Travel – The White House (Part Two)

White House exterior 2

In honor of President’s Day, this post is about the White House (previously known as the President’s House) which has been the official residence of every President of the United States since 1800.  Part One of the three part series on the White House discussed the history and the construction of the White House.  Part Two will give a tour of the various rooms of the State Floor of the White Floor, such as the East Room and Blue Room.  In Part Three I will continue with a tour of the second floor of the White House where the famous Lincoln Bedroom is located and the Oval Office which is located in the West Wing of the White House and is the official office of the President.

The White House was constructed between 1792 and 1800 in the newly established Federal City (later known as Washington, D.C.) which was being master planned by Pierre Charles L’Enfant.  The White House is currently a three story building with two basements.  From the north side it appears as if the building has only two floors because the ground floor is hidden by a parapet and a raised former carriage ramp. The North Portico was added in 1830 and it blends perfectly with the Federal Style of the building, this is considered the main entrance to the White House.  From the south side all three floors are exposed and the façade has a distinctive Palladian style of architecture with the South Portico which is a bow shaped section that has a double staircase leading from the ground floor to a loggia on the State floor level with the Truman Balcony above on the second floor.

White House exterior 1

The White House is not only the official residence of every President since John Adams but it is also where the executive offices of the President of the United States.  Over the years, the executive offices have been moved into the West Wing of the White House allowing the President and his family to live “privately” in the rooms on the second and third floors while the main floor remains a series of State Rooms.  The State Rooms of the White House hold a collection of antique or reproduction furniture, historic paintings and decorative objects of art that have been acquired over the years.  These are the rooms that visitors will see on an official tour of the White House which are led by informed guides that explain the history of the building and the various occupants that have lived there throughout the years including the current and previous presidential administrations.  (For more information on the history of the White House, please click on the link to the Travel post White House – Part One)

A tour of the White House

The White House has six different levels: the Ground Floor, the State Floor which has the official State Rooms, the Second Floor which is considered the President’s private residence, the Third Floor which includes guest bedrooms and the solarium and two levels of basement rooms.  Two colonnades on either side of the main building lead to the West and East Wings.  In this post I will be discussing the State Rooms on the State Floor of the White House, some of the rooms on the Second Floor and a brief description of the West Wing which includes the Oval Office.

White House  - floor plan - State floor

State Floor of the White House

Entrance Hall –

The Entrance Hall is considered the main entrance into the White House and is directly accessed through the North Portico, although visitors taking a White House tour usually enter on the ground floor.  The Entrance Hall is a large formal foyer which measures 31 feet by 44 feet and is tiled with pink and white marble and is divided from the Cross Hall by a series of column.  The room is furnished with several pieces of early 19th century gilded Empire style furniture, a pair of carved mahogany French settees and a French pier table which was originally purchased by President Monroe in 1917.  Hung on the wall of the Entrance Hall are two presidential portraits, one of George H.W. Bush by Herbert E. Abrams and the other one is of John F. Kennedy by Aaron Shikler.  (Visitors on the White House tour will note that several portrait paintings of former Presidents and First Ladies can be seen throughout the White House and will be noted in the appropriate rooms described in this post)

White House - Entrance hall

The Grand Staircase is positioned directly across from the Green Room and during the extensive renovation of the White House in 1948-52 the stairway was enlarged and altered to open into the Entrance Hall.  The stairway has a beautiful English cut-glass chandelier and several presidential portraits hang on the walls – Harry Truman by Greta Kempton, Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon by J Anthony Wills, Herbert Hoover by Elmer W. Greene and Warren Harding by Bror Kronstrand.  The Grand Staircase is often seen on television during formal ceremonial occasions such as State Dinners.  Prior to the dinner, the President has a small gathering for the guests of honor on the second floor Yellow Oval Room and then they will descend the stairs and proceed into the East Room where the other guests are gathered.

Cross Hall –

The Cross Hall is located adjacent to the Entrance Hall and is basically a long open hallway which measures 18 feet by 80 feet.  The floor is tiled in gray marble and covered with a long red carpet trimmed with a gold border of laurel leaves and five-pointed stars.  The Cross Hall has several gilded chairs and settees upholstered in red fabric and set and these are set against the walls of the hallway.  This area of the White House is often seen on television when the President makes official announcements and speeches to the nation.

White House  - Cross Hall

East Room –

The East Room of the White House is a large room, 80 feet by 37 feet with a 22 feet high ceiling, where many official ceremonies, receptions, concerts and State Dinners have taken place throughout the years.  The room has been used by First Lady Abigail Adams to hang the laundry, Meriwether Lewis (the private Secretary of President Thomas Jefferson and leader of famous Lewis and Clark Expedition) used a portion of the room as his bedroom and President James Madison used the room for cabinet meetings.  Hanging in the East Room is the portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart which was rescued in 1814 when the British set fire to the White House during the War of 1812 and was returned later when the building was rebuilt after the war.  Also in this room hangs a portrait of Martha Washington by Eliphant Frazer Andrews.

In 1829, President Andrew Jackson finally completed and decorated the East Room with 24 mahogany armchairs and 4 sofas which were originally purchased by President James Monroe, currently they are upholstered in blue damask silk.  The room was finished with a plaster frieze and three medallions from which three large cut-glass chandeliers were hung, later these were moved to the State Dining Room.  The White House underwent a complete reconstruction during the Truman administration when it was determined that the building was structurally damaged and the rooms of the White House were completely rebuilt and redecorated in 1948 to 1952.  Later, during the Kennedy administration, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had the White House extensively renovated, decorated and refurbished but very few changes were made to the East Room.  The floor, wall paneling and plaster work was renovated during the Reagan administration, new carpets were designed and installed during the Clinton administration and the East Room was repainted in a soft cream color  and new draperies were installed during the Bush administration.

White House  - East Room

The East Room of the White House has been used for many historical and important events; here is a list of some of those:

  • Eight Presidents that have died while in office have been laid in state in the East Room; William Harrison in 1841, Zachary Taylor in 1850, Abraham Lincoln in 1865, William McKinley in 1901, Warren Harding in 1923, Franklin Roosevelt in 1945 and John Kennedy in 1963.
  • There have been several weddings of President’s daughter celebrated in the East Room; Elizabeth (daughter of John Tyler) married William Waller in 1842, Nellie Grant (daughter of Ulysses Grant) married Algernon Sartois in 1875, Alice (daughter of Theodore Roosevelt) married Nicholas Longworth in 1906, Jessie (daughter of Woodrow Wilson) married Francis Sayre in 1913 and Lynda Bird (daughter of Lyndon Johnson married Chuck Robb in 1967.
  • President Dwight Eisenhower took the presidential oath of office in the East Room on January 20, 1957.  The U.S. Constitution requires the oath to be administered at exactly noon on January 20 and in 1957 the date fell on a Sunday and Eisenhower decided to take the oath privately and the following day a public inauguration was held.

Green Room –

The Green Room is located next to the East Room; the room is approximately 28 feet by 22 feet and can be entered from the Cross Hall, the East Room, the Blue Room and the South Portico.  The room was originally intended to be a small dining room and is currently used today for small receptions, formal teas and one of the rooms that that cocktails are served to guests before a State Dinner.

The room has traditionally been decorated in shades of green and throughout the years it has contained French Empire furnishings purchased by President James Madison, then heavily decorated with Victorian furniture and decorative items during the 1900s and eventually replaced with much simpler Colonial Revival furnishings.  After the Kennedy restoration, the Green Room was redecorated in the Federal Style with antique and historical pieces, the walls were covered with a moss green silk and the carpet was changed to a softer neoclassical one in shades of taupe, sage green and pink.  During the Nixon administration the room was renovated with period crown molding and ceiling medallions and decorated with new draperies in striped cream, green and coral silk satin, gilded cornices were installed above the windows to add height to the room and they were topped with hand-carved gilded American eagles.  Today the room is decorated with a darker shade of silk moiré wallpaper, the draperies were replaced with ones of a similar style in darker colors, the carpet was also changed and the current Duncan Phyfe sofa and chairs are upholstered in a rich coral color.

White House - Green room

Blue Room –

The Blue Room is located between the Green and the Red Rooms and is used for formal receiving lines, receptions and occasionally for smaller intimate dinners.  The oval shaped room is approximately 30 feet by 40 feet and has six doors that access the Cross Hall, the Green Room, the Red Room and the South Portico.  The original design of the White House had the Blue Room as the south entrance hall but during the Truman administration extensive reconstruction the Truman Balcony was built onto the second floor and it now provides shade to the South Portico and the interior of the Blue Room.  The Blue Room has the distinction of being the setting for the only wedding of a United States President during their term in office; Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room on June 2, 1886.

The Blue Room is traditionally decorated in shades of blue, and like the other State Rooms in the White House, it has been redecorated and renovated several times throughout the years.  After the Kennedy restoration, the Blue Room was furnished in the French Empire style with original gilded furniture and a marble-top table which was originally purchased during the Monroe administration.  The French chandelier made of gilded wood and cut glass returned to the White House during the restoration and it had previously hung in the President’s Dining Room on the second floor.  Two items of note are the French Empire style mantel clock by Deniere et Matelin and hung above the sofa on the west wall of the room is a presidential portrait of John Tyler by George Peter Alexander Healy.

Currently the Blue Room has beautiful sapphire blue fabric used for the draperies and the furniture upholstery which were done during the Clinton administration.  The walls are hung with pale yellow wallpaper imprinted with golden medallions and the upper border resembles a faux blue fabric drapery swag.  During the holiday season the Blue Room chandelier is removed to make room for the massive official White House Christmas Tree which is displayed annually with ever-changing themed ornaments.

White House - Blue room

Red Room –

The Red Room of the White House is located next to the Blue Room and the room has functioned as a parlor, a music room and a room for small dinner parties; currently it is used as a reception room.  The room is approximately 28 feet by 22 feet and there are six doors that lead to the Cross Hall, the Blue Room, the State Dining Room and the South Portico.  During the Grant administration the Red Room was used as a family living room and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt used the room for her meetings with women reporters, she was the first First Lady to hold regular press conferences.

Like most of the rooms on the State Floor of the White House, the Red Room has undergone many decorative changes during the previous administrations.  In 1902, the Theodore Roosevelt administration had the 1819 Italian marble mantel from the State Dining Room moved to the Red Room (the second one was moved into the Green Room)  During the Truman extensive reconstruction of the White Room, the room was completely dismantled and renovated with red silk damask wallpaper on the walls.  One item of note in the Red Room is the Louis XVI style mantel clock which was a gift to the United States from the President of France when the White House reconstruction project was completed.

During the Kennedy administration restoration of the White House, many antiques were acquired and the Red Room was one of the first rooms to be renovated in an American Empire style.  The room was decorated with red silk upholstered sofas and chairs,  new red silk window draperies, a new rug in shades of red, cream and sage green and a 1805 French chandelier made of gilded wood also hangs from the center of the room.  The room was also redecorated during the Nixon and Clinton administrations.  Currently the walls, draperies and upholstery is a darker shade of red with distinctive gold accents and the most recent addition to the room is a Charles-Honore Lannuier tall secretary desk that was a gift to the White House during its two hundredth anniversary celebration in 2000.

Red Room - after the Kennedy restoration

State Dining Room –

The State Dining Room is located next to the Red Room on the State Floor of the White House and it is used as a reception room and the room can accommodate up to 140 guests for luncheon or small dinner parties. In previous administrations the room has been used as an office, library and cabinet meeting room.  When in the interior of the White House was renovated in 1902 and the former grand stairway was removed from the west end the State Dining Room was expanded to the current size and the room dimensions are approximately 48 feet by 36 feet.

The State Dining Room has a very long dining table used with William & Mary style armchairs and several Queen Anne style side chairs, later during the Truman reconstruction the chairs were replaced with Chippendale style side chairs.  Hang from the ceiling is a large silver-plated chandelier and wall sconces; they were later given a gilded appearance during the Kennedy restoration.  Also displayed in the room are two large mahogany console tables which are painted ivory and features carved eagle supports.  One item of note is the original 1902 fireplace mantel which was restored during the Kennedy restoration and bears a very special inscription.  The inscription was taken from a letter President John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail back in 1800 during his first few days of living in the White House, it reads “I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it.  May none but honest and wise men rule under this roof.”  Known as the Adam’s blessing, the inscription was carved into the State Dining Room mantel by President Franklin Roosevelt.  Above the mantel hangs a portrait of Abraham Lincoln by George P.A. Healy which was formerly severely damaged but now fully restored.

White House - inscription by John Adams 1    White House - inscription by John Adams

Currently the State Dining Room walls are painted a stone color and the ceiling is painted a soft white color to give the appearance of plaster.  The room is furnished with the original long dining table and Queen Anne style chairs which are reupholstered in gold silk damask, new draperies in a colonial Revival floral print were installed at the windows and a rug with a floral medallion pattern covered the floor.  Another item of note that is frequently used in the State Dining Room on the long dining table is a beautiful mirrored centerpiece with seven sections that measures over 14 feet in length.  During formal dinners and afternoon luncheons the room is set with Chiavari chairs placed around smaller round tables covered with fine linens, glassware, silver and a variety of White House china can be used for the various events.

White House - State Dining room

This concludes the tour of the State Floor of the White House.  For more information please click on the other two posts of the three part series on the White House.  In Part One of the series I discussed the history and the construction of the White House.  Part Three continues with a tour of the second floor of the White House where the famous Lincoln Bedroom is located and the Oval Office which is located in the West Wing of the White House and is the official office of the President.

Travel – The White House (Part One)

White House drawing

In honor of President’s Day, this post is about the White House which is located at the famous address of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.  The White House has been the executive offices and the official residence of every President of the United States since 1800, George Washington never lived in the White House and John Adams was the first president to occupy the residence.  Part One of series will discuss the history and the building’s design and architecture.  Part Two will give a tour of the White House and detailed information about the various rooms, such as the Oval Office, the Red Room and the Blue Room. Part Three will give a tour of some of the rooms on the second floor of the White House where the famous Lincoln Bedroom is located.  I will also discuss the Oval Office which is located in the West Wing of the White House and is the official office of the President.

The history of the White House

During the first months of his term in office George Washington, the first President of the newly formed United States of America, lived in two different houses located in New York City, NY from 1789 to 1790.  In December 1790, the national capital moved temporarily to Philadelphia, PA while the new Federal City (later to be known as Washington, D.C.) was being built.  Washington lived and worked in a house on Market St. for the remainder of his first term and also for his second term.  When Washington surprisingly decided not to seek reelection he happily retired to his Mount Vernon home in Virginia.  John Adams, the second elected U.S. President, moved into the Market Street house in Philadelphia until November 1800 when he moved into the newly built President’s House (later to be known as the White House) which was located in the nation’s new capital.

The White House was one of the most prominent buildings in the newly established national capital which was being designed by Pierre Charles L’Enfant.  In 1792, a commission had been formed to determine the best design for the new President’s House and nine proposals were received from prominent architects, including Thomas Jefferson who submitted his own design anonymously.  The final design selected was by an architect named James Hoban but unfortunately his original drawings from the competition no longer exist.  The cornerstone was laid on October 13, 1792 and construction quickly started on the house using a work force of mostly African-American laborers.  The exterior of the grand and elegant mansion was designed in the neo-classical Federal style and at the time that it was completed it was the largest residence in the United States.  Building supply shortages caused many alterations to the original plan and the construction took eight years to complete.  The sandstone walls, although sturdy proved to be very porous material and they were whitewashed with a mixture of lime, rice glue, casein and lead that gave the mansion its white appearance and eventually its famous name.

The President's House - North Portico engraving

When President Thomas Jefferson took office and came to live in the White House in 1801, the interior of the house was still not finished.  He quickly set about having improvements done on the house, such as indoor “water closets” (earlier version of toilets) and he built horse stables and servant quarters which were concealed by the East and West Colonnades.  In keeping with Jefferson’s inquisitive mind and various interests, he created a simple museum in the Entrance Hall of the White House containing plant and animal specimens and Indian artifacts and in the Dining Room he had a revolving cabinet built, these features were very similar to the way Jefferson lived in his beloved Monticello.  During Jefferson’s two terms in office he brought a sense of sophistication to the White House and he entertained frequently with lavish multi-course dinners served with the fine French wines.

The President's House - lithograph 1905

At the time of President James Madison, the United States was at war once again with Britain.  During the War of 1812, the famous story goes that First Lady Dolly Madison quickly gathered important historic documents and the massive painting of President George Washington before escaping as British troops came marching into Washington, D.C.  The end result was that the British set fire to many buildings within the nation’s capital and the White House was burned down leaving the interior rooms completely destroyed by the fire and only the exterior walls left standing.  After the war, the original architect of the White House, James Hoban, returned to supervise the reconstruction.  The restoration was completed in 1817 and at that time, President James Monroe had the interior furnished in a grand and regal style.

White House - War of 1812

Throughout the different presidential administrations over the following years, minor architectural and interior decorative changes were made to the White House.  In 1824 the South Portico was added and in 1829 the North Portico was added to the White House.  Additional changes followed in 1835 when interior running water and central heating were installed.  During the time of President Ulysses S. Grant, the interior decorations of the White House reflected the cluttered Victorian style, Tiffany glass windows and gaslight fixtures were added and eventually replaced by electric lights in 1891.

At various times during the history of the White House, major expansions have been proposed but never happened until the time of President Theodore Roosevelt.  In 1902, Roosevelt had removed all the previous garish Victorian décor and returned the White House to the original interior design in Federal style with some Georgian elements.  The first West Wing was built as an addition to the White House and for the first time this allowed a separate set of offices for the presidential staff and as a result the President and his family were given more private rooms on the second floor.  In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson had part of the attic renovated to include some additional guest rooms.  Ten years later, during the time of President Calvin Coolidge, in 1917 a heavy rain storm caused severe damage to the roof of the White House.  The roof and the attic were restored and the third floor was re-enforced with steel beams.  In 1948, President Harry Truman added the much debated balcony to the second floor of the South Portico.  Despite the initial controversy that the balcony was not architecturally pleasing to the appearance of the White House it has since become a favorite area for the Presidents and their family to relax and enjoy some private time or intimate entertaining.

All of the renovations and redecoration of the White House over the previous years actually left the White House in a extremely weakened condition. There is a famous story that shortly after the completion of the South Portico balcony in 1948 the piano of President Harry Truman’s daughter, Margaret, almost fell through the second floor.  This prompted a complete assessment of the building and it was found to be structurally unsafe and as a result the Truman family moved across the street into Blair House while the White House interior was completely demolished leaving only the outer walls intact.  Over the next three years the interior originally made with wooden beams that were now severely rotted were replaced and the floors were constructed using concrete and steel beams.  The reconstruction included many modifications, such as additional bathrooms for each of the bedrooms and two additional basements were also built to provide more offices, storage and a bomb shelter (remember World War II had recently ended and the security of the nation and the safety of the President were top priorities).  The grand staircase was also repositioned from the Cross Hall to Entrance Hall; visitors will recognize this area of the White House from the news coverage of the President and First Lady ceremoniously descending the staircase from the private second floor with the various visiting heads of states to begin Official Ceremonies and State Dinners.  The ever practical Midwestern President Truman had the original timber beams made into wood paneling for the China Room, Map Room, Vermeil Room and Library of the newly reconstructed White House.

White House - renovation 1    White House - renovation 2
 

White House - renovation Entrance Hall    White House - renovation East Room

Perhaps the presidential administration that has changed the interior design and furnishings of the White House most significantly was during the time of President John Kennedy.  Over the preceding years, much of the White House had become a mix of contrasting styles of antiques and furniture from several different decades and there was no cohesive decorating plan.  Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, who was known for her impeccable sense of refined decorating style, was appalled at the condition of State Rooms of the White House.  She put careful thought into preserving the history of the White House and as a result of this massive project the White House Historical Association was created to aid in the preservation and restoration of the formal State Rooms.

The first step in this ambitious plan of restoring the White House was to raise money to finance the project.  This was accomplished with the first comprehensive White House Guidebook being written and printed under the direction of Mrs. Kennedy and the first White House curator, Lorraine Waxman Pearce, and the guidebooks were sold to the public to help finance the project.  Next, Mrs. Kennedy scoured the large White House storage facilities to see what furnishings and decorations were available, some great pieces were found hidden there and these items were cleaned and refurbished.  Next, Mrs. Kennedy looked into the Smithsonian Art Museums for paintings and decorative items that could be used in decorating the White House; this proved to be a great resource and numerous items were loaned for the project.  Then, Henry DuPont of the renowned Winterthur Museum was enlisted to assist Mrs. Kennedy in collecting artifacts and furnishings that had previously been used in the White House.  This was a lengthy and tedious process but soon more hidden treasures were found and/or donated.  Also Mrs. Kennedy used many of her private social connections from wealthy philanthropists to fund the project.

In general, Mrs. Kennedy selected different periods in the early history of the United States and the World.  The themes selected were:  The Green Room had a Federal style, the Blue Room had a French Empire style, the Red Room had an American Empire style, the Yellow Oval Room on the second floor had a Louis XVI style and the President’s Study (later known as the Treaty Room had a Victorian style.  The rooms were furnished with appropriate antique period furniture and decorative fabric and room trim was based on period documents and reproduced for the different rooms.  The Diplomatic Reception Room has an interesting story of an 1834 “Vue de l’Amerique Nord” wallpaper which was acquired from a house that was going to be demolished, it was salvaged and then sold to the White House.

Blue Room - before Kennedy restoration - Truman admin.    Blue Room - after Kennedy restoration
 

Red Room - before the Kennedy restoration - Truman admin.    Red Room - after the Kennedy restoration

To promote the restoration project and gain public approval for the project, Mrs. Kennedy enlisted the help of Life magazine and an article appeared in the September 1961 issue.  Then, when the restoration was completed, Mrs. Kennedy appeared on February 14, 1962 in a special CBS program in which she gave a guided tour of the White House; President Kennedy also made a brief appearance on the program.

Eventually the Committee for the Preservation of the White House was formed in 1964.  Future renovation and changes to the White House State Rooms or the surrounding grounds required approval from the committee.  Here is a list of some of those:

  • President Lyndon Johnson  – The Children’s Garden was added to the White House grounds
  • President Richard Nixon – The indoor swimming pool was converted into a new Press Briefing Room and a one-lane bowling alley was built in the basement of the White House.
  • President Gerald Ford – An outdoor swimming pool was added to the White House grounds.
  • President George H. W. Bush – The White House exterior was extensively refurbished, 40 layers of paint were removed and the sandstone exterior walls were repaired and then repainted.
  • President Bill Clinton – In preparation of the 200th anniversary of the White House, many of the State Rooms were renovated and redecorated.  The White House also implemented a “Green Project” to reduce energy consumption and improved environment opportunities to use renewable resources.
  • President George W. Bush – The Situation Room (originally added to the White House by President Kennedy) was expanded and updated with the latest technology available.
  • President Barrack Obama – In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama had an organic vegetable garden planted.  In 2013 solar panels were installed on the roof of the White House which were used to power the president’s private living quarters.

For additional information and a detailed tour of the White House including the various State Rooms, such as the Oval Office, the Red Room and the Blue Room, please click on the link to the White House – Part Two.  White House – Part Three will give a tour of some of the rooms on the second floor of the White House where the famous Lincoln Bedroom is located and I will also discuss the Oval Office which is located in the West Wing of the White House and is the official office of the President.

For information about the two additional presidential landmarks located in Washington, D.C. which were featured this month in honor of resident’s Day, please click on the links to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Travel – The Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial 1

In honor of President’s Day this month I will be writing several Travel posts about several historical landmarks located in Washington, D.C. – the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the White House.  Two of the memorials are dedicated to former United States Presidents and the third has been the home of every United States President since John Adams.

The Lincoln Memorial is a national monument built to honor President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, and it is located in Washington, D.C. at the west end of the National Mall.  Shortly after Lincoln’s assassination in 1865 plans started for a permanent national memorial.  In 1867, Congress passed a bill to create a commission to erect a monument and preliminary plans were drawn but the project was not able to raise the funds required to build and several years passed with nothing accomplished.

From 1901 to 1908, five additional bills were proposed in Congress but failed to pass.  Then, in late 1910, a sixth attempt was successful and a bill passed.  The next year, a new Lincoln Memorial Commission was formed and by 1913 Congress approved the Commission’s recommendations for a location and a memorial design.  The site selected was located overlooking the Potomac River in an area known as West Potomac Park.  The architect chosen for the building was Henry Bacon and the sculptor selected for creating the statue of Lincoln was Daniel Chester French and the painter chosen for the interior murals was Jules Guerin.  On February 12, 1914 ground was officially broken to start construction, the date was significant because it marks the annual celebration of Lincoln’s birthday.  When the building was completed eight years later, there was a memorial dedication on May 30, 1922 and in attendance on that day was Lincoln’s only surviving son, 79 year old Robert Todd Lincoln.

Lincoln Memorial - construction 1    Lincoln Memorial - statue under construction

The building is designed in the form of a classic Greek temple, the building measures 190 feet by 119 feet and is 99 feet tall.  Special attention was given to certain symbolic details of the building, such as the 36 fluted Doric columns which represent the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death.  Each column stands 44 feet tall and measures 7.5 feet in diameter which are slightly angled toward the building.  Inscribed on the frieze located on the upper portion of the building are the names of the 36 states and the dates that each entered the Union, in between each state name are a bas-relief double wreath medallion.  Then on the cornice above at the 48 states in the Union at the time of the memorial’s dedication with a carved scroll alternating with lion heads.  At the top is a garland, ribbons, palm leaves and eagles.  The entire building is set on a concrete foundation which measures 44 to 66 feet in depth and then enclosed with a 187 feet by 257 feet rectangular granite retaining wall which measures 14 feet high.  The Lincoln Memorial is entered on the east side of the building with steps beginning at the edge of the Reflecting Pool.  Other Washington D.C. landmarks are within easy walking distance, such as the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and National World War II Memorial.

Lincoln Memorial - Friezes

The interior of the building is divided into three sections by two rows of Ionic columns, four in each row and they measure 50 feet tall and 5.5 feet in diameter.  The North section has an inscription of Lincoln’s second inaugural speech and the south section has the complete Gettysburg Address.  Above each of the inscriptions is a 60 foot by 12 foot murals which depict principles important in Lincoln’s life, the north wall has Unity, Fraternity and Charity and the south wall has Freedom, Liberty, Immortality, Justice and Law.

Lincoln Memorial - Second Inaugural Address    Lincoln Memorial - Gettysburg Address engraving

The ceiling of the memorial was designed to allow light into the interior and this was beautifully achieved with a pattern of bronze beams decorated with laurel and oak leaves, panels of thin marble treated with paraffin wax was used to create a translucency.  Additional artificial lighting was required to light the large Lincoln statue properly and this was achieved in 1929 when specially designed louvered lighting was added.  The memorial has remained unchanged until the mid-1970s when an elevator was added to accommodate handicapped visitors.

Lincoln Memorial - ceiling

The main feature of the memorial is the large statue of the seated figure of President Abraham Lincoln which is placed in the center section.  Under the supervision of the sculptor, Daniel Chester French, the statue was carved from Georgia white marble by the Puccirilli Brothers and it took four years to complete.  The statue is 19 feet tall measuring from head to foot, 19 feet wide and weighs 175 tons.  The statue sits on a pedestal of Tennessee marble which stands 10 feet high, 16 feet wide and 17 feet in depth which sits on another platform of Tennessee marble that is 34.5 feet long, 28 feet wide and 6.5 inches high.  On the wall behind the statue there is an engraving which reads, “In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever”.

Lincoln Memorial statue

The Lincoln Memorial is seen by approximately 3 million visitors every year, it is always open to the public and free of charge, the Memorial is currently under the administration of the National Parks Service.  On October 15, 1966 the Memorial was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lincoln Memorial Trivia

  • If one looks closely, there are many symbolic features of the memorial, such as the 36 columns represent the 36 states of the United States at the time of Lincoln’s death in 1865.
  • When the monument was completed in May 1922, the United States had increased in size to include 12 more states, to reflect this the names of all 48 states were carved on the upper portion of the wall on the outside of the monument.  After the admission of Alaska and Hawaii to the United States, a plaque was added to the monument with the names of the two new states.
  • The memorial has 58 steps, 56 steps represent Lincoln’s age at the time of his assassination and the remaining 2 steps represent the number of terms that Lincoln served as the President of the United States.
  • There have been many interpretations as to the different features of the Lincoln statue displayed in the Lincoln Memorial and one those is the position of Lincoln’s hands.  The statue’s sculptor, Daniel Chester French had a deaf son so he was familiar with the American Sign Language, so it has been speculated that he carved the left hand to form an “A” and the right hand to form an “L” thus representing the president’s initials.  Unfortunately, there is no documented proof that this was French’s original intention.
  • An image of the Lincoln Memorial can be seen on both the US penny and the US five dollar bill.

Lincoln Memorial on a penny    Lincoln Memorial on five dollar bill
The Lincoln Memorial was the sight of many historical events:

August 28, 1963 – Martin Luther King JR. made his famous civil rights speech, “I Have a Dream” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  In 2003, on the 40th anniversary of the event, an engraved plaque was placed on the eighteenth step located below the Lincoln statue and on the exact spot where King delivered his speech.

Lincoln Memorial - MLK - I have a dream speach    Lincoln Memorial - MLK I have a dream plaque

April 9, 1939 – Previously the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) had refused permission for Marian Anderson (an African-American classical singer) to sing at Constitution Hall because at the time Washington D.C. was a segregated city.  As a result, thousands of DAR members were outraged by the injustice and resigned their memberships in protest.  One of those members was the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and she went on to arrange for Marian Anderson to perform the concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  The event was attended by an audience of more than 75,000 people of all races and also broadcast to a radio audience of millions.

Marian Anderson at the Lincoln Memorial

January 18, 2009 – Two days before President Barack Obama inauguration as the 44th President of the United States a concert was held on the steps of the memorial, it was officially called the “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial”.  An estimated crowd of over 400,000 people converge on the area surrounding the National Mall in Washington D.C.  The concert featured performances by musical acts such as Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Stevie Wonder.

Obama inaugural concert - Bruce Springsteen

For additional Abraham Lincoln sites and landmarks in other parts of the United States, please click on the link to New Salem, IL for information about where Lincoln lived during his early adult years and Springfield, IL Part One for information about the Lincoln Presidential Library and Springfield, IL Part Two for information about Lincoln’s Home, Law Offices and the Lincoln Tomb which is his final resting place.

Craft – Valentine’s Day Shadowboxes

Love

Today’s Craft project will show three different versions of Valentine’s Day Shadowboxes.  These would make wonderful holiday decorative items and would look great on a fireplace mantel or bookshelf.  They could also be given as gifts for family, friends or maybe a special teacher.

The tip for making this craft project is that after you have selected the shadowbox that you will use, check out your favorite craft store for inexpensive items that would fit into the dimensions and depth of the shadowbox.  This is where your creatively can be used to make a customized and one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day Shadowbox.

The three items that I selected were a red sequin heart for shadowbox #1, a wooden love for shadowbox #2 and two interlocking puzzle photo frames for shadowbox #3.

Valentine’s Day Shadowbox #1 – supplies and instructions

  • Shadowbox
  • Red sequin heart
  • White sparkle scrapbook paper
  • Black self-stick black letters
  1. Disassemble the shadowbox, remove the backing.
  2. Using the cardboard backing, trace the size onto the scrapbook paper and cut.
  3. Attach the red sequin to the scrapbook paper using glue, allow time to dry completely.
  4. Reassemble the shadowbox.
  5. Using the self-stick letters, spell out “You Captured My Heart” and attach letter to the glass front.

 You Captured My Heart

Valentine’s Day Shadowbox #2 – supplies and instructions

  • Shadowbox
  • Wooden word (I used one that spelled “love” which I painted red and black, then I attached self-stick black sequin onto the black letters for extra sprakle!)
  • Valentine’s Day themed scrapbook paper
  1. Disassemble the shadowbox, remove the backing.
  2. Using the cardboard backing, trace the size onto the scrapbook paper and cut.
  3. Attach the wooden love to the scrapbook paper using glue, allow time to dry completely.
  4. Reassemble the shadowbox.

Love

Valentine’s Day Shadowbox #3 – supplies and instructions

  • Shadowbox
  • 2 pink puzzle photo frames
  • 2 small black and white photos, copied to fit the size of the puzzle frames
  • Valentine’s Day themed scrapbook paper
  1. Disassemble the shadowbox, remove the backing.
  2. Using the cardboard backing, trace the size onto the scrapbook paper and cut.
  3. Copy/print two black and white photos to fit the size of the puzzle frames.
  4. Attach the photos to the puzzle frames using glue or tape.
  5. Attach the puzzle frames to the scrapbook paper using glue.
  6. Reassemble the shadowbox.

Puzzle Pieces

Norman Rockwell’s Birthday

Norman Rockwell 2

I have enjoyed the art of Norman Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) for a long time; his whimsical depiction of life in America always brought a smile.  His works also included subjects of more serious matters, such as the Four Freedom series.  So, in honor of his birthday, I will discuss the life of Rockwell, his many paintings and illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post and Boy’s Life magazines and at the end I will give some information on the Norman Rockwell Museum located in Stockbridge, MA.

The life of Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell was born on February 3, 1894 in New York City, his parents were Jarvis and Anne (Hill) Rockwell and he had an older brother who was also named Jarvis.  His father was the manager of a Philadelphia-based textile company and he worked at the office located in New York.  Rockwell showed an interest as a young boy for drawing and painting so at the age of 14 he left high school to attend the Chase Art School and later the National Academy of Design.

In 1912, Rockwell’s first full time paying job was as a staff artist for Boy’s Life magazine which was a publication for the Boy Scouts of America, a new organization that had recently formed in 1910.   Within a year of going to work for Boy’s Life magazine he became the art editor and held the position for the next three years.  Shown below is his first cover for Boy’s Life published in September 1913 called “Scout at Ship’s Wheel”.

1913 Boys Life - Scout at Ships Wheel

In 1915, the Rockwell family moved from the city to the town of New Rochelle, New York.  It was there that he shared a studio with Clyde Forsythe, a cartoonist for the Saturday Evening Post magazine.  With Forsythe’s connections, Rockwell was able to get one of his paintings used for the May 1916 cover of Saturday Evening Post called “Mother’s Day Off” and it is shown below.  Rockwell went on to have eight more covers within the next twelve months – I would say that for a young man of only 22 years old Rockwell was doing very well!

First Saturday Evening Post - Mother's Day Off

In regards to Rockwell’s personal life, at this time Rockwell met Irene O’Connor when she moved into the same boardinghouse he was living at in New York City.  (Irene is shown on the Literary Digest cover, “Mother Tucking Children into Bed” in January 1921)  The couple married on July 1, 1916 and they did not have any children before divorcing in 1930.

Norman Rockwell  - Mother Tucking Children into Bed

In regards to Rockwell profession life, his association with the Saturday Evening Post continued to prove to be a very productive partnership and over a span of 47 years Rockwell created 323 original covers for the magazine.  Rockwell featured boy scouts in occasional covers and in 1926 he resumed work for the Boy Scouts of America by creating original illustrations for their annual calendars.

After Rockwell’s divorce from his first wife, he escaped the East Coast and went to California for a short time and that is where he met and married Mary Barstow on March 27, 1930.  The couple returned to New York to live in New Rochelle and had three sons; Jarvis born in 1932 (a visual artist), Thomas born in 1933 (author of children’s books) and Peter  born in 1936 (a sculptor).

Rockwell was inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union address which spoke about the four principals of freedom that were the universal rights of the people of the world, and as a result he painted the famous Four Freedoms series.  It took him seven months to create the four paintings, “Freedom of Speech”, “Freedom of Worship”, “Freedom from Want” and “Freedom from Fear” and they were published in February and March 1943 in the Saturday Evening Post accompanied by a magazine article written about each of the freedoms.  Afterwards, the Four Freedom paintings were sent on a nationwide tour to raise money for war bonds sales, $130,000 was raised to help the war efforts.  In addition, the Four Freedoms were reproduced into United States postage stamps and issued in 1943 and 1946.

Norman Rockwell - Four Freedoms

Rockwell continued painting for the next twenty years and he also worked with his son, Thomas, to write an autobiography called “My Adventures as an Illustrator” which was published in 1960.  One of his most famous paintings featured in the book and also on the February 13, 1960 Saturday Evening Post cover called the “Triple Self-Portrait”.

Norman Rockwell - Triple-self portrait

By this time the Rockwell family had moved from New York to Stockbridge, Massachusetts in 1953 because Rockwell’s wife, Mary, was being treated at a psychiatric hospital in Stockbridge for mental health issues.  Then in 1959, Mary died suddenly of a heart attack.  Later Rockwell married his third wife, Mary “Molly” Punderson, a retired schoolteacher, on October 25, 1961.  Rockwell’s third marriage was to bring him great happiness and they enjoyed their lives together in Stockbridge.

Rockwell’s last Saturday Evening Post cover was published in 1963 and then he went to work creating covers for Look magazine for the following ten years.  During this period, Rockwell paintings became more serious in nature with such topics as civil rights and space exploration.  (shown below are the 1964 “The Problem We Live With” featuring Ruby Bridges and the 1965 “Suiting Up” featuring astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young – a copy of this one hangs in my husband’s home office)  Rockwell was also privately commissioned to paint the portraits of four United States President; they were Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.  At the age of eighty-two years old, Rockwell received his final commission from the Boy Scouts of America for their annual calendar, during his sixty-four year association with the organization and he created four hundred and seventy-one illustrations which were used in calendars, periodicals, guidebooks as well as other promotional items.

Norman Rockwell  - The Problem We Live With    Norman Rockwell - Grissom and Young
 

Norman Rockwell - Eisenhower portrait    Norman Rockwell  - Kennedy portrait

In 1977, Rockwell received the United States highest civilian honor of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his “vivid and affectionate portraits of our country”.  Sadly, Rockwell died on November 8, 1978 from emphysema and he is buried in the Stockbridge Cemetery in Stockbridge, MA.

Rockwell grave    Rockwell grave 1

The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA

In 1969, Norman and Molly Rockwell founded the Norman Rockwell Museum and its original location was at the Old Corner House in Stockbridge, MA.  In 1994, the museum moved to its current location on a 36 acre site overlooking the Housatonic River Valley.  The museum has the largest collection of almost 575 original Norman Rockwell art, including his many preliminary sketches and completed paintings for his many magazine covers.  The Norman Rockwell Museum archives contain more than 100,000 items which includes photographs, letters pertaining to his business, personal, and fan correspondence and personal mementos.  Visitors will also see Rockwell’s studio which was bequeathed to the museum in 1976 and features his original art materials, equipment, furnishings and his 500 volume art library.

Rockwell MuseumRockwell Studio

For more information on planning a trip to visit the Norman Rockwell Museum, please see their website at www.nrm.org.