The White House Collection
Washington, D.C.The Digital Library works closely with the Office of the Curator of the White House to preserve and share images and other materials from the White House, including drawings, plans, photographs, and documents related to the long history of the Executive Mansion.
This gallery of items from the White House Collection is only a small portion of its holdings, which represents some of the finest pieces of American artwork and craftsmanship.
The White House Historical Association has collaborated for more than fifty years with the White House to preserve the building, its contents and grounds, and to promote understanding of the role of the Executive Mansion in American history.
Gallery
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These French-made porcelain serving pieces -decorated in New York - are from a state service pattern originally selected by Mary Todd Lincoln. Shown from (left to right) are a footed after dinner coffee cup, custard cup, tea cup and saucer, coffee cup and saucer, and fish platter (rear). The pieces were part of the "royal purple" or "Solferino" service first ordered for the White House in 1861, and reordered multiple times throughout the 1880s. The eagle motif that decorates the service was inspired by the Great Seal of the United States.
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
This full-length portrait of George Washington was painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1797, the final year of his presidency. While other artists had depicted Washington as a military leader, Stuart became the first portraitist to paint an authoritative image of Washington as the country's first president. Washington holds a sword in his left hand, alluding to his past military service, but appears in civilian clothes, emphasizing the fact that he had resigned his commission as a military leader. A book entitled Constitution and Laws of the United States leans against the table leg. The portrait was installed in the White House in November 1800. During the War of 1812, First Lady Dolley Madison famously saved the portrait from near-certain demise. Before vacating the premises on August 24, 1814, Mrs. Madison ordered that official papers and the Washington portrait should be saved from British hands. The painting returned to the White House after it was rebuilt in 1817. Washington served as the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The first president was in office from April 30, 1789 until March 4, 1797.
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
This hand-colored engraving of the White House is by Selmar Siebert. It was done during Abraham Lincoln's presidency (1861-1865).
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
This armchair by William King, Jr. of Georgetown was one of 24 that President James Monroe bought for the East Room. This suite may have been inspired by French furniture placed in the Oval Room in 1817.
White House Historical Association -
This watercolor by an unknown artist shows the South Portico of the White House during the late 1800s. The watercolor is based after an engraving by V. Foulquier. The conservatory building is visible to the west of the house, but the East Wing and East Corridor are not yet present. Several well-dressed women converse on the lawn while a man and a woman pass each other on horseback in the center of the frame.
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
This mahogany desk and bookcase was built between 1815 and 1820 and is attributed to Duncan Phyfe of New York. The gothic arched mullions and the cylinder front with fold-out writing surface are characteristic of Phyfe's furniture. Phyfe was born in Scotland and emigrated to New York in 1784. He became one of the premiere cabinet makers in the United States during the first half of the 19th century, known for blending the previous English Neoclassical and Regency styles together in a distinctive way. Phyfe benefited from his location in New York City on Fulton Street, where he was able to ship his furniture out to the southern States and the rich cotton magnates there, as well as to international ports.
White House Historical Association -
This gilded bronze and mirrored plateau or centerpiece was made by the Parisian firm Denière et Matelin circa 1817, during James Monroe's presidency. Elements of the plateau may have been based on designs by the famed French architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, who completed many commissions for Napoleon. Visitors marveled over the elegant piece, shown here in the White House State Dining Room.
White House Historical Association -
This portrait of Abraham Lincoln was created by George Peter Alexander Healy (sometimes known as G. P. A. Healy) in 1869, not long after Lincoln's assassination on April 15, 1865. Lincoln originally sat for Healy in 1864, and the artist depicted Lincoln in this pose in a painting entitled The Peacemakers, an 1868 work that showed Lincoln conferring with Union military leaders during the final days of the Civil War. After Lincoln's death, Healy realized that the painting made an impressive portrait of Lincoln alone and painted three replicas, one of which became part of the White House collection. Lincoln became president on March 4, 1861 and had served in the House of Representatives earlier in his life.
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
This oil on canvas portrait of First Lady Nancy Reagan was painted by Aaron Shikler. In her youth, Mrs. Reagan was an actress, which lead to her meeting her future husband, who was president of the Screen Actor's Guild in Hollywood. As First Lady, Mrs. Reagan directed the renovation of the second and third floors of the White House, as well as the Press Room and rooms adjacent to the Oval Office. Her main initiative was taking an active role in the War on Drugs, creating the "Just Say No" campaign to educate youth about the dangers of drugs and drug abuse. This portrait was officially unveiled at the White House on November 15, 1989. Ronald Reagan was president from January 20, 1981 until January 20, 1989.
White House Collection/White House Historical Association -
This selection of the Barack Obama state service that was created in 2015 by Pickard China of Antioch, Illinois. The design demonstrates the shift from primary colors used more recently to the new selection of a fluted Kailua Blue, a unique color chosen by First Lady Michelle Obama to represent the blue waters of Hawaii, President Barack Obama's home state. In accordance with tradition, the plate bears the Presidential Coat of Arms. Included in the photo are a service plate, a dinner plate, a dessert plate and a cup and saucer.
White House Historical Association -
This painting of a windy beach with rising, sandy dunes is by African-American landscape painter Henry Ossawa Tanner. It is the first painting by an African-American artist acquired for the White House Collection. The painting looks out from the beach towards the ocean, though only small waves cresting on the horizon and two far off sailboats are visible. The dunes and shore take up the majority of the canvas and Tanner actually mixed sand into his pigments to better capture the rough texture. Tanner, whose father was an African Methodist Episcopal Church minister and whose mother had been born into slavery and escaped, was born in Pennsylvania. In 1891 he moved to France to escape racism and the limitations imposed on his race in the United States.
White House Collection/White House Historical Association
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