This bergère by Pierre-Antoine Bellangé of Paris is part of a 53-piece gilded beechwood suite ordered for the Oval Room (later called the Blue Room) by President James Monroe in 1817. A bergère is an armchair with upholstered and enclosed sides. The bergère is one of two made for the president and first lady. The bergère was photographed by Bruce White in the Blue Room of the White House.

This carved and gilded beechwood pier table is of the French Empire style and was manufactured by Pierre-Antoine Bellange of Paris. This table is the only piece of the 53-piece Bellange suite purchased by President James Monroe that has always remained in the White House.

This tapered form work table is one of only four known nearly identical tables (a second is also present in the White House). Here it is shown with all its drawers and compartments open. Its form and complexity attribute the work to Duncan Phyfe of New York. This desk was made for a variety of tasks including: writing, sewing, or miniature painting. Phyfe was born in Scotland and emigrated to New York in 1784. He became one of the premiere cabinet makers in the United States during the first half of the 19th century, known for blending the previous English Neoclassical and Regency styles together in a distinctive way. Phyfe benefited from his location in New York City on Fulton Street, where he was able to ship his furniture out to the southern States and the rich cotton magnates there, as well as to international ports. The table was a gift of the Richard King Mellon Foundation to the White House in 1971.

This scrolled-back armchair was created by A. H. Davenport in 1902 during the Theodore Roosevelt administration. The armchair is one of six chairs ordered for the Green Room of the White House. The seats and backs were upholstered in tapestry fabric, making them the most expensive type of armchairs in the Green Room. The chairs were originally painted white but were later gilded in the 1930s.

This tall case clock by E. Howard Watch and Clock Company of Boston, Massachusetts was purchased for the White House in 1882 during the Chester A. Arthur administration. The clock was originally placed in the Cross Hall on the State Floor of the White House, where it remained until the 1930s when it was moved around to a number of rooms on the Ground Floor until 2003. President Arthur added a number of furnishings to the White House during his time office, though this clock was one of the few items to survive the 1902 White House renovation.

This gilded bronze and mirrored plateau or centerpiece was made by the Parisian firm Denière et Matelin circa 1817, during James Monroe's presidency. Elements of the plateau may have been based on designs by the famed French architects Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine, who completed many commissions for Napoleon. Visitors marveled over the elegant piece, shown here in the White House State Dining Room.

This walnut, brass, and ivory medicine chest was taken from the White House during the fire of August 24, 1814 and given to President Franklin D. Roosevelt by a descendant of Thomas Kains, a British naval officer who was part of the party that burned the White House down during the Invasion of Washington during the War of 1812. Bruce White photographed the medicine chest opened in 2023. To see the chest closed, see asset ID 1137880.

This walnut, brass, and ivory medicine chest was taken from the White House during the fire of August 24, 1814 and given to President Franklin D. Roosevelt by a descendant of Thomas Kains, a British naval officer who was part of the party that burned the White House down during the Invasion of Washington during the War of 1812. Bruce White photographed the medicine chest closed in 2023. To see the chest opened, see asset ID 1137879.

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.

This photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, shows the First Lady's Dressing Room during the John F. Kennedy administration. Prominently featured are a trompe-l’oeil wardrobe and a four-panel French-painted screen displaying a Chinese water garden and faux-marble wainscoting. The wardrobe was designed by Stéphane Boudin and painted by Pierre-Marie Rudelle with scenes from the life of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

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.

In this photograph, James Roe Ketchum, a National Park Service employee, is shown in the restored White House Library placing a lighthouse clock by Simon Willard and Son. Ketchum was brought into the White House to assist in the busy curator’s office as a registrar. The registrar supports the work of the White House curator, who is responsible for managing and preserving the historic art and furnishings of the White House Collection to museum-quality standards. The White House Office of the Curator was created by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961. In October 1963, at the age of 24, he was asked to take over as curator upon the departure of William Voss Elder III.

This photograph of the Red Room taken by Cecil Stoughton on November 5, 1963, illustrates the threat to publicly displayed antiques. A visitor hurled a decorative urn at a girandole mirror, resulting in its near destruction. The Red Room is located on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion. The room was first decorated with red fabrics during the James K. Polk administration in 1845. The space is often filled with furnishings in the American “Empire” or “Grecian” style. The parlor has been used for intimate receptions, teas, and meetings.

In this photograph taken by Robert L. Knudsen, visitors join White House curator Lorraine Waxman Pearce in front of a Chinese Coromandel screen first loaned and subsequently given to the White House by Mrs. Boyd Hatch on July 6, 1961. The screen as shown in the photograph was first used in the State Dining Room, it was later moved to the Center Hall on the Second Floor of the Executive Mansion. The State Dining Room is located on the State Floor of the White House. Though Thomas Jefferson used the space as his office, for most of the history of the White House the State Dining room has been a place for large meetings, receptions, and formal events. It was enlarged during President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1902 renovations and can seat up to 140 people. As the second largest area in the White House, the State Dining Room is used for formal dinners to honor heads of state and other dignitaries.

This photograph of a recently acquired serpentine chest and 18th-century looking glass was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 9, 1961 in the Old Family Dining Room. From 1825 to 1962, presidents and their families traditionally dined in the Old Family Dining Room. In 1962, with the addition of a new private family dining room on the Second Floor of the White House, the room was repurposed for small official dinners, working lunches, and also serves as a staging area for state dinners. Located on the State Floor of the White House, the room features architectural details such as elegant plasterwork and vaulted ceilings. During the Barack Obama administration, the room was opened to public tours for the first time.

This wall clock was custom made by the Chelsea Clock Company of Chelsea, Massachusetts in 2020 and was a gift of the White House Historical Association to the White House Collection. The clock hangs in the Ground Floor Corridor of the White House above the doorway leading to the president’s elevator. The face of the clock features an eagle on the upper half that was inspired by the James Monroe state service. White House calligraphers did the hand-lettering and numbering on the dial including the inscription “The President’s House” on the lower half of the clock’s face.

This photograph of Christmas decoration in the State Dining Room was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on December 13, 1961, during the John F. Kennedy administration. The image also shows the newly painted and gilded mahogany sideboard and console tables with eagle supports, made by A. H. Davenport & Company during the 1902 White House renovation. They were refinished in keeping with French interior designer Stéphane Boudin’s vision for the State Dining Room.

This is the intricately designed trompe-l’oeil marble top of a guéridon, or small table, made by Charles Honoré Lannuier circa 1810. This guéridon (small, circular French table) is made of mahogany, satinwood, rosewood, and possibly sycamore veneers, with gilded brass and marble. The table, a part of the White House Collection, also features an intricate Italian marble top and is considered a Lannuier masterpiece.

This photograph of a fireplace in one of the first-floor parlors of Decatur House was taken by Bruce White on December 8, 2017. The room is furnished with a selection of comfortable period reproductions and pieces from the Decatur House Collection and the first-floor parlors are now used as a special meeting and reception space by the White House Historical Association. Decorative arts objects from the collection on display in this photograph are Stephen Decatur’s 1812 presentation sword and one of a pair of figural candelabra owned by Marie Ogle Beale. Completed in 1818, Decatur House was the third building on Lafayette Square and its first private residence. It was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the architect of the Capitol and several other famous buildings, for Commodore Stephen Decatur (1779-1820) and his wife, Susan Wheeler Decatur. Tragically, on March 22, 1820 Stephen Decatur was mortally wounded during a duel. After his death, his widow Susan Decatur rented out the house to foreign ministers and several secretaries of state. The house was eventually sold and passed through several hands, including the Gadsby family, the U.S. Subsistence Bureau, and the Beale family. Marie Ogle Beale, a society maven and the last owner left the house to National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1961. In 2010, the White House Historical Association and National Trust entered into a co-stewardship arrangement of Decatur House.

This sword was presented to Commodore Stephen Decatur by the Commonwealth of Virginia following his capture of the Macedonia on October 25, 1812. The blade was created in Philadelphia by William Rose and features an ivory and parcel-gilt hilt topped with a cast eagle, silver gilt plate, and brass stripes on the edges, and inlaid with gold foliage and silver lettering. An inscription on the blade reads, “In testimony of the splendid naval talents and valor displayed by Commodore Stephen Decatur commanding the United States Frigate UNITED STATES in the capture of the English Frigate MACEDONIA 25th, October 1812.” This presentation sword is part of the collection at Decatur House. In 2010, the White House Historical Association and National Trust entered into co-stewardship arrangement and Decatur House now serves as the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History.

This sewing table is made of wood and coated with between three and fifteen layers of fine black and gold lacquer. The sewing table was made in the early 19th century and is believed to have been an engagement gift from Stephen Decatur to his fiancée — a “Miss. King.” The King family passed the table down from generation to generation despite the couple not marrying. Stephen Decatur would go on to marry Susan Wheeler. The sewing table was made in China for the American market and originally had a silk bag attached to it, which was replaced with a mauve damask fabric in the 20th century. This table is a part of Decatur House Collection. In 2010, the White House Historical Association and National Trust entered into co-stewardship arrangement and Decatur House now serves as the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History.

This celestial globe was created by William and Thomas Marriott Bardin (professionally known as W. & T. M. Bardin) circa 1800 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The globe is made of wood, brass, and glass and set on a three-legged wooden stand. There is a round compass at the juncture of the stretchers and the sphere and stand both have the months and zodiac names on it. The globe captures the position of stars observed in 1800 by Dr. William Hershel and is dedicated to Rev. Nevil Maskelyne, astronomer royal. This globe is one of a pair in the Decatur House Collection. The other is a terrestrial globe. It is believed these globes are part of the 1820 estate inventory of Decatur House. In 2010, the White House Historical Association and National Trust entered into co-stewardship arrangement and Decatur House now serves as the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History.

This sword and scabbard was presented to Commodore Stephen Decatur by the Commonwealth of Virginia following his capture of the Macedonia on October 25, 1812. The blade was created in Philadelphia by William Rose and features an ivory and parcel-gilt hilt topped with a cast eagle, silver gilt plate, and brass stripes on the edges, and inlaid with gold foliage and silver lettering. An inscription on the blade reads, “In testimony of the splendid naval talents and valor displayed by Commodore Stephen Decatur commanding the United States Frigate UNITED STATES in the capture of the English Frigate MACEDONIA 25th, October 1812.” The scabbard is made of gilt silver with cast-applied nautical decorations. This presentation sword and scabbard are a part of the collection at Decatur House. In 2010, the White House Historical Association and National Trust entered into co-stewardship arrangement and Decatur House now serves as the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History.

This fire screen by Pierre-Antoine Bellangé forms part of the 53 piece suite purchased by President James Monroe in 1817. This photograph of the fire screen shows the piece during conservation treatment, with its upholstery and gilding removed. The White House Historical Association funded all aspects of this restoration.

This convex mirror, made in the early 19th century, remains a part of the White House furnishings. In this photograph, the mirror is hanging in the Red Room and reflects the furnishings and fireplace in the ornate room during the John F. Kennedy administration.