Great website!!! Do you know if there is a site similar to your White House site about the US Capitol?
Great Job!!!
Thanks.
I have a photo that I think was taken at the White House of a group of people at the Resolute Desk. I know one of the people in the photos is June Kraeft, who served on the NRECA and other committees in Washington, D.C. There is a man, a woman, and children in the photo. The children are sitting at the desk and the adults are standing behind. There is a large mirror behind the desk, not the big picture windows of the oval office. Can anyone help me with identification of this photo? Please contact me, Sharon Harrison ks_harrison@sbcglobal.net. Thanks, Sharon
First of all, I love the look of the Lincoln Bedroom. Second, I’m a frequent visitor to your site and I love all of the pictures. And, as I always do, I constantly look at these pictures and WH descriptions/floorplans and wonder about rooms, art, etc. Here are my questions today. What is located on the 2nd floor mezzanine? I came to this question by noting that there are pictures of the Usher’s Office on the 1st floor mezzanine, but nothing for the 2nd floor mezzanine. Could you help me out with that? Also, on the third floor of the White House, there are bedrooms, the game room, workout room, etc., but how often is this area used by the First Family? I can see where the Solarium would be of great use, but what about the rest of these rooms? And finally, do you know how often the portraits on the state floors are rotated out? In reviewing pictures of the state and ground floors, it seems that they are moved around quite a bit.
I thorougly enjoy your website!!! Keep up the good work!
Ken, I love the Lincoln Bedroom too. Now as I understand it, the 2nd floor mezzanine is barely more than a glorified stair landing. If I was told correctly it contains a small amount of storage space. It does not appear to extend to the outer North wall as the 1st floor mezzanine does, which provides the Chief Usher with a private office. The reasoning I’ve been told for the mezzanine was to provide a comfortable walk to the 3rd floor. The stairs would have simply been more like ladders than stairs otherwise. By breaking the climb from the 2nd floor to the 3rd floor as it is done from the State Floor to the 2nd floor, mezzanines were incorporated. This keeps the stairs at relatively the same degree of climb from the lowest level to the 3rd floor, and provides the Chief Usher’s office and most likely some amount of storage.
Now onto the 3rd floor… Most first families use this area quite a bit. Examples: The Music Room has been used as a Kindergarten class art room, & Jack Ford used it as his bedroom. Most “grown” presidential kids use this floor for their living needs. It’s more private, farther away from the formal and near formal rooms of the 2nd floor, and times contains personal furnishings and items of the First Family, giving the family a very personal space to enjoy. The ceilings are about 6 feet lower providing more of a regular home feel, unlike the cavernous feel of the 2nd floor.
“Traditionally” the two most recent former First Ladies’ portraits are hung on either side of the Diplomatic Reception Room doorway, in the Ground Floor Corridor. The other portraits tend to be the most recent before them, but I’ve seen personal First Family favorites placed in the corridor and adjoining rooms instead.
The Presidents’ portraits have a similar “tradition” on the State Floor. The two most recent former Presidents’ portraits are usually hung to the left (East wall) and right (West wall) in the Entrance Hall before entering the Cross Hall, with the most recent formers before them in the Cross Hall and up the Grand stairs. But again I’ve seen personal favorites in these locations instead. As an example, President Clinton had President John F. Kennedy’s portrait in the Entrance Hall for at least a little while, if not for his entire administration. The portrait change frequency is really up to each individual First Family.
Pretty sure that the First Lady’s mother lives on the third floor now. Makes for a nice mother-in-law suite. The third floor was designed more as a hotel for visiting friends and family of the first family.
Not sure if I am posting in the correct place but maybe you can help anyway. In the Oval Office, what are the two paintings flanking Peale’s George Washington, on either side of the fireplace. I can see that they are horizontal landscapes, but can you please tell us the titles, subject and artists name. Thank you so much.
The 50th anniversary guide book has been released. Go to http://www.whha.org to order a copy or two.
..just ordered two of them! They’ll look great next to JBKO’s original guidebook from the sixties!
The Elliptical Saloon 
Check out some new pics from Flickr at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehousehistory/
Great website!!! Do you know if there is a site similar to your White House site about the US Capitol?
Great Job!!!
Thanks.
I have a photo that I think was taken at the White House of a group of people at the Resolute Desk. I know one of the people in the photos is June Kraeft, who served on the NRECA and other committees in Washington, D.C. There is a man, a woman, and children in the photo. The children are sitting at the desk and the adults are standing behind. There is a large mirror behind the desk, not the big picture windows of the oval office. Can anyone help me with identification of this photo? Please contact me, Sharon Harrison ks_harrison@sbcglobal.net. Thanks, Sharon
You’ll need to email the photo to me. godspocket@gmail.com
First of all, I love the look of the Lincoln Bedroom. Second, I’m a frequent visitor to your site and I love all of the pictures. And, as I always do, I constantly look at these pictures and WH descriptions/floorplans and wonder about rooms, art, etc. Here are my questions today. What is located on the 2nd floor mezzanine? I came to this question by noting that there are pictures of the Usher’s Office on the 1st floor mezzanine, but nothing for the 2nd floor mezzanine. Could you help me out with that? Also, on the third floor of the White House, there are bedrooms, the game room, workout room, etc., but how often is this area used by the First Family? I can see where the Solarium would be of great use, but what about the rest of these rooms? And finally, do you know how often the portraits on the state floors are rotated out? In reviewing pictures of the state and ground floors, it seems that they are moved around quite a bit.
I thorougly enjoy your website!!! Keep up the good work!
Ken, I love the Lincoln Bedroom too. Now as I understand it, the 2nd floor mezzanine is barely more than a glorified stair landing. If I was told correctly it contains a small amount of storage space. It does not appear to extend to the outer North wall as the 1st floor mezzanine does, which provides the Chief Usher with a private office. The reasoning I’ve been told for the mezzanine was to provide a comfortable walk to the 3rd floor. The stairs would have simply been more like ladders than stairs otherwise. By breaking the climb from the 2nd floor to the 3rd floor as it is done from the State Floor to the 2nd floor, mezzanines were incorporated. This keeps the stairs at relatively the same degree of climb from the lowest level to the 3rd floor, and provides the Chief Usher’s office and most likely some amount of storage.
Now onto the 3rd floor… Most first families use this area quite a bit. Examples: The Music Room has been used as a Kindergarten class art room, & Jack Ford used it as his bedroom. Most “grown” presidential kids use this floor for their living needs. It’s more private, farther away from the formal and near formal rooms of the 2nd floor, and times contains personal furnishings and items of the First Family, giving the family a very personal space to enjoy. The ceilings are about 6 feet lower providing more of a regular home feel, unlike the cavernous feel of the 2nd floor.
“Traditionally” the two most recent former First Ladies’ portraits are hung on either side of the Diplomatic Reception Room doorway, in the Ground Floor Corridor. The other portraits tend to be the most recent before them, but I’ve seen personal First Family favorites placed in the corridor and adjoining rooms instead.
The Presidents’ portraits have a similar “tradition” on the State Floor. The two most recent former Presidents’ portraits are usually hung to the left (East wall) and right (West wall) in the Entrance Hall before entering the Cross Hall, with the most recent formers before them in the Cross Hall and up the Grand stairs. But again I’ve seen personal favorites in these locations instead. As an example, President Clinton had President John F. Kennedy’s portrait in the Entrance Hall for at least a little while, if not for his entire administration. The portrait change frequency is really up to each individual First Family.
Pretty sure that the First Lady’s mother lives on the third floor now. Makes for a nice mother-in-law suite. The third floor was designed more as a hotel for visiting friends and family of the first family.
Not sure if I am posting in the correct place but maybe you can help anyway. In the Oval Office, what are the two paintings flanking Peale’s George Washington, on either side of the fireplace. I can see that they are horizontal landscapes, but can you please tell us the titles, subject and artists name. Thank you so much.
The 50th anniversary guide book has been released. Go to http://www.whha.org to order a copy or two.
..just ordered two of them! They’ll look great next to JBKO’s original guidebook from the sixties!