An Artist Visits the White House Past
From its construction in 1792, until the 1902 renovation that shaped the modern identity and functions of the interior of the White House, the fourteen paintings of this series examine the history of a national icon. Through meticulous research and tireless attention to detail, numerous sources inspired the brush of Peter Waddell to create a vision of the White House as it was, and to gain an appreciation of the nineteenth-century house and the men and women who lived and worked within its walls. From President John Quincy Adams taking a dangerous swim to Theodore Roosevelt's son in the conservatory, view the White House past through these modern looks at the past.
"A Vision Takes Form"
The White House Under Construction
"A Bird that Whistles"
In Jefferson's Cabinet
"The Splendid Mrs. Madison"
In the Elliptical Saloon
"Tiber Creek: The Bathers"
John Quincy Adams Takes a Deadly Chance
"The Great Cheese"
Jacksonian Democracy Enjoys a Special Treat
"Visitors from the East"
President Buchanan Greets Visitors From Far Away
"The Visit"
A War Worker Calls for a Favor
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Collection President Truman's Renovation
During the administration of President Harry S. Truman, the White House underwent a renovation and expansion so extensive, it changed...
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Collection The President's Neighborhood
Since the White House was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800, influential people and organizations—or those who hoped to...
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Collection Italy in the White House
Long before the emergence of the United States and Italy as nations, close connections between our two peoples influenced political...
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White House Decorative Arts in the 1900s
Increased coverage by the press and public interest in the lives of the White House families inevitably has led to...
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The Historic Decatur House
When Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., and his wife, Susan, moved to the new federal city in 1816, they purchased land on...
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Comfort in My Retirement
They have been four years of incessant labour and anxiety and of great responsibility. I am heartily rejoiced that my...
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A Portrait of Spanish Conquistador Hernan Corte's
Late in James K. Polk’s presidency, his wife Sarah Childress Polk received an unusual gift that implicitly equated expansionism wi...
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The Man Who Came to Dinner at the White House
To Alexander Woollcott, the White House was the “best theatrical boarding house in Washington.” To his hostess, First Lady Eleanor Roos...
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The President's Park
A recent magazine article described the garden of the White House, “known as the President’s Park,” as covering 82 acres and en...
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The Corcoran Mansion
William Wilson Corcoran—banker, philanthropist, and patron of the arts—resided in picturesque splendor on the northwest corner of Lafayette Park...
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White House Stonecutting Tools
Inventories of the tools in the stonecutting sheds suggest that some of the stone was sawed, a technique that bypassed...
