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White House Pets: Merry Menagerie
Two of the youngest presidents to reside in the White House brought their families and a menagerie of pets along with them. A pony, sheep, dogs, cats, a macaw, guinea pigs, rats, a snake, and many more animal friends lived at the Theodore Roosevelt White House. In 1908 the Washington Evening Star observed, "There is no home in Washington so full
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White House Pets
Animals -- whether pampered household pets, working livestock, birds, squirrels, or strays -- have long been a major part of life at the White House. Some pets simply provided companionship to the president and his family. Others gained fame for a role in shaping the president's public image. No matter what job was bestowed upon them, White House pets usually
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About The Official White House Christmas Ornament
When Jacqueline Kennedy established the White House Historical Association in 1961, she envisioned an organization that would educate and inspire Americans — and particularly children — to take part in our shared history. Twenty years later, the Association launched an initiative to celebrate that history by offering unique annual Christmas ornaments to the public. All sales of the ornaments benefit the Association’s missio
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Lady Bird Johnson's Americana
The Lyndon B. Johnson Administration began during a time of great uncertainty. In November 1963, the assassination of President Kennedy had stunned America. New First Lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson certainly felt a desire to help the nation heal. She chose comforting and nostalgic holiday decor during her White House years. Her 1965 and 1966 Blue Room Christmas trees were decorated in an
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Roland Mesnier
Roland Mesnier has been pastry chef for five presidents. One of nine children born to a family in rural, post–World War II France, he began his career as a pastry apprentice at the age of twelve and made his way up, working at the world’s most prestigious hotels. In 1979, First Lady Rosalynn Carter hired him as head pastry chef
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Susan M. Swain
Susan Swain is C-SPAN's co-CEO and has 30 years of on camera experience at the network. In addition to the network's ongoing public affairs content, she has overseen many of the network's education and history projects, including the multiplatform series, "First Ladies," "American Presidents," "Landmark Cases," "The Lincoln-Douglas Debates," and "Presidential Libraries."
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William Seale - In Memoriam 1939–2019
Dr. William Seale, whose contributions to the programs and publications of the White House Historical Association for more than forty years were instrumental in shaping the Association’s study and dissemination of White House history, passed away on November 21, 2019, following a long illness. His unique approach to the study of history through biography, architecture, landscape, and cultural context expanded the pu
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Amenities & Living Comforts
The first bath tubs in the White House were portable and made of tin; water was hauled in buckets. Running water was piped into the White House in 1833. Gaslighting, installed in the White House in 1848, replaced candles and oil lamps. A central heating system was installed in the White House in 1837 when many people still warmed themselves with a log
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LibGuides
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Digital Library Exhibit
Black Cloth: Mourning Dress and Drapery at the White House
This exhibit explores the power of black cloth as part of public and private displays of bereavement at the White House. Between 1841 and 1963, eight American presidents died while in office. By examining the fabrics used to decorate the White House for their funerals, as well as the mourning fashions of their spouses, one can track displays of grief through the