Red Room, Bill Clinton Administration

This photograph of the Red Room by Erik Kvalsvik was taken around 1999 during the Bill Clinton administration. The Red Room is one of three state parlors on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion named after a color, with the designated red dating as far back as 1845 and the James K. Polk administration. The bust of President Martin Van Buren by Hiram Powers rests high between the two windows, surveying the room, and the portrait of his daughter-in-law Angelica Singleton Van Buren, who served as White House Hostess during his administration, is displayed over the fireplace. President Van Buren's presence is reflected also in the American "Empire" furnishings of the early 19th century, most of which were made in his home state of New York. The room was refurbished in 1971 and the carpet was replaced in 1997.