifs include Ionic capital and
palmettes atop square tapered column; base with low feet
at canted corners.
Acquisition undocumented.
960.108.1
East Wall
BOOKCASES, pair, walnut, 1993, made by the White House Carpentry
Shop, designed by Kaki Hockersmith and Kathleen Wenskus.
Tall; pediment frieze inlaid with leaf swags between
wreathes; bellflowers and paterae on stiles. F93.H03595.1-2
VASES, pair, porcelain, early 19th century, France.
Gilt neck and foot; slender ram's-head handles; painted
scene on each side - church and "The Flight of Bianca(?)"
on .1525, lakeside house and "Maternal Care" on .1526.
Acquisition undocumented.
960.1525-1526
DESSERT STAND, from set of four, gilded silver, 1809-1813,
London, made by Paul Storr.
Grapevine-overlaid shallow woven basket atop three
caryatids; engraved with armorial device of the Order
of the Garter, the highest British order of nobility.
Bequest of Mrs. Margaret Thompson Biddle.
958.4175.4
VASE, porcelain, c.1825-1830, France.
Small, elliptical; paw feet; reserve portrait of Andrew
Jackson in uniform titled "Gen. Jackson", based on prints
after portrait by John Vanderlyn, c.1819.
White House Acquisition Fund.
979.1415.1
VASE, glass, gilded bronze, and marble, mid-19th century, France.
Scalloped-edged trumpet of partially ruby-stained glass;
ram's-head and acanthus leaf mount on marble base.
Gift of Clement E. Conger.
974.1110.1
URNS, pair, bronze and gilded bronze, early 19th century, France.
Classical form; leaf-scroll handles from ram's-head mounts;
White House Acquisition Fund.
961.139.1-2
EASY CHAIR and OTTOMAN
Property of President and Mrs. Clinton.
OCCASIONAL TABLE, mahogany, c.1969, American.
Chippendale style; piecrust top; tripod.
U.S. Government purchase.
POO.H02798.1
-8-
East Wall (continued)
FLOOR LAMP, one of pair, brass and tole, c.1965, American.
Bridge-type; painted tole shade; reeded shaft, sabre legs.
Purchased for President Lyndon B. Johnson's Oval Office.
Transferred from the General Services Administration.
P74.J00958.1
MANTEL, marble, 1902, Italy.
Bardiglio (veined) marble moldings; white marble stile
panels carved with the fasces, a Roman symbol of authority,
topped by the Liberty cap; white marble frieze with central
inscription panel - "THIS ROOM WAS FIRST USED FOR/ MEETINGS
OF THE CABINET/ DURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF/ PRESIDENT
JOHNSON. IT CONTINUED/ TO BE so USED UNTIL THE YEAR/ MCMII
HERE THE TREATY OF/ PEACE WITH SPAIN WAS SIGNED."
Purchased during the Theodore Roosevelt Renovation of the
White House in 1902; one of eight mantels supplied by
R.C. Fisher & Co., New York, N.Y.
902.1208.1
ANDIRONS, pair, brass, c.1840, American.
Tall lidded urn; broad spurred leg structure. Believed to
have been used in the White House during the Zachary Taylor
administration; descended in the Taylor family.
Gift of Admiral and Mrs. Edward J. Foy.
962.60.1-2
FENDER, brass and iron wire, c.1830-1840, American.
Three urn finials on brass rim; wire mesh in elliptical
grid; three brass gadrooned bulb feet.
White House Acquisition Fund.
962.302.1
FIRE SCREEN, iron, mid-20th century, American.
Five-fold; flat frame; square wire mesh.
U.S. Government purchase.
P00.F03400.1
FIRETOOLS (shovel, poker, tongs, brush, stand), brass,
mid-20th century, American.
Hexagonal bulb finials; paw feet on pierced stand.
U.S. Government purchase.
P00.F00708.1-5
WOOD BASKET, brass, mid-20th century, American.
Tubular pinned handle with anthemion mounts; scrolled legs.
U.S. Government purchase.
P00.F02277.1-4
OVERMANTEL MIRROR, one of a pair, gilded gesso and wood, glass,
1853, New York.
Elaborate leafy scrollwork throughout; large U.S. shield at
center of crestwork. Purchased for the Green Room during
the Franklin Pierce administration; among 18 mirror frames
supplied by L.R. Menger, New York, N.Y.
853.1047.2
-9-
East Wall (continued)
SCONCES, pair, gilded wood, early 19th century, probably England.
Two cord strands overlaid with eagle and trophy of hunting
horn and torch; two C-scrolled brass candle arms.
Purchased for President Lyndon B. Johnson's Oval Office.
Transferred from the General Services Administration.
988.1631.1-2
TOBACCO JARS, pair, earthenware, late 18th century, Holland.
Ovoid; dark blue scenes of American Indian smoking a pipe
amid baskets and bundles of tobacco leaves.
White House Acquisition Fund.
973.1047.1-2
URNS, pair, gilded bronze, c.1817, France.
Slender; classical mounts of grapevines, olive branches,
palmettes, wreathes, lotus; and female masques.
Among the French furnishings purchased by President James
Monroe in 1817, designated for the State Dining Room.
U.S. Government purchase.
817.1345-146
South Wall
ARM CHAIR, walnut and mahogany, late 19th century, English.
Cabriole front legs with shell-carved knees and pad feet.
Gift of William and Shirley Burden.
955.3394.1
CONFERENCE TABLE, walnut, c.1869, New York,
made by Pottier & Stymus Manufacturing Company.
Black leather top; eight drawers in apron;
Part of a suite commissioned for the redecoration of this
room in 1869 under President Grant (see attached pages for
detailed history).
U.S. Government purchase.
869.209.1
BOUILLOTTE LAMP, gilded bronze and tole, c.1800, France.
Eagle on wreath finial; tole shade; three scrolled
electrified candle arms; circular dish.
White House Acquisition Fund.
961.79.1
TABLE LAMP, gilded bronze and tole, 20th century.
Empire style; winged lions atop paw-footed supports.
Property of President and Mrs. Clinton.
BOOKEND, one of pair, walnut, 1941, made by H. Watson.
Seated figure of John Harvard after Daniel Chester French's
1883 bronze monument at Harvard College, Cambridge,
Massachusetts; plaque on reverse - given to President
Franklin D. Roosevelt "in commemoration of his third term".
Gift of the maker.
941.1994.1
-10-
South Wall (continued)
DESK CHAIR, leather, 1989, American.
Rolled crest of tufted back; rolled, closed arms; five-
legged swivel pedestal.
U.S. Government purchase.
P89.H003597.1
SIDE TABLE, c.1993, mahogany, American.
Slender; three drawers in apron; Marlborough legs.
U.S. Government purchase.
TELEPHONE TABLE, one of pair, mahogany, 1989, New York.
Rectangular; square tapering legs with shelf.
U.S. Government purchase.
P89.H03487.1
West Wall
TALLCASE CLOCK, mahogany, c.1750, Philadelphia,
brass weight-driven works by Emanuel Rouse.
Carved flaming-urn finials on arched hood with shell and
leaf carving; marked brass dial; bracket feet.
Gift of the National Historical Foundation. 974.1089.1
CARD TABLES, pair, mahogany, c.1820, New York,
attributed to Charles-Honore Lannuier.
Rectangular, rounded front corners; gilt stenciling;
partially-gilded winged lion's-paw feet.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 965.585.1-2
LAMP, one of pair, bronze and glass, c.1830, France.
Glass font with German burner; reeded column; three leaf-
capped paw-footed legs atop triangular base.
White House Acquisition Fund.
963.439.1
SOFA, mahogany, c.1760, probably New York.
Chippendale; triple-arched back; fret carved legs and
stretchers; period type seat pad; the oldest piece of
seat furniture in the White House collection.
Gift of the National Historical Foundation. 970.672.1
GAMING TABLE, walnut, 1993, designed by Kaki Hockersmith,
made by Trosby, Atlanta.
Removable top inlaid with Presidential Seal and
checkerboard; backgammon board sub-top; deep apron with end
drawer accessing hand-hole to raise top; cabriole legs with
carved acanthus leaf knees and ball-and-claw feet.
Property of President and Mrs. Clinton.
WING CHAIRS, pair, birch, 1930, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Reproduction in William & Mary style; tall crest; paneled
cabriole front legs with Spanish feet; H-stretcher.
Received as part of a 1930 donation of furniture for the
Oval Office following the West Wing fire of Christmas Eve
1929; moved to Residence when found to be unnecessary for
office. Gift of Grand Rapids Furniture
930 409-410
-11-
West Wall (continued)
ASTRAL LAMP, bronze, gilded bronze, and glass, c.1835, American.
Squat glass shade cut with flowers and Greek key; reeded
column on four paw-footed legs on concave-sided base.
Gift of the White House Historical Association. 976.1298.1
TREATY FACSIMILE, paper, 1962, by the Department of State.
Articles V and VI of the Peace Protocol with Spain,
August 12, 1898. From a group produced for display in the
Treaty Room as decorated by Mrs. Kennedy in 1962.
P62.P02110.1
North Wall
TABLE, mahogany and marble, c.1829, Philadelphia,
labeled by Anthony Quervelle.
Circular top with black marble inset; pedestal with scroll
brackets atop platform on paw feet. Purchased with smaller
matching tables 829.239-240 (now in Lincoln Bedroom) in 1829
under President Andrew Jackson for placement under each of
three chandeliers in the newly completed East Room.
U.S. Government purchase.
829.269.1
PRESENTATION CUP, silver, 1899, New York, made by Tiffany & Co.
Three leaf-and-berry handles above seals of the United
States, Spain, and France; pedestal of three eagles with
olive branches and stars on base; relief inscription -
"Presented by the President of the United States [William
McKinley] to his Excellency M. Jules Cambon, Ambassador of
France, in token of his friendly services in the negotiation
of the Protocol of Peace between the United States and
Spain, August 12, 1898".
White House Acquisition Fund.
972.834.1
ARMCHAIRS, pair, mahogany, 1929, New York, made by Schmidt Bros.
Hepplewhite reproductions; oval back; padded arms.
Made for 1929 redecoration of the Green Room.
U.S. Government purchase.
929.592-593
CHANDELIER, gilded metal, c.1902, American.
Spread eagle finial; used in the Red Room from 1902-1948.
U.S. Government purchase.
960.3454.1
HERIZ RUG, c.1850-1875, wool, Persia.
Gorevan-type medallion design in navy, brown, and light blue
with red corners; typical Herati stripe in primary border.
Gift of the National Historical Foundation. 971.678.1
CONFERENCE TABLE
This walnut conference table was purchased for the Cabinet
Room (then on the Second Floor of the White House) in 1869 during
the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant. It was part of
a suite of furniture made by the Pottier & Stymus Manufacturing
Company, a New York firm known for its high-quality product
uniquely designed for each commission.
It is fitted with locking drawers in which the President and
his seven Cabinet officers (State, Treasury, War, Justice, Post
Office, Navy, and Interior) could keep their papers. It is
uncertain how an eighth Cabinet member was accommodated with the
creation of the Department of Agriculture in 1889, but the table
continued in use until 1902, when a new Cabinet Room was provided
in the newly constructed West Wing.
In 1961, Mrs. Kennedy reassembled the remaining pieces from
the suite - this table, a sofa, and four chairs - in that same
Second Floor room, renamed the Treaty Room, which had served as
the Cabinet Room from 1865 to 1902. Removed to storage in 1989,
but recalled for several important treaty signings, this table
was returned to the Treaty Room in 1993 for use as a desk by
President Bill Clinton.
Among the historic documents which have been signed on
this table are the following:
1. The Peace Protocol ending hostilities of the Spanish-American
War, August 12, 1898
In attendance in the Cabinet Room were President William
McKinley, Secretary of State William Day, who signed for
the United States, and French Ambassador Jules Cambon, who
signed for Spain. The actual peace treaty, the Treaty of
Paris, was signed on December 10.
2. The Pact of Paris (Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact),
January 15, 1929
The table was moved from the Second Floor to the East Room
for President Calvin Coolidge to sign this pact after its
ratification by the Senate. The pact, signed in Paris by
15 nations on August 27, 1928 and eventually adhered to by
48 others, provided that the contracting powers would
"condemn recourse to war for the solution of international
controversies, and renounce it as an instrument of national
policy". A war of self-defense, however, was understood to
be excepted.
3. Arms Limitation Treaty with the Soviet Union, October 3, 1972
The table was moved from the Treaty Room to the East Room
for President Richard M. Nixon and Andrei A. Gromyko,
Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs, to sign this "Treaty on
Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems and Interim
Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms".
4. Peaceful Nuclear Explosion Treaty with the Soviet Union,
May 28, 1976
The table was again moved to the East Room for President
Gerald R. Ford to sign this "Treaty on Underground Nuclear
Explosion for Peaceful Purposes".
5. Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, March 26, 1979
The table was moved to the North Lawn in front of the North
Portico for the signing by President Anwar Sadat of Egypt
and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel, with President
Jimmy Carter witnessing, of the "Treaty of Peace Between the
Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel".
6. Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty with the Soviet Union,
December 8, 1987
The table was moved to the East Room for President Ronald W.
Reagan and Mikhail S. Gorbachev, General Secretary of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet
Union, to sign this "Treaty. on the Elimination of Their
Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles".
7. Agreements and Protocols with the Soviet Union, June 1, 1990
The table was placed in the East Room for President George
Bush and Mikhail S. Gorbachev, President of the Soviet
Union, to sign an "Agreement on Destruction and Non-
Production of Chemical Weapons" and a "Protocol to the
Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapon
Tests", among other documents. The table was also used for
a news conference held by the two presidents in the East
Room on June 3.
8. Treaties and Agreements with several of the former Soviet
Republics, 1992
The table was placed in the East Room for President George
Bush for signing ceremonies with the Ukraine (May 6),
Kazakhstan (May. 19), Russia (June 17).
9. The Israel-Palestinian Agreement, September 13, 1993
The table was placed on the South Lawn for signing
ceremonies hosted by President Bill Clinton in the presence
of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Chairman Yasser Arafat.
The signing by Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO
Executive Council Member Mahmoud Abbas was witnessed by
Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Russian Foreign
Minister Andrei Kozyrev. The audience included former
Presidents Jimmy Carter and George Bush.
WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
EISENHOWER
"Ike and Mamie at home", by A.F. Tully
Colliers 131:15-17 June 20, 1953
"Thrifty household"
Time 65:22 June 6, 1955
"Closed for repairs"
Time 66:14 Aug. 29, 1955
"White House is bursting at the seams"
U.S. News 42:50-5 March 8, 1957
"Place for presidents to work, cost: 32 millions"
U.S. News 42:68+ June 14, 1957
"White House, as it grows and spreads"
Newsweek 49:39 June 17, 1957
"Rare picture visit: the First Lady at home"
Life 45:60-5 Oct. 20, 1958
"Oval room: Eisenhoweriana", by B. Furman
New York Times Magazine p. 26-7 Nov. 30, 1958
"Inside the White House", by L. Aikman
National Geographic Magazine 119:1-43 Jan. 1961
WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
KENNEDY
"Personal touch"
Newsweek 57:17-18 Feb. 6, 1961
"First Lady brings history and beauty to the White House", by H.
Sidey
Life 51:54-65 Sept. 1, 1961
"Those White House antiques"
U.S. News 51:94-5 Sept. 11, 1961
"New look in the White House", by J. Peter
Look 26:22-9 Jan. 2, 1962
"Mrs. Kennedy's White House", by N.B. Brown
New York Times Magazine p. 10-11 Jan. 28, 1962
"That tv tour"
Newsweek 59:23-4 Feb. 26, 1962
"First lady and the White House"
Newsweek 60:71-8 Sept. 17, 1962
"Changing hues at White House"
U.S. News 54:16 Feb. 4, 1963
"2600 books get White House O.K."
U.S. News 55:8 Aug. 26, 1963
"Toward the ideal; White House project"
Time 82:60-7 Sept. 6, 1963
"Mrs. Kennedy's library", by M.E. Cooley
Library Journal 88:3560 Oct. 1, 1963
"How Jackie restyled the White House; paintings, antiques and
historic objects"
Saturday Evening Post 236:42-51 Oct. 26, 1963
See also attached page from Readers' Guide to Periodical
Literature
March 1961- February 1963
2070
READERS' GUIDE TO
PERIOI
WHITE, William L.
New use for the treaty room; photographs. G.
WHITE House confi
Little toy dog: condensation. Read Digest
Tames. N Y Times Mag p67 N 25 62
nomic issues--Con
81:106-11+ JI '62
New White House. 11 U S News 52:72-4 Ja 29
Council picks up the
My 19 '62
WHITE. William S.
'62
Farewell and hall: with editorial comment.
1961 presentation to the home library of the
Nobody convinced I
Mv 26 '62
por Harper 225:84-5 JI '62
White House: American booksellers asso-
Parley to hear Kenr
Public & personal. See issues of Harper's
ciation's quadrennial presentation: with edi-
My 5 62
magazine
torial comment. il Pub W 181:40-6. 57 F 5
Roundtable discussic
WHITE alder. See Alder
'62
Opera at the White House. il Opera N 26:
nomic conference;
WHITE ants. See Termites
14-15 Mr 10 '62
85:762-6 JI '62
WHITE birch. See Birch
Paintings in the White House L. A. Cater.
Two-way swap of 1
F 17 '62
= House & Gard 122:121-2 JI '62
WHITE blood cells. See Blood
What happened wh
Parkinsonian culture. Nat R 12:157 Mr 13
WHITE citizens councils
businessmen: exce
'62
Citadel of the Citizens council, H. Carter.
Perfect little dinners from the White
21. 1962: with ed
3d. 11 N Y Times Mag p23+ N 12 '61
House. E. Ward-Hanna. il Ladies Home J
Kennedy. U S N
How to set up a White citizens' council. F.
'62
79:82-34 N '62
Powledge. New Repub 146:13 Je 11 '62
When government. b
Picket lines at the White House: photographs.
Mississippi: deluded and still deflant. H.
11 U S News 52:36-7
N Y Times Mag D75 o 14 '62
Carter. 3d. il Nation 195:214-16 o 13 '62
WHITE House entert
President's house. 11 House & Gard 122:64-9
Muzzling desegregationists. America 106:266
entertaining
JI '62
N 25 '61
WHITE House helic
President's house. 11 Newsweek 60:51 J1 9
They re wonderful: sending indigent Negro
Government
'62
families North. Commonweal 76:141 My 4
WHITE House histori
Reception at the White House: photographs.
62
President's house. 1
NY Times Mag D 12-15 Mv 13 62
62
WHITE collar workers. See Office workers
RSVP the White House. M. Higgins and P.
Lisagor. McCalls 89:110-11+ Ag '62
WHITE House photogi
WHITE House
Journalistic
American empire furniture in the White
Shakespeare at the White House. 11 U S News
WHITE House staff.
House: with editorial comment. L. W.
51:80-1 o 16 '61
ployees: Public offic
Pearce. 11 Antiques 81:503. 515-19 My '62
Simply everywhere: tv tour. Il Time 79:24-5
WHITE lion: story. See
Americana for the White House. 11 N Y Times
F 23 '62
Mag p24-5 o 8 61
Stratford-on-Potomac. 11 Newsweek 58:27-8
WHITE men In Africa.
16 '61
lems
Antiquarians' delight. 11 Time 78:19 J1 14 '61
Style for the White House. M. Grosser. Na-
WHITE MOUNTAINS.
Antiques. A. Winchester. il Antiques 81:84-5
'62
tion 194:336-7 AD 14 62
Arizona's White Mot
Ja
At the White House: the top chef is French
That tv tour. Il Newsweek 59:23-4 F 26 '62
Il Travel 118:29-32 J
now, Il U S News 50:23 AD 17 '61
Those White House antiques. 11 U S News
WHITE MOUNTAINS.
Billy the Kid at the White House: with
51:94-5 S 11 61
Friendly huts of the
photographs. L. Joel. Dance Mag 36:42-5 JI
Time out: week's activities. Il Time 80:19
O. Douglas. il Nat
N 30 '62
'61
62
Christmas with the Kennedys. Il Redbook
Unhousebroken: dinner guests. 11 Time 81:17
WHITE noise generator
120:54-5+
D
62
F1 '63
WHITE owls. See Owls
Cognoscenti come to call: with account by
Ways a new president is changing the White
J. Delay. 11 Life 52:32-41 Mv 11 '62
House. Il U S News 50:35-7 F 20 '61
WHITE pines. See Pine
Culture makes a hit at the White House.
White House. New Yorker 37:17-19 JI 8 '61
WHITE Russians
White House library, refurbished. is reopened.
Grass-roots reports:
A. Gelb and B. Gelb. il N Y Times Mag
Pub W 182:171 JI 2 61
refugees expelled frc
D9+ Ja 28 62
White House nerve center. I. Ross. Read
49 0 22 '62
Dinner with the Kennedy's. B. Smith. jr.
Il Sat Eve Post 235:54-7 Je 16 62
Digest 81:165-8 JI '62
WHITE salmon fishing.
Elegant antiques circa 1800-25. F. Byerly.
White House: the most remodeled house in
WHITE SANDS missil
il Bet Hom & Gard 39:47-55 Ag '61
the world. R. J. Lewis. Il House B 103:116-
grounds
Fine federal furniture at the White House.
19+
Je
'61
WHITE SANDS NAT
L. W. Pearce. Il Antiques 82:273-7 S 62
Writ by hand. H. Cheshire. 11 N Y Times Mag
New Mexico
First lady and the White House. Il News-
D 109-10 o 15 '61
Crystal dunes. T. Kei
week 60:71-8 S 17 '62; Reply. J. W. Fos-
Your society's president reports a year of
17+ AD 62
burgh. 60:8- o 8 '62
widening horizons, M. B. Grosvenor. Il
WHITE tailed deer hur
First lady brings history and beauty to the
Nat Geog Mag 122:888-906 D '62
WHITE whales
И hite House: with account by H. Sidey.
Improbable hunt for
il Life 51:54-65 S 1 61
Anecdotes, facetiae. satire, etc.
Life 53:57-8 S 21 '62
First lady to the First lady. P. Lisagor.
My ninety-nine years backstage at the out-
School for whales:
McCalls 88:96-7+ Je 61
house. C. Schaeffer. Esquire 57:114 Ap '62
photographs by S.
Flowers for the White House. K. T. Kin-
WHITE House conference on aging
Mag p70 o 28 '62
kead. II McCalls 88:74-5+ Mr '61
More about the conference on aging. Con-
Three whales that flev
For a White House museum. Il Newsweek
sumer Rep 26:429-30 J1 '61
Mag 121:346-59 Mr '€
58:29 JI 17 '61
Forward to 1802. Life 50:41 Mr 3 '61
New frontier in human development. il Wil-
WHITE wines. See Wini
son Lib Bul 35:490 Mr '61
WHITE Winrock hot
Glamour era In the White House: photo re-
Official recommendations. Recreation 54:64-5
N.Mex.-Hotels, rest:
port. U S News 52:68-71 My 14 '62
F
'61
Glimpse at life in today's White House. 11
WHITEBOOK. Jeannette
Our senior citizens: statement. Recreation 55:
U S News 50:63-6 Ap 3 '61
Some Philadelphia mi
Home notes: changes. 11 Time 80:16-17 D 7
230 My '62
390-4 O '62
Pan for senior citizens. F. Davis. Nat R
62
How I selected westerns, bought socks &
10:44 Ja 28 '61
WHITECOTTON. Howar
prepared paintings for President Eisen-
Recreation is a basic need: official state-
Flip-over chess set. I
ment of policy. Recreation 54:63 F '61
'62
hower: ed. by G. Goodman. R. Seide.
WHITEFISH
Esquire 57:47-9 Mr '62
Report on the White House conference on
How Kennedy works: exclusive story of the
aging. W. E. Stone. 11 Library J 86:940-3
Mysterious whitefish. A
& S 65:80-6 Ap '61
President in action. il U S News 50:40-9 Mr
Mr 1 '61
6 '61
Seniors and society. 11 Recreation 54:230-1
WHITEFISH fishing
Jackie, Igor & Pierre. 11 Time 79:17-18 Ja
Mysterious whiteflsh. A
My '61
26 '62
& S 65:80-6 Ap 61
Jacqueline touch, 11 Time 77:78 AD 14 '61
White House conference on aging. Consumer
WHITEFORD. Robert
John F. Kennedy: portrait of a president.
Rep 26:218 Ap 61
We put our water-wor
W. Manchester. il Holiday 31:76-9+ Ap:
White House conference on aging. H. S.
one basket. Am City
66-7+ My '62
Smith. il ALA Bul 55:247-51 Mr '61
WHITEHEAD. Alfred N
J.F.K. touch in office decor: photographs.
WHITE House conference on conservation
Homage to a modern
'62 N. B. Brown. N Y Times Mag p38-9 Ap 8
Space for recreation near nation's big cities.
Schilpp. Christian Ce
Sci N L 81:376 Je 16 '62
Philosopher's philosophe
Kennedy look in the arts. D. Cater. 11 Hori-
zon 4:4-17 S 61
White House conference. J. B. Craig. 11 Am
John. Commonweal 71
Lannuier in the President's House. L. W.
For 68:6-8+ J1 '62
WHITEHEAD. Sir Edgar
Pearce. II Antiques 81:94-6 Ja '62
WHITE House conference on narcotic and drug
More stonings, more la
Library at the White House. R. Davidson.
'62
= Antiques 83:112 Ja '63
Addiction: abuse beginnings of wisdom. A. R.
WHITEHORN. Katharine
Memories: Grover Cleveland's children. New
Lindesmith. Nation 196:49-52 Ja 19 '63
Savvy shopping. Mile
Yorker 37:26-7 Ja 27 '62
Start on narcotics. America 107:915-16 o 20
WHITELOCKE. John
Mrs Kennedy's White House: photographs.
'62
Whitelocke's folly. S. S
N. B. Brown. N Y Times Mag D 10-11 Ja
28 '62
White House conference spotlights drug
13:30-1 Mr '61
Much jazzier town. Il Time 79:26-7 Ap 20
abuse. Sel N L 82:225 o 6 '62
WHITENACK, Carolyn Ir
'62
WHITE House conference on national economic
Using the newer media
ALA Bul 55:132-7 F
New frontier in art? K. Kuh. Sat R 44:32+
D 23 '61
Business issues speaks up on profits and jobs: text
WHITESBURG. Ky.
of The relationship between profits and
Story of Whitesburg. K
New look in the White House. J. Peter. Il
jobs. C. R. Sligh, jr. U S News 53:88-92 Ag
58 D 3 '62
Look 26:22-9 Ja 2 '62
20 '62; Reply. G. Meany. 53:86-8 Ag 27 '62
WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
JOHNSON
"Getting over the tourist feeling"
Time 82:15 Dec. 27, 1963
"For First lady: a big job at the White House"
U.S. News 56:6 Jan. 6, 1964
"Johnsons in the White House"
Look 28:15-21 March 10, 1964
"White House garden: LBJ loves it"
U.S. News 56:10 May 11, 1964
"With Lady Bird in the White House"
U.S. News 58:33 Feb. 1, 1965
"White House: no fit place to live?"
U.S. News 58:48-52 May 24, 1965
"New White House garden dedicated"
Flower Grower 52:38-9 Aug. 1965
"Paintings in the President's house", by F. Getlein
New Republic 153:34-6 Oct. 16, 1965
"Mrs. Johnson talks about her love for the White House", by R.F.
Pomeroy
Redbook 127:72-8+ June 1966
"Place where people really live", by S. Lanahan
House and Garden 130:202+ Oct. 1966
"Vignettes of change around the mansion", by H. Sidey
Life 63:26B Sept. 1, 1967
"Mrs. Johnson's private White House world", by H. Sidey
Life 63:42 Sept. 15, 1967
WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
NIXON
"Making the house a home"
Time 93:13 Jan. 31, 1969
"House and home"
Newsweek 73:22-3 Feb. 3, 1969
"Not all that square: paintings in the private rooms"
Time 93:66 June 20, 1969
"More colors, fewer phones in Nixons' decor at White House"
U.S. News 67:14 Oct. 6, 1969
"Through his offices in search of the man"
Life 67:4 Oct. 17, 1969
"White House home library"
Publishers Weekly 197:47-52 March 2, 1970
"Nixon touch in the White House"
U.S. News 69:24-6 Dec. 28, 1970
"Grand acquisitor: curator", by C. E. Conger
Newsweek 77:26+ March 1, 1971
"Change in decor; White House, Pat Nixon style"
U.S. News 72:43 May 29, 1972
"How Nixons have changed the White House"
U.S. News 73:54-6 Oct. 2, 1972
"White House; the President's office and the newly redecorated
state rooms"
House and Garden 143:40-7 Feb. 1973
WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
FORD
"Betty Ford's folksy White House"
U.S. News 77:12-14 Dec. 30, 1974
"Betty and Jerry are at home"
Time 104:9 Dec. 20, 1974
"Subtle changes in the Oval Office", by H. Sidey
Time 105:16 Jan, 13, 1975
"Keeping house at the White House"
U.S. News 78:39-41 June 2, 1975
"How the White House collection grows", by C. Conger
Art News 75:102-6 March 1976
WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
CARTER
"Private life in the White House--behind the scenes with the
Carters"
U.S. News 82:30-2 Feb. 28, 1977
"Change comes to the White House"; interview, R. Carter
U.S. News 82:31-3 March 21, 1977
"Carter's favorites; art selection for the First Family's private
quarters"
New York Times Magazine p. 16-18 Jan. 29, 1978
"Carter imprint on White House art"
U.S. News 86:65-6 March 26, 1979
WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
REAGAN
"Now, a First Decorator", by E.G. Carter
Time 116:44 Dec. 29, 1980
"Upstairs at the White House", by L. Langway
Newsweek 97:61+ Jan. 5, 1981
"At White House, now it's the Nancy touch", by P.A. Avery
U.S. News 90:24-5 Jan. 26, 1981
"By prospectus only"
Harpers 262:56 June 1981
"Nancy's new china policy"
Newsweek 98:42 Oct. 12, 1981
"Private White House"
Newsweek 98:35 Nov. 30, 1981
"That $822,640 fix-up at the White House"
U.S. News 91:16 Nov. 30, 1981
"The Reagans are pleased that this particular Ted..." [Ted
Graber], by N. Faber
People 17:83-4 March 1, 1982
"The $50 million face-lift", by H. Sidey
Time 132:24 Dec. 5, 1988
WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
BUSH
"Making a home in the White House", by G. Hackett
Newsweek 113:32-3 Jan. 16, 1989
"When it comes to White House work, decorator Mark Hampton "
People 33:117-18+ May 14, 1990
X
MRS. YELTSIN ACCEPTS GIFT FROM MRS. CLINTON FOR THE CHILDREN OF
RUSSIA -- Mrs. Naina Yeltsin (left) accepts a donation of nutritional formula made
on behalf of First Lady, Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton for Russian children born with
Phenylketonuria (PKU) an inherited disease which, untreated, leads to damage of
the central nervous system and retardation. A ceremony held in Moscow earlier this
week included Thomas R. Pickering (seated), U.S. Ambassador to Russia and
Jeffrey Lack (second from right), Vice President, CIS, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Company, whose Mead-Johnson Nutritionals unit manufactures the special formula.
Bristol-Myers Squibb donated the products, which are valued at $350,000.
DRAFT
WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES RESTORATIONS
As have most of their predecessors in the White House,
President and Mrs. Clinton have undertaken several interior
refurbishings and restorations to ensure the upkeep of the
Executive Mansion as a living museum that has been the home and
office of every President since John Adams. [No public funds
were spent on the work.]
The recently completed work is part of the routine
maintenance and restoration of the White House and concludes the
intitial phase of a broader restoration project to include
additional repairs and maintenance. According to White House
Curator Rex Scouten, significant restorations are necessary about
every 10 years due to the heavy volume of tourists and guests who
visit the White House each week.
In addition to the routine maintenance and restoration, some
changes reflect the lifestyle of the occupant family, such as
converting the butler's pantry into an everyday kitchen for
family meals, the President's work habits (installing bookcases
in the Treaty Room), and the taste and character of the
President's principal work place, the Oval Office, which now has
new drapes and carpet.
The restoration featured the re-upholstering or recovering
of 129 pieces of furniture and furnishings, the conservation of
XXX pieces of furniture already in the White House collection and
XXX of historic pieces of furniture were brought out of storage
and displayed throughout the house. Two floors were repaired and
re-covered. Twenty-eight windows received new curtains.
Nineteen carpets and underlays worn and needing attention were
replaced. Eleven chandaliers were conserved.
The President and Mrs. Clinton are already involved in
making needed refurbishments in the East Room and the Blue Room.
They recently appointed several new members to the Committee to
Preserve the White House, including Lenore Annenberg, an activist
and patron of the arts, Conchelsa Holman, curator of the Studio
Museum of Harlem, and [the southern guy.] The Committee will
hold its first meeting in November 1994. (A complete list of the
new members of the Committee to Preserve the White House is
attached.) In addition, Dick Moe
The recent improvements, totalling approximately $396,429,
were financed by private donations of money to the White House
Historical Association, including a donation from surplus funds
of the Presidential Inaugural Committee as well as donations of
goods and services to the National Park Service. (The Inaugural
Committee also contributed funds to the Vice President's
Residence Foundation.) The Clintons chose not to use the $50,000
appropriated by Congress for White House restorations.
Among the donations to the National Park Service was $74,470
contributed by the Clinton/Gore Transition Foundation in payments
to Kaki Hockersmith of Little Rock, Arkansas, for her services as
the design consultant for the White House restoration project.
(The Transition Foundation is privately funded.) Ms. Hockersmith
devoted a significant amount of personal time to the project,
essentially closing her small business and dedicating nearly an
entire year to the White House refurbishement. (Lists of those
who contributed to the White House Historical Association and the
National Park Service are attached.)
Included in the restoration were portions of the family
quarters and rooms widely used for private work, meetings,
official functions, and entertaining -- the Oval Office, Treaty
Room, West Sitting Room, and Lincoln Sitting Room. The most
extensive changes were made to enhance the special character of
the Oval Office and the Treaty Room -- the President's two
offices -- and to expand their use as public and private work
areas.
o New gold draperies were installed in the Oval Office
after President Clinton's inauguration in January.
Further improvements included restyling and recovering
the office's two sofas, reupholstering two high-back
armchairs, recovering several cane-back armchairs, and
installing a new oval carpet with 13 colors that was
woven specially for the room. The carpet, with its
deep blue field, features the Presidential Seal
encircled by fifty white stars and framed by a gilt
double rope.
Over the years, the Treaty Room, now a Presidential office
located in the residence, has served as a Cabinet Room, sitting
room, Presidential reception room, and private study. It has
also been the site of important treaty signings, such as the
Peace Protocol marking the end of the Spanish-American War in
1898 and the Treaty for a Partial Nuclear Test Ban signed by
President Kennedy. Aware of the room's rich past, President
Clinton was committed to restoring its 19th century character
while also maintaining it as a working office and meeting area
for visiting dignitaries. The table in the Treaty Room, now
serving as the President's desk, was used this fall by the
signators of the Israeli-Palestinian Agreement.
o The refurbishing of the Treaty Room was accomplished
with the addition of stained walnut woodwork, inlaid
walnut bookcases, new wallpaper, new upholstery and
draperies, and a repainted ceiling medallion.
In the family quarters of the residence, most of the
restoration consisted of necessary maintenance, repainting,
carpeting, and upholstering.
2
O A butler's pantry was converted into an everyday
kitchen now used for family meals. A large wood island
was removed and replaced with an expandable breakfast
table and chairs.
o The carpet on the second floor, worn from constant
use, was replaced and moved to the third floor hallway.
o The third-floor solarium, where the First Family
entertains and convenes meetings, received new drapes,
upholstery and wallpaper. Similar improvements were
made to the second floor master bedroom and family
room.
In late November 1992, Ms. Hockersmith, president of Kaki
Hockersmith Interiors, began working with the White House curator
and usher's offices to review the condition of the residence and
offices used by the President to determine a priority list for
refurbishments. She oversaw the gathering and placement of
historic objects to be displayed throughout the residence and
offices of the White House -- a priority for the Clintons.
Storage facilities inside the White House and the main
storage warehouse in Maryland were surveyed for paintings,
furniture that could be used after refurbishment, and other
suitable furnishings. To minimize costs, nearly all of the
furniture used for the restoration came from Executive Residence
storage.
Most of the draperies and upholstering were done by Nelson
Beck, a Washington, D.C. firm recommended by the White House
curator and usher's offices and widely acclaimed for its quality
workmanship and attention to historical detail. Kaki Hockersmith
donated draperies of her design which now hang in the Lincoln
Sitting Room.
Nelson Beck has assisted in a number of earlier projects at
the White House, including upholstering the walls of the Green
Room, upholstering the Bellange chairs in the Blue Room, and
providing slipcovers and upholstery for the Bushes and the
Reagans.
Other work done by Nelson Beck includes drapery treatments
and upholstery for the Vice President's house during Nelson
Rockefeller's term, the draperies and window treatments in the
restored period offices at the Treasury Department, as well as
work for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the
National Portrait Gallery, the Renwick Gallery, the Museum of
Modern Art, the Corcoran Gallery, the DAR Museum and the U.S.
Capitol.
3
"We are grateful to the many Americans whose generous
contributions have helped preserve the White House as a proud
piece of American history and an ongoing national treasure," the
President and Mrs. Clinton said.
###
Attachments (3)
4
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS
Kaki Hockersmith
Q: What was Kaki Hockersmith's rate or the basis on which she was
paid?
A: She was paid by the hour at an hourly wage of $100. She
donated nearly 690 hours to the project. She also donated the
draperies that were hung in the Lincoln Sitting Room.
Q: Is $100 her usual rate in Little Rock?
A: I don't know what she charges in Little Rock but this is an
appropriate and reasonable rate for the Washington, DC area. (We
checked around with DC decorators).
Q: I have checked with her store in Little Rock and I'm told
their regular rate is $40-$50 an hour. Why was she paid more
than her going rate?
A: Because the White House is a museum and an historic building.
Q: Have other decorators been paid in the past? If so, how much?
A: I really don't know. There are no records of other decorators
having been paid by the hour. However it is possible that other
designers may have chosen to receive the standard commission for
purchasing fabric and other items. Kaki did not receive any
commissions.
Q: How was Kaki paid?
A: By the Transition Foundation.
Q: Why did the Transition rather than the WHHA pay Ms.
Hockersmith?
A: When she began her work in November 1992, the Transition
Foundation felt the renovations of the White House were an
appropriate part of its mission
and there was no thought
given to starting to raise money for the WHHA.
Specific Costs
Q: What was the total cost of the Oval Office renovation? What
is the breakdown of costs for each room renovated? What exactly
was done in each room that was renovated?
A: There are both donated items and costed items in each room.
Because we do not know what the cost of each donated items is, we
decided not to do estimates for each room because it would be
impossible to come up with accurate estimates.
Q: What is the cost of each room minus the donated items?
A: Traditionally, a room by room breakdown has not been done in
the past, and since the restoration was funded by private money,
we don't see the need to do such a breakdown.
Q: How can the $396,429 be an accurate figure if you cannot
account for the price of the donated items?
A: The $396,429 is an accurate account of the bills received and
what we paid.
Q: Does this figure include labor done by the National Park
Service?
A: No. Labor provided by the National Park Service, costing
$28,087, has been reimbursed.
Q: I'm still confused as to why you cannot tell us the costs of
specific items, particularly the cost of the rug in the Oval
Office which is referenced in some detail?
A: We don't know the value of the rug or the other donated items.
The donations are made directly to the National Park Service.
The Park Service does not ask the value; it only acknowledges the
receipts.
Q: Who decides the value of the deduction of the donation?
A: That's a matter between the donor and the IRS.
Vince Foster
Q: There is a reference in Vince Foster's note to the Usher's
Office not dealing fairly with Ms. Hockersmith and Mrs.
Clinton
Do you have any further information as to what this is
all about?
A: No. (You may recall that on August 10, 1993, Deputy Attorney
General Phil Heyman said that the preliminary inquiry into this
matter showed that there was nothing there.)
Q: My understanding is that the inquiry at that time was not
complete. Do you know if it has been completed?
A: We understand that the Public Integrity Section is wrapping up
its investigation on this matter but we don't have any
information about exactly when it will be completed. You should
contact the Justice Department.
Presidential Inaugural Committee
Q: How much money did the PIC give to the WHHA?
A: PIC made a contribution to the WHHA of $300,000. The same
amount was given to the Vice President's Residence Foundation.
Q: Why did you not request the full amount of the cost of the
restoration from the PIC?
A: At the time the request was made to the PIC, what we requested
was based on a very early estimate. Our intention wa always to
work with the WHHA to raise additional funds.
Q: When did the PIC give the money to the WHHA?
A: Early spring 1993.
Q: Isn't it a little strange that the PIC made these
contributions to the White House and the Vice President's House
when it hasn't paid all of its bills?
A: It is my understanding that PIC has paid all of its bills.
Q: How about GSA?
A: I believe that bill has been paid.
Q: Will PIC be making additional contributions to the White
House or the Vice President's House?
A: I don't know.
Q: How much money does the PIC have? Will it be issuing a report
of its income and expense?
A: I'll have to refer you to Deborah Ashford at the PIC.
Q: Who runs PIC and who is on the board?
A: I'll have to refer you to Deborah Ashford at the PIC.
Contributors to the WHHA and the National Park Service
Q: Are there other large contributors to the restoration other
than the PIC?
A: The lists of contributors to the WHHA and the National Park
Service are attached.
Q: Have you put any limitations on contributions for this
project?
A: No.
Q: Are you accepting contributions from corporations and labor
unions?
A: Yes. In our fundraising for the WHHA, we are not adopting a
policy of excluding any gift but everything will be disclosed.
Q: The list of contributors to the National Park Service does not
show what they contributed nor the value of the contributions.
What are the values?
A: Beyond the fee that was paid to Ms. Hockersmith, we do not
know the value of the specific items that were contributed. The
Park Service acknowledges such contributions but does not set a
value on them.
Q: Who is raising the money that is being contributed to the
WHHA?
A: A variety of people have assisted in fundraising.
Q: Will you give us the names of the people who did the
fundraising?
A: We have no plans to do this, This is private fundraising and
a lot of it is done by word of mouth.
Q: Are contributions to the WHHA and the Park Service deductible
for income tax purposes?
A: My understanding is that the contributions are deductible.
Q: If that is the case, when a person who contributes as specific
item, say a rug, he must put some value on it in order to claim a
deduction, is that correct?
Q: I assume that is correct.
A: How will he or she establish that value?
Q: I believe the IRS has rules about what you have to do to place
a value on a donated item but I am not familiar with the rules.
Federal Procurement Procedures
Q: Should the renovation work have been subject to federal
procurement laws requiring competitive bidding?
A: No. The renovations of the Executive Residence involve
purchases by a private entity, so any procurement laws or
competitive bidding requirements do not apply.
Q: But wasn't this a White House project?
A: While the First Family determines what renovations are
desirable, it is the White House Historical Association that
determines independently whether or not its funds will pay for
the improvements. The WHHA is never under an obligation to fund
any particular renovation work unless it independently approves
this payment.
Q: Should competitive bidding requirements apply to work in the
White House?
A: We are aware of no competitive bidding that has ever been used
in connection with the White House renovation work. The
competitive bidding requirements simply do not apply to work
funded by private organizations such as the WHHA. Moreover, we
are aware of no instance where such a requirement was applied
when Congressionally appropriated funds were used to support
renovation work.
Q: Would the competitive bidding rules apply of you were to use
Congressionally appropriated funds to help pay for the
renovations?
A: No. As I have said, were are also aware of no prior instance
where the procurement laws were so applied. In any event, this
question really has no bearing here since no public funds are
being used to pay for the renovations.