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The 2008 White House Christmas ornament honoring the presidency of Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893), the twenty-third president of the United States, was inspired by the Harrison family’s Victorian Christmas tree, the first documented tree to decorate the President’s House. The ornament, the 28th in a series started by the White House Historical Association in 1981, presents the White House as a fami
Every year since 1981 the White House Historical Association has created a Christmas ornament honoring past presidents of the United States, beginning with George Washington, and reflecting on the history and events that have taken place in the President’s House.The tradition continues with the 2009 White House Christmas ornament celebrating the second administration of President Grover Cleveland (1893-1897) when the fi
The White House Historical Association celebrates the presidency of William McKinley (1897-1901), the twenty-fifth president of the United States, with the release of its 30th commemorative ornament. The last Civil War veteran to serve as president, McKinley was idolized by the American people during his presidency, tragically cut short by an assassin’s bullets six months into his second term. Th
The exhibition Something of Splendor: Decorative Arts from the White House, honoring the 50th anniversary of the White House Historical Association, opens at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. tomorrow (October 1, 2011–May 6, 2012). It is amazing to realize that before 1961 Congress did not appropriate funds to maintain an art or decorative arts collection at the exec
Since Mrs. Kennedy began efforts to restore the historic integrity to the public rooms of the White House in 1961, every First Lady has taken an active interest in and supported the work of the White House Historical Association. Join us as we enter our second half century of sharing the rich history of the White House with the people of
“It is not difficult to see a certain parallel presidents might sense between their own specified time on stage as head of state and the slice of life encapsulated in the duration of a play,” said William Seale, editor of White House History. “Part of being president is a performance, in which is conveyed, inescapably, a message; the White House is the
The White House Historical Association has released Away from the White House: Presidential Escapes, Retreats, and Vacations. Author Lawrence L. Knutson presents an in-depth history of the presidential time spent “away from the White House.” Through 37 chapters profusely illustrated with hundreds of period images and photographs, we witness the president escaping by horseback, steamboat, railroad, automobile, and ultimately Air Force One,
Today, the White House Historical Association unveiled the 2014 White House Christmas Ornament which celebrates the life of Warren G. Harding, the 29th President of the United States (1921-1923). President Harding took over the controls on the Alaskan railroad during the “Voyage of Understanding,” his famous transcontinental speaking and sightseeing tour. The Presidential Special, the train that carried President Harding west at t
The White House Historical Association announced today a free holiday exhibit White House Gingerbread: Holiday Traditions celebrating former White House Pastry Chef Roland’s Mesnier’s new publication The White House in Gingerbread: Memories and Recipes, November 6 – December 22, 2015. Featuring the largest gingerbread White House ever designed by the Chef, the exhibit explores the tradition of gingerbread at the White House dating