White House Historical Association Releases At Home in the President’s Neighborhood

May 02, 2016 Washington D.C. —

The White House Historical Association has released At Home in the President’s Neighborhood: A Photographic Tour. Gold medal winner of the 2016 Independent Publishers Book Awards, the book presents a contemporary view of the city through the lens of acclaimed photographer Bruce M. White’s camera. The 200 never before published photographs are introduced with commentary by historian William Seale and captioned with the words of American presidents, first families and Washington notables.

The President's Neighborhood is one of the most historic neighborhoods in the nation. Beyond serving as a home to the president of the United States, the White House neighborhood is a microcosm of past and present in the capital of the United States.

Bruce White's photography captures the beauty of the ordinary and presents what even residents, daily commuters, and regular visitors to the area may have missed in the parks and architecture of Washington's historic neighborhood landmarks.

Historian William Seale provides the historical context for the images, explaining the evolution of the city and its architecture from its Pierre L'Enfant's plans to the present day. He writes, "Only when walking in Lafayette Park is one fully aware of how definitively the house commands the neighborhood."

The words of presidents and first families give us a sense of their perspectives on life in the city and the neighborhood. Nancy Reagan recalls a lunch at the Hay-Adams with her newly elected husband that turned out to be the last time they could, "walk out the door and down the street like ordinary people."

John Adams expresses his hope that, "Here may the youth of this extensive country forever look up without disappointment, not only to the monuments and memorials of the dead, but to the examples of the living."

The book’s foreword by Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, states: “ . . . The President’s Neighborhood is a walkable neighborhood. We invite you to walk with us as we explore the presidential community. . . . This neighborhood speaks to the essence of our democracy that we can all walk where our presidents and first families have walked."

For a book sample, please contact Elleni Almandrez at elleni@weisspublicaffairs.com.

At Home in the President’s Neighborhood: A Photographic Tour can be ordered from the White House Historical Association gift shops and website at Shop.WhiteHouseHistory.org.

200 Color Photographs
Casebound with dust jacket 324 pages
11.25 x 11.25 inches
ISBN 978-1-931917-46-9
$39.95