4/2/2023 0 Comments The inn between white lodge![]() ![]() It further protected the rooms of the White House from being radically altered in the future and clearly defined the project as historic preservation, rather than mere redecoration. This act allowed the Fine Arts Committee and the curator's office to assure potential donors that their gifts would not be auctioned off or kept in the private collection of any president. By September, Congress sanctioned the restoration of the White House with Public Law 87-286, which officially declared the White House a museum. Lorraine Waxman Pearce became the first curator of the White House in late March 1961. du Pont saw the need for a permanent curator in the White House to deal with the growing collection. Kennedy decided to focus on the evolving character of the White House, rather than its earliest period, for restoration.Īs the project progressed, Mrs. The third principle focused on the library as an integral part of the White House's symbolic and functional role. The second principle dealt with the "living" character of the White House and the need to reflect the different administrations that had passed through. ![]() The first principle focused on the evolving nature of the White House and the importance of not limiting the style to one time period. In April 1961, advisory committee members Lyman Butterfield, editor of the John Adams papers and Julian Boyd, editor of the Thomas Jefferson papers, drafted a treatise entitled "The White House as a Symbol." The authors put forth three controlling principles for the restoration of the White House that ultimately influenced Mrs. Kennedy developed her vision for the White House restoration project over the next few months. That is a question of scholarship." A Living Restoration It must be restored, and that has nothing to do with decoration. It would be sacrilege merely to redecorate it-a word I hate. She helped prepare a fully illustrated article outlining her plans that ran in the September 1961 issue, and participated in an interview with Hugh Sidey, in which she stated, "Everything in the White House must have a reason for being there. Kennedy enlisted Life magazine to help promote the renovation of the White House. He was widely considered to be the greatest collector of Americana and the most qualified authority on the subject of American historical decoration at the time. The Fine Arts Committee was born, and Henry du Pont, was made chairman. Winterthur Director Charles Montgomery suggested the formation of a committee of informed and connected people whose goal would be to acquire antique furnishings for the White House. She hoped to acquire some antique furniture by loan. Kennedy turned to Winterthur, Henry du Pont's estate-turned-museum, located outside Wilmington, Delaware. Within two weeks, the $50,000 budget had been spent on refurbishing the private living quarters. Kennedy enlisted the famed decorator Dorothy Parish, or "Sister" as she was widely known, to help with the restoration of the White House. Just weeks after her husband's inauguration, Mrs. She began cultivating her plans for the restoration of the White House. Kennedy was again struck by the bland quality of the rooms. Mount Vernon and the National Gallery and the FBI made a far greater impression." Many years later, as she prepared to move in, Mrs. There wasn't even a booklet you could buy. But inside, all I remember is shuffling through. Kennedy told Life magazine, "From the outside I remember the feeling of the place. Remembering a childhood visit to the White House, Mrs. Kennedy had a portable stage set up in the East Room, where performers such as the Opera Society of Washington, mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry and cellist Pablo Casals performed. The Kennedys also focused on bringing the arts to Washington and the White House. ![]() Smoking was allowed in the State Rooms, cocktails were served, and receiving lines were almost completely eliminated in favor of a more casual approach to greeting guests. They abolished several old social conventions to create a more casual, comfortable atmosphere. Many Americans considered the Kennedys a breath of fresh air. In January 1961, the new residents of the White House were young, sophisticated, and attractive. ![]()
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