Treasures of the White House Book

A miniature handbook of the most important furnishings of the White House.

For nearly two centuries, the White House has served as the residence of our nation's president and his family. John and Abigail Adams were the first residents, and each family ever since has been encouraged, through congressional appropriations and private contributions, to make the White House a comfortable home and to provide the necessities for handsomely carrying out its additional functions as nexus for state ceremony and entertaining. As a result, the decorative objects acquired for the White House cover a wide range of genres, all rich with historic association.

This treasury of our nation's valuable heirlooms, selected by the curator of the White House, includes some of the finest examples of American paintings, sculpture, furniture, silver, glass, and porcelain. In addition to excellent pictures of the objects, there are photographs that show them as arranged in state rooms. A concise essay introduces the collection and places it in historic context, and two additional pieces survey both the fine arts and the decorative arts in the president's house. This pocket-size book is an ideal gift for those interested in beautiful historic objects or those who would like a comprehensive memento of a visit to the nation's capital.

Author Biography: Betty C. Monkman has worked in the White House curator's office since 1967; in 1997 she was named curator. She has written numerous articles on White House decorative arts and has lectured throughout the country. Bruce White, formerly a staff photographer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specializes in the photography of works of art and architecture.