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MR. BOURGHOLTZER: This piano over here, Mr. President
PRESUDENT: It's a wonderful Steinway piano. It's a beautiful piano and has
one of the most wonderful tones of any piano J. have ever heard.
MR. You have a piano, I guess, in your study, but do you ever
play the pianos in the public rooms, Mr. President?
PRESIDENT: Hardly ever.
MR. BOURGHOLTZER: I wondered if this - you would mind if T just hit a note of
this piano so people can tell what a Vihite House piano sounds like.
PRESIDENT: IIII show them what it sounds like. (President plays) and so forth.
MR. BOURGHOLTZER: Thank you very much, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT: Now we have another piano up here that's a good one - that was
presented to the new White House by an American piano company, the Baldwin
people.
MR. BOURGHOLTZER: Um hum.
PRESIDENT: That's a. lovely piano too, in a mahogany case with silver trimmings,
it has the seal on the outside, and it al.so has a beautiful tone. (President
plays again).
MR. BOURGHOLTZER: I think that was very fair to play both pianos, Mr. President.
That's a beartiful piano -- both of them are. Some time or other,
I'm hoping to have a reception and have a two piano concert here by a couple of
those world famous pianists.
MR. BOURGHOLTZER: Do you think you can do that while you're still in the Whi.te
House, Mr. President? That's something to look forward to.
PRESUDENT: I can't do it any other time, I'll have to do it before I move out.
MR. BOURGHOLI%ER: Mr. President, another thing that I've heard about the East
Room, and T. think that you are the source of the story, that Abigail Adams hung
her wash in here before it was finished.
PRESIDENT: That's correct. If you read the life of Mrs. John Adams, Abigail
Adams, it states there that the floor was not in the East Room when the Adams
moved in. They moved in in 1798 -- the house was started in 1792, it wasn't
finished by 1798. It was almost as slow a job. as the one we just finished.
MR. BOURGHOLT%ER: And so there was nothing to do with the room but use it as a
laundry drying room, I suppose.
PRESIDENT: Well, that's what she used it for, but they finally finished it and
it's always been the State Baliroom and the place for receiving the people who
are here for Diplomatic Receptions and things of that sort.
MR. BOURGHOLTZER: Haven't there also, Mr. President, been some famous weddings
in the East Room?
PRESIDEMT: Yes, one of the Wilson girls was married here, Alice Roosevelt was
married in this room and there was amother one of the White House daughters that
was married here, who, my recollection is bad, but it's also been used for funerals.
President Roosevelt lay in state here and President Harding, and nearly al the
Presidents who died in office lay in state here in this room.
Preservation Copy
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"ocrText": "- 17 -\nMR. BOURGHOLTZER: This piano over here, Mr. President\nPRESUDENT: It's a wonderful Steinway piano. It's a beautiful piano and has\none of the most wonderful tones of any piano J. have ever heard.\nMR. You have a piano, I guess, in your study, but do you ever\nplay the pianos in the public rooms, Mr. President?\nPRESIDENT: Hardly ever.\nMR. BOURGHOLTZER: I wondered if this - you would mind if T just hit a note of\nthis piano so people can tell what a Vihite House piano sounds like.\nPRESIDENT: IIII show them what it sounds like. (President plays) and so forth.\nMR. BOURGHOLTZER: Thank you very much, Mr. President.\nPRESIDENT: Now we have another piano up here that's a good one - that was\npresented to the new White House by an American piano company, the Baldwin\npeople.\nMR. BOURGHOLTZER: Um hum.\nPRESIDENT: That's a. lovely piano too, in a mahogany case with silver trimmings,\nit has the seal on the outside, and it al.so has a beautiful tone. (President\nplays again).\nMR. BOURGHOLTZER: I think that was very fair to play both pianos, Mr. President.\nThat's a beartiful piano -- both of them are. Some time or other,\nI'm hoping to have a reception and have a two piano concert here by a couple of\nthose world famous pianists.\nMR. BOURGHOLTZER: Do you think you can do that while you're still in the Whi.te\nHouse, Mr. President? That's something to look forward to.\nPRESUDENT: I can't do it any other time, I'll have to do it before I move out.\nMR. BOURGHOLI%ER: Mr. President, another thing that I've heard about the East\nRoom, and T. think that you are the source of the story, that Abigail Adams hung\nher wash in here before it was finished.\nPRESIDENT: That's correct. If you read the life of Mrs. John Adams, Abigail\nAdams, it states there that the floor was not in the East Room when the Adams\nmoved in. They moved in in 1798 -- the house was started in 1792, it wasn't\nfinished by 1798. It was almost as slow a job. as the one we just finished.\nMR. BOURGHOLT%ER: And so there was nothing to do with the room but use it as a\nlaundry drying room, I suppose.\nPRESIDENT: Well, that's what she used it for, but they finally finished it and\nit's always been the State Baliroom and the place for receiving the people who\nare here for Diplomatic Receptions and things of that sort.\nMR. BOURGHOLTZER: Haven't there also, Mr. President, been some famous weddings\nin the East Room?\nPRESIDEMT: Yes, one of the Wilson girls was married here, Alice Roosevelt was\nmarried in this room and there was amother one of the White House daughters that\nwas married here, who, my recollection is bad, but it's also been used for funerals.\nPresident Roosevelt lay in state here and President Harding, and nearly al the\nPresidents who died in office lay in state here in this room.\nPreservation Copy"
}