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1489963
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White House - Nativity Scene
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1489963
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document
title
White House - Nativity Scene
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Sheila R. Weidenfeld Files (Ford Administration)
Sheila Weidenfeld's General Subject Files
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Holidays
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1489963
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1967-12-31
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12
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1967
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1967-12-01
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12
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1967
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The original documents are located in Box 46, folder "White House - Nativity Scene" of the
Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 46 of the Sheila Weidenfeld Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR RELEASE AFTER 9:00 A.M.
Wednesday, December 13, 1967
Office of the Press Secretary
to Mrs. Johnson
THE WHITE HOUSE
The White House has received an exquisite Christmas gift--
an 18th century Italian creche -- from Mr. and Mrs. Charles W.
Engelhard, Jr. of Far Hills, New Jersey.
The Nativity scene contains thirty baroque carved figures
including the Holy Family, the three kings and their attendants,
shepherds, angels, cherubs, and various animals associated with
the manger scene. Brightly colored and richly clothed, the figures
range from 12 to 18 inches high and are delicately carved in wood.
Mrs. Johnson has long hoped that a creche might be acquired
for the permanent collection that would be 2 work of art commensurate
with other White House treasures. In previous years, a creche has
been borrowed, and last year Mrs. Engelhard provided a contemporary
creche with figures made of gold fabric and paper mache.
After extensive research and travel in Europe on the subject
of creches, Mrs. Engelhard acquired the figures from Marisa
Piccole Catello of Naples, Italy, whose family has been collecting
Nativity figures for more than 300 years.
Noted stage designer and theater consultant Donald Oenslager
of New York City has contributed his time and talents to create the
setting and lighting. The figures will be arranged on a multilevel
stage placed in the center window of the East Room. The baroque
proscenium arch is ivory colored with gold trim, and the archi-
tectural details match the decor of the East Room.
The stage extends four feet from the window, and the entire
set is about 14 feet high. The backdrop (cyclorama) is a luminous
dark blue, and three angels and a small cherub are suspended over
the manger. Lights are contained within the structure, and the
R.
entire creche can be easily disassembled X for storage.
BEAL
FORD
LIBRARY
Mr. Oenslager has designed settings for numerous plays and
operas, and he was a consultant on the New York State Theater
and Philharmonic Hall at Lincoln Center. Mr. Richard Casler
is associated with Mr. Oenslager in supervising the arrangement
of the creche.