Anacostia River Painting

Far from the muddy and incomplete town John and Abigail Adams knew when they moved to Washington, the city during the Jackson years was steadily improving. This 1833 painting reveals the trade of the city: two dry-docks of the Navy Shipyard on the Anacostia River, healthy shipping traffic on the Potomac, the Capitol building, and a mass of houses and buildings reaching from the White House to Capitol Hill.

Artist: George Cooke
Date of Work: 1833
Type: Painting
Credit: White House Historical Association (White House Collection)

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Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection

The White House Collection and the Atlantic World Jennifer L. Anderson, Mahogany: The Costs of Luxury in Early America (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012). Vernon C. Stoneman, John and Thomas Seymour, Cabinetmakers in Boston, 1794-1816 (Boston, MA: Special Publications, 1959). Sarah Fling, “Sugar, Slavery, and the Washington China,” White House Historical Association, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/sugar-slavery-and-the-washington-china.Hannah Boettcher and Ronald W. F
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Conservation of the White House Collection

Care of any museum collection includes the conservation of objects to correct or stabilize deterioration from age or exhibition. Although the White House is an accredited historic house museum, it does not provide the traditional exhibition setting of objects under glass or behind ropes at all times. As the official residence of the president of the United States, objects from
Digital Library Exhibit
Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection

Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection explores the history of slavery and emancipation in the United States through art, furnishings, chinaware, and other objects in the White House. This exhibit was curated by White House Historical Association historian Sarah Fling.
Digital Library Exhibit
Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection: The Fight for Emancipation

This exhibit explores the history of slavery and emancipation in the United States through art, furnishings, chinaware, and other objects in the White House. This exhibit was curated by White House Historical Association historian Sarah Fling.
Digital Library Exhibit
Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection: The White House Collection and the Atlantic World

This exhibit explores the history of slavery and emancipation in the United States through art, furnishings, chinaware, and other objects in the White House. This exhibit was curated by White House Historical Association historian Sarah Fling.
Digital Library Exhibit
Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection: Enslaved Artisans

This exhibit explores the history of slavery and emancipation in the United States through art, furnishings, chinaware, and other objects in the White House. This exhibit was curated by White House Historical Association historian Sarah Fling.
Digital Library Exhibit
Slavery and Freedom in the White House Collection: Slavery at the White House

This exhibit explores the history of slavery and emancipation in the United States through art, furnishings, chinaware, and other objects in the White House. This exhibit was curated by White House Historical Association historian Sarah Fling.
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Preservation of the White House

In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the White House Historical Association to enhance the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the Executive Mansion. As a part of our mission, the Association provides financial support for acquisitions, refurbishing projects, and preservation initiatives of the White House, which involves collaboration
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