• Lincoln Bedroom, Biden Administration
    Bruce White
    Lincoln Bedroom
    Second Floor
    This photograph of the Lincoln Bedroom, located on the Second Floor of the White House, was taken by Bruce White on October 30, 2021 during the Joseph R. Biden administration. Previously used as an office and Cabinet Room, the room became a bedroom in the family quarters during the 1902 Roosevelt renovation. Furnished during the administration of President Harry S. Truman, the room features furniture, artwork, and refurbishing reminiscent of the 1860s. In 2005, the room underwent refurbishing under the direction of First Lady Laura Bush enhancing the historical accuracy of the Lincoln Bedroom. Featured objects in this view include a handwritten and signed copy of the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln, and an engraving of Francis B. Carpenter’s 1864 painting, First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation.
  • Wedding Portrait of Jessie Woodrow Wilson Sayre
    Unknown
    celebrations
    weddings
    Second Floor
    This portrait photograph of Jessie Woodrow Wilson Sayre in her wedding gown was taken on November 25, 1913. Jessie, daughter of President Woodrow Wilson and First Lady Ellen Axson Wilson, married Francis Bowes Sayre on that day in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Photographed on the Second Floor of the White House, in either the East or West Sitting Room, Jessie is wearing a wedding gown made of white silk satin woven at the Pelgram and Meyer silk mill in Paterson, New Jersey. The skirt of the gown was narrow at the ankle but had slashes cut in the back, which were hidden by the court train, in order to make it easier for Jessie to walk down the aisle.
  • Wedding Portrait of Jessie Woodrow Wilson Sayre and Francis Bowes Sayre
    Unknown
    weddings
    celebrations
    Second Floor
    This portrait photograph of newlyweds Jessie Woodrow Wilson Sayre and Francis Bowes Sayre in their wedding ensembles was taken on November 25, 1913. Jessie, daughter of President Woodrow Wilson and First Lady Ellen Axson Wilson, married Sayre on that day in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House. Photographed on the Second Floor of the White House, in either the East or West Sitting Room, Jessie is wearing a wedding gown made of white silk satin woven at the Pelgram and Meyer silk mill in Paterson, New Jersey. The skirt of the gown was narrow at the ankle but had slashes cut in the back, which were hidden by the court train, in order to make it easier for Jessie to walk down the aisle.
  • Lynda Bird Johnson and Charles S. Robb Wedding Portrait
    O. J. Rapp
    celebrations
    weddings
    Second Floor
    Yellow Oval Room
    In this photograph by O. J. Rapp, Lynda Bird Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, poses alongside her husband, Marine Corps Capt. Charles S. Robb, following their wedding ceremony on December 9, 1967. The couple, photographed here in the Yellow Oval Room, was married in East Room of the White House. Lynda's wedding gown was designed by Geoffrey Beene and featured a high-necked, long sleeve narrow A-line type dress, made full by a center pleat down the back. The gown was made of pearl white Abraham silk satin in an internationally distinguished Swiss mill.
  • President and Mrs. Johnson Pose with the Johnson-Robb Wedding Party
    Frank Wolfe
    Yellow Oval Room
    Second Floor
    celebrations
    weddings
    In this photograph by Frank Wolfe, President Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson pose with their daughter, Lynda Bird Johnson, on her wedding day on December 9, 1967. The Johnsons are joined by Lynda's groom, Marine Corps Capt. Charles S. Robb, her younger sister, Luci Baines Johnson, to the right of Mrs. Johnson, and the wedding party in the Yellow Oval Room on the Second Floor of the White House. This photograph was captured following Lynda and Charles' ceremony in the East Room. Along with the bridal ensemble, Geoffrey Beene designed the bridesmaids’ red velvet dresses which were inspired by Francisco Goya’s 1787-1788 painting Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zúñiga and reflected the medieval aesthetic popularized by the 1967 film Camelot.
  • Designer Geoffrey Beene with Lynda Bird Johnson's Wedding Veil
    Yoichi R. Okamoto
    weddings
    celebrations
    Second Floor
    Center Hall
    clothing & accessories
    fashion
    In this photograph by Yoichi R. Okamoto, designer Geoffrey Beene holds up the shoulder-length veil worn by Lynda Bird Johnson at her wedding on December 9, 1967. Beene was captured in the Center Hall on the Second Floor of the White House that day ahead of the wedding ceremony. Lynda Bird Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, married Marine Corps Capt. Charles S. Robb in the East Room. The veil was made of silk illusion and attached to a coronet made of the same silk satin fabric and embroidery as her gown.
  • Mrs. Ford Takes Queen Elizabeth on a Tour of the White House
    David Hume Kennerly
    State Visit
    Second Floor
    Queens' Bedroom
    Head of State
    In this photograph by David Hume Kennerly, First Lady Betty Ford takes Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain on a tour of the White House on July 7, 1976. Here, they are captured in the Queens' Bedroom, located on the Second Floor of the Executive Mansion. The Queens' Bedroom is named for the royal guests that have stayed there in the White House, including Queen Elizabeth. Also displayed in the room during the Gerald R. Ford administration was a trumeau, a mirror and painting framed together that was presented to President Harry S. Truman and First Lady Bess Truman by Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, on behalf of her father, King George VI of Great Britain, during her visit to Washington, D.C. in 1951. Mrs. Ford's tour of the White House followed a State Arrival Ceremony held in honor of Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The British royals visited the United States from July 6 to 11 in celebration of the American Bicentennial.
  • Tricia Nixon's Wedding Place Setting
    Byron E. Schumaker
    President's Dining Room
    Second Floor
    tableware
    place settings
    This photograph of a dinner service place setting featuring Tricia Nixon's china pattern was taken by Byron E. Schumaker on May 8, 1971. The place setting is on a table in the President's Dining Room. The room is located on the Second Floor of the Executive Mansion in the northwest corner. The President's Dining Room was originally a bedroom referred to as the Prince of Wales Room after the 1860 visit of Edward Albert, Queen Victoria's son who would later become King Edward VII. It was not until the John F. Kennedy administration that the room became the President's Dining Room and the main eating room for the First Family. The dining room also features sideboards decorated with pieces of silver and a Zuber & Cie wallpaper depicting scenes from the American Revolution and natural landmarks.
  • The Queens' Bedroom, Biden Administration
    Bruce White
    Queens' Bedroom
    Second Floor
    This photograph of the Queens's Bedroom was taken by Bruce White on October 10, 2021 during the Joseph R. Biden administration. The room was refurbished during the Donald Trump administration with new fabrics and a floral-bordered carpet. The Queens' Bedroom is named for the royal guests that have stayed there, including five queens: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Queen Wilhelmina and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and Queen Frederika of Greece. The bed in the center of the room may have been purchased during the Andrew Jackson administration.
  • Stereograph of the State Bed-Rooms in the President's Mansion
    John Fillis Jarvis
    Underwood & Underwood
    Second Floor
    President's Dining Room
    This stereograph is labeled "State Bed-Rooms in the President's Mansion, Washington, D.C." and was published by John Fillis Jarvis ca. 1882. The grand "Lincoln" bed visible in this image was placed in the room in 1861 by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Since the John F. Kennedy administration, this room has been known as the President's Dining Room and is the primary dining room for the first family. It is located on the Second Floor of the Executive Mansion in the northwest corner.
  • Center Hall, Biden Administration
    Bruce White
    Second Floor
    Center Hall
    This photograph of the Center Hall was taken by Bruce White on October 30, 2021 during the Joseph R. Biden administration. The Center Hall traverses the length of the Second Floor from the east to the west ends of the Executive Mansion, much like the Cross Hall and the Ground Floor Corridor below. Here, the Center Hall is captured looking east toward the East Sitting Hall. The Center Hall serves as the lifeline of the first family’s residence, leading off into the Lincoln Bedroom, the Yellow Oval Room, and the Treaty Room, among others. It also serves as a drawing room for the first family and presidential guests who are received in the Yellow Oval Room. The furnishings invite those who would pass through to stop and sit, at least to view the artworks that the first family has chosen for display.
  • Mrs. Ford with Designer Frankie Welch
    Karl Schumacher
    fashion
    clothing & accessories
    Second Floor
    West Sitting Hall
    White House Guests
    This photograph of First Lady Betty Ford with designer Frankie Welch was taken by Karl Schumacher in the West Sitting Hall on February 15, 1975. Welch was one of the first designers to design “across the aisle,” creating gowns and scarves for first ladies Pat Nixon, Lady Bird Johnson, and Rosalynn Carter in addition to Mrs. Ford. After earning a degree in clothing and design at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, Welch relocated with her husband to Maryland, where she taught “clothes coordination” classes at the local university. Welch’s work is frequently described as “Americana,” and she often used the proceeds of her designs to give back to communities. Welch integrated her love of American culture and history in her designs, leaving a unique mark on the lexicon of American fashion.
  • Mrs. Ford in the Treaty Room
    David Hume Kennerly
    Second Floor
    Treaty Room
    fashion
    clothing & accessories
    In this photograph, taken by David Hume Kennelly, First Lady Betty Ford poses in the Treaty Room on December 24, 1975. The Treaty Room is located on the Second Floor of the Executive Mansion and is used as the president’s private study. Mrs. Ford is wearing a dress designed by Frankie Welch.
  • Johnson Family Celebrates Christmas Eve
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Yellow Oval Room
    Second Floor
    winter holidays
    Christmas
    This photograph of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his family celebrating Christmas Eve in the Yellow Oval Room was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on December 24, 1967. Here, First Lady Lady Bird Johnson leans over the shoulder of President Johnson to look at a book given by their daughter, Lynda, and son-in-law Capt. Charles S. Robb.
  • Johnson Family Celebrates Christmas in the Yellow Oval Room
    Jack E. Kightlinger
    Yellow Oval Room
    First Family
    Christmas
    winter holidays
    pets
    Second Floor
    This photograph of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his family opening Christmas presents in the Yellow Oval Room was taken by Jack E. Kightlinger on December 24, 1968. President Lyndon B. Johnson sits in a chair patting dog Yuki, flanked by First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and his daughter, Lynda Bird Johnson, who cradles her daughter Lucinda Desha Robb. Behind them, the president's daughter Luci crouches in front of a couch beside her son, Patrick Lyndon Nugent, who is opening a present. Other individuals can be seen in the background, including secretary Mary Rather, who stands near a Christmas tree. Although during early years of their administration the Johnson family celebrated Christmas at their Texas ranch, they celebrated Christmases in the Yellow Oval Room in 1967 and 1968.
  • Laura Bush Observes Lincoln Bedroom Restoration
    Susan Sterner
    staff
    restoration
    construction & maintenance
    Second Floor
    Residence staff
    Lincoln Bedroom
    refurbishment
    In this photograph, taken by Susan Sterner on January 4, 2005, First Lady Laura Welch Bush and White House Curator William G. Allman oversee the installation of window fixtures in the Lincoln Bedroom. The window fixtures were installed as part of Mrs. Bush's refurbishment project to restore the historical accuracy of the space and the adjoining Lincoln Sitting Room. Additional enhancements added to the room included period appropriate carpeting, wallpaper, and window hangings, a bed cornice, as well as the only marble mantel in the White House original to the era.
  • Queens' Sitting Room, Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Queens' Sitting Room
    Second Floor
    refurbishment
    This photograph of the Queens' Sitting Room was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, shortly after First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's redecoration of the room. Located on the Second Floor of the Executive Mansion, this sitting room is adjacent to the Queens' Bedroom. Mrs. Kennedy added the dark blue and white cotton wallpaper and black and gold furniture and was the previous owner of the tea table at center. Mrs. Kennedy left the tea table at the White House upon her departure.
  • Elevator Hall, John F. Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    mirrors
    furniture
    furnishings
    Second Floor
    refurbishment
    This photograph shows the elevator hall on the Second Floor during the John F. Kennedy administration. Like the nearby Center Hall and the East and West Sitting Halls, this space was redecorated by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Interior designer Sister Parish envisioned the design concept for the space, while furniture was acquired under the guidance of Henry Francis Du Pont and arranged by interior designer Stéphane Boudin. Prominently featured on the wall here is an 18th-century mirror loaned to the White House by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association.
  • Treaty Room, John F. Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    restoration
    Treaty Room
    Second Floor
    refurbishment
    This photograph of the Treaty Room was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on May 3, 1962 during the John F. Kennedy administration. The Treaty Room is located on the Second Floor of the White House and is used as the president’s private study where the commander-in-chief can analyze reports, hold private meetings, edit speeches, and host family gatherings. It is one of the most historic rooms in the house, bearing witness to the signing of the peace protocol between Spain and United States in 1898, the Limited Nuclear Test Ban between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1963, and is possibly where President James Monroe composed the Monroe Doctrine. It has also served as the Cabinet Room for various administrations including for presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and William McKinley. In 1962 First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, along with French interior designer Stéphane Boudin, oversaw the restoration of the Treaty Room including the installation of the deep green wallpaper with a red geometric design inspired by a decorative treatment for the State Rooms during the Andrew Johnson administration.
  • Yellow Oval Room, John F. Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Yellow Oval Room
    Second Floor
    refurbishment
    restoration
    This photograph of the Yellow Oval Room was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, following its restoration under the guidance of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Mrs. Kennedy and French interior designer Stéphane Boudin decorated the room with a pair of Louis XVI commodes and a pair of painted English armchairs with French black and ivory striped silk upholstery supplied by Boudin. The Yellow Oval Room has served as a family library, study, and sitting room. Under the direction of Mrs. Kennedy, it was made into a formal drawing room for the first family. The room is also where the president greets guests of honor before State Dinners. The room's color scheme echoes the yellow damask furnishings and curtains selected by First Lady Dolley Madison.
  • Center Hall, Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    refurbishment
    painting
    music
    instruments
    furnishings
    Second Floor
    Center Hall
    This photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, shows the southeast corner of the Center Hall on the Second Floor of the White House after its redecoration during the John F. Kennedy administration. On the wall hang a series of portraits of American Indians by American author and artist George Catlin borrowed by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy from the National Gallery of Art. Also visible is a baby grand piano previously owned by President Henry S. Truman, and half of a Chinese Coromandel screen first loaned and subsequently given to the White House by Mrs. Boyd Hatch in 1961. Like the nearby East and West Sitting Halls, this space was redecorated by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Interior designer Sister Parish envisioned the design concept for the space, while furniture was acquired under the guidance of Henry Francis du Pont and arranged by interior designer Stéphane Boudin. The Center Hall traverses the length of the Second Floor from the east to the west ends of the Executive Mansion, much like the Cross Hall and the Ground Floor Corridor on the two floors below it. The Center Hall serves as the lifeline of the first family’s residence, leading off into the Lincoln Bedroom, the Yellow Oval Room, and the Treaty Room, among others.
  • Center Hall, Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    refurbishment
    Second Floor
    Center Hall
    painting
    This photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, shows the Center Hall on the Second Floor of the White House after its redecoration during the John F. Kennedy administration. On the wall hang a series of portraits of American Indians by American author and artist George Catlin borrowed by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy from the National Gallery of Art. The portraits hang on either side of a doorway to the bedroom for the president and first lady's children, Caroline and John Jr. Like the nearby East and West Sitting Halls, this space was redecorated by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Interior designer Sister Parish envisioned the design concept for the space, while furniture was acquired under the guidance of Henry Francis du Pont and arranged by interior designer Stéphane Boudin. The Center Hall traverses the length of the Second Floor from the east to the west ends of the Executive Mansion, much like the Cross Hall and the Ground Floor Corridor. The Center Hall serves as the lifeline of the first family’s residence, leading off into the Lincoln Bedroom, the Yellow Oval Room, and the Treaty Room, among others.
  • Queens' Bedroom, Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    refurbishment
    Second Floor
    Queens' Bedroom
    This photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, shows the Queens' Bedroom, then called the Rose Guest Room, shortly after it was redecorated during the John F. Kennedy administration. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy collaborated with interior designer Stéphane Boudin to adorn the four-poster bed and window curtains with printed rose and off-white silk taffeta, and reupholster the sofa, bedside long bench, and chairs in white silk damask. As part of the redecoration, Mrs. Kennedy also installed a trumeau over the fireplace that was presented to the White House by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, then a princess, during the Henry S. Truman administration. The Queens' Bedroom is named for the royal guests that have stayed there, including five queens: Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Queen Wilhelmina and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, and Queen Frederika of Greece. The room is decorated in shades of pink, white, and rose and furniture from the Federal period. The bed in the center of the room may have been purchased during the Andrew Jackson administration.
  • Queens' Sitting Room, Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Queens' Sitting Room
    Second Floor
    refurbishment
    This photograph of the Queens' Sitting Room was taken on August 28, 1963, shortly after First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's redecoration of the room. Located on the Second Floor of the Executive Mansion, this sitting room is adjacent to the Queens' Bedroom. Mrs. Kennedy added the dark blue and white cotton wallpaper and black and gold furniture and was the previous owner of the tea table at center. Mrs. Kennedy left the tea table at the White House upon her departure.
  • Center Hall, Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    refurbishment
    Second Floor
    Center Hall
    painting
    furniture
    seats
    This photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, shows the Center Hall on the Second Floor of the White House after its redecoration during the John F. Kennedy administration. On the wall hang a series of portraits of American Indians by American author and artist George Catlin borrowed by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy from the National Gallery of Art. Beneath the paintings is a Federal sofa, on loan and attributed to Samuel McIntire. Like the nearby East and West Sitting Halls, this space was redecorated by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Interior designer Sister Parish envisioned the design concept for the space, while furniture was acquired under the guidance of Henry Francis du Pont and arranged by interior designer Stéphane Boudin. The Center Hall traverses the length of the Second Floor from the east to the west ends of the Executive Mansion, much like the Cross Hall and the Ground Floor Corridor on the floors below it. The Center Hall serves as the lifeline of the first family’s residence, leading off into the Lincoln Bedroom, the Yellow Oval Room, and the Treaty Room, among others.