• President Kennedy Meets with Ambassador of Ireland in the Oval Office
    Cecil Stoughton
    West Wing
    St. Patrick's Day
    Oval Office
    presidential gifts
    This White House photograph of President John F. Kennedy meeting with Ambassador Thomas J. Kiernan of Ireland was taken by Cecil Stoughton on March 17, 1961 in the Oval Office. Ambassador Kiernan presented President Kennedy with an arrangement of shamrocks and a scroll displaying the Kennedy family coat of arms and signed by the chief herald of Ireland, Gerard Slevin.
  • President John F. Kennedy and Ambassador of Ireland Thomas J. Kiernan Meet in the Oval Office, 1961
    Cecil Stoughton
    St. Patrick's Day
    presidential gifts
    This close-up photograph of the scroll presented to President John F. Kennedy by Ambassador Thomas J. Kiernan of Ireland was taken by Cecil Stoughton on March 17, 1961. The scroll was signed by the chief herald of Ireland and features the Kennedy family coat of arms. Ambassador Kiernan presented the scroll and an arrangement of shamrocks to President Kennedy in the Oval Office of the White House that St. Patrick's Day.
  • President Johnson Meets with Ambassador of Ireland
    Cecil Stoughton
    Oval Office
    St. Patrick's Day
    presidential gifts
    West Wing
    In this photograph taken by Cecil Stoughton, Ambassador William P. Fay of Ireland presents President Lyndon B. Johnson with an engraved Waterford Crystal bowl filled with shamrocks on March 17, 1965 in the Oval Office. The gift was from the President Eamon de Valera of Ireland on St. Patrick's Day.
  • Lynda Bird Johnson and Warrie Lynn Smith Throw Snowballs
    Cecil Stoughton
    snow
    South Grounds
    South Lawn
    This photograph, taken by Cecil Stoughton on February 11, 1964, depicts first daughter Lynda Bird Johnson and her friend Warrie Lynn Smith throwing snowballs on the South Grounds of the White House. The daughter of Richard Warfield Smith, a San Antonio hardware dealer, Warrie Lynn Smith was Lynda's roommate at the White House from January to May 1964, while both attended classes at George Washington University. Although Warrie moved backed to Texas to complete her studies at the University of Texas, she returned to the White House on numerous occasions, including to serve as Lynda's maid of honor during her East Room wedding on December 9, 1967.
  • President Johnson Meets with Civil Rights Leaders
    Cecil Stoughton
    meetings
    West Wing
    Cabinet Room
    civil rights
    In this photograph, taken by Cecil Stoughton on June 24, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with leaders from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the Cabinet Room of the West Wing. In attendance was Roy Wilkins, executive director of the NAACP, and over 30 members of the organization's senior leadership including members of the NAACP Board of Directors and vice presidents. The leaders had gathered in Washington, D.C. for the 55th annual convention of the NAACP, where they sought protection from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the federal government for African Americans in Mississippi following the disappearance of civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, who were later confirmed to be murdered.
  • Mrs. Kennedy with Members of AIID in the Refurbished Library
    Cecil Stoughton
    refurbishment
    Library
    Ground Floor
    restoration
    This photograph, taken by Cecil Stoughton on June 12, 1962, shows First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with members of the American Institute of Interior Designers (AIID) at the opening of the finished White House Library. The refurbishment project was gifted by the AIID and directed by Henry Frances du Pont. The new features in the room included a donated circa 1810 octagonal table, a French Aubusson rug, and a newly installed chandelier.
  • Meeting About the Proposed National Cultural Center
    Cecil Stoughton
    presidential buildings
    State Floor
    John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
    East Room
    arts & culture
    This photograph of President John F. Kennedy talking with guests during a meeting on the National Cultural Center was taken by Cecil Stoughton in the East Room on October 8, 1963. The National Cultural Center would later become later known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as a memorial to President Kennedy. The East Room is located on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion. The room is the largest room in the White House and is often used as a ceremonial space. The room is painted white and has 18th-century French and English-inspired ornate walls and ceiling. To make way for temporary furniture for ceremonies and holiday decorations, the East Room is usually sparsely furnished.
  • Presentation of the First Edition of The White House: A Historic Guide
    Cecil Stoughton
    West Wing
    Roosevelt Room
    Presidential Seal
    WHHA
    This photograph is of First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy with David E. Finley, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the White House Historical Association, at the presentation of the first edition of "The White House: A Historic Guide." The publication serves as a companion book for tours of the White House, providing a history of the rooms, architecture, and furniture. The presentation of the first edition took place in the Fish Room, now known as the Roosevelt Room, and was photographed by Cecil Stoughton on June 28, 1962.
  • Presentation of the First Edition of The White House: A Historic Guide
    Cecil Stoughton
    West Wing
    Roosevelt Room
    Presidential Seal
    WHHA
    This photograph is of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy admiring their copies of the first edition of "The White House: A Historic Guide." The publication serves as a companion book for tours of the White House, providing history of the rooms, architecture, and furniture. The presentation of the first edition took place in the Fish Room, now known as the Roosevelt Room and was photographed by Cecil Stoughton on June 28, 1962.
  • President John F. Kennedy Signs Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
    Cecil Stoughton
    signing
    Treaty Room
    Second Floor
    treaties
    In this photograph, taken by Cecil Stoughton on October 7, 1963, President John F. Kennedy speaks during the signing ceremony for the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in the Treaty Room of the White House. Ratified by the U.S. Senate on September 24, 1963, the treaty allowed underground nuclear tests, but prohibited tests in the water, atmosphere, or outer space. The signers pledged to end the arms race, move to complete disarmament, and protect the environment from nuclear contamination. The ceremony was held shortly after the Treaty Room was restored by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and interior designer Stéphane Boudin. The refurbished room paid homage to late 19th-century splendor and included deep green flocked wallpaper with a geometric border based on a design used for the State Rooms of the White House during the Andrew Jackson administration, a cabinet table, sofa, and chandeliers from the Ulysses S. Grant administration; and notable works of art such as Peter Frederick Rothermel's "The Republican Court in the Days of Lincoln," pictured here on the wall behind President Kennedy.
  • Reception for the Centennial Year of the Emancipation Proclamation
    Cecil Stoughton
    State Floor
    Green Room
    receptions
    This photograph of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the recently restored Green Room was taken by Cecil Stoughton on February 12, 1963 during a reception to mark the centennial year of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, and granted freedom to enslaved people residing in Confederate states. The Green Room is located on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion. It was the first room named after the color of its textiles and has Federal-style furnishings. The elegant but relaxed parlor is used for small gatherings, interviews, and teas.
  • Air Force One at Stewart Air Force Base
    Cecil Stoughton
    Air Force One
    transportation
    This photograph of Air Force One, the president’s official airplane, was taken by Cecil Stoughton on November 10, 1962 at Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, New York. President John F. Kennedy was in New York to attend the funeral of former First Lady Eleanor Rooosvelt. American industrial designer Raymond Loewy created both the exterior paint treatment and the interior decor of the plane for President Kennedy.
  • The Kennedys Attend Staff Christmas Reception
    Cecil Stoughton
    winter holidays
    State Floor
    Entrance Hall
    Christmas
    parties
    This photograph by Cecil Stoughton shows President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy attending the White House staff Christmas reception. The reception took place on December 12, 1962, in the Entrance Hall of the White House. The official White House Christmas tree was in the Entrance Hall that year due to work being done in the Blue Room, where the tree traditionally resides. This would be their last Christmas celebration in the White House.
  • President Kennedy at the Resolute Desk
    Cecil Stoughton
    furniture
    West Wing
    Resolute Desk
    Oval Office
    case goods
    In this photograph taken circa 1962, President John F. Kennedy sits at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. The desk was made from the oak timbers of the British ship H.M.S. Resolute and sent as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from Queen Victoria in 1880. For her first redecoration of the Oval Office in early 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and interior designer Sister Parish had the desk relocated from the Ground Floor to a place of prominence in the Oval Office.
  • President and Mrs. Kennedy with Project Mercury Astronauts
    Cecil Stoughton
    astronauts
    Yellow Oval Room
    Second Floor
    White House Guests
    In this photograph, taken by Cecil Stoughton on May 21, 1963, President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy entertain astronauts Maj. L. Gordon Cooper, Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard, Maj. Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Lt. Cmdr. M. Scott Carpenter, Maj, Donald K. “Deke” Slayton, Cmdr. Walter M. Schirra and their spouses in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House. Earlier that day, President Kennedy presented the NASA Distinguished Service Medal to Maj. Cooper for his success with the Project Mercury orbital mission. Maj. Cooper flew the Mercury-Atlas 9 ("Faith 7"), which was the final Mercury flight. He flew just over 34 hours and orbited the earth 22 times before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. The other astronauts were also participants of Project Mercury and took part in early United States spaceflight missions. This photograph shows the president, first lady, and their guests relaxing in the Yellow Oval Room shortly after it was restored into a formal drawing room by Mrs. Kennedy.
  • Presentation of the First Edition of The White House: A Historic Guide
    Cecil Stoughton
    West Wing
    Roosevelt Room
    WHHA
    Presidential Seal
    This photograph is of Dr. Melville Bell Grosvenor, president and editor of the National Geographic Society, handing First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy a copy of the first edition of "The White House: A Historic Guide." The publication serves as a companion book for tours of the White House, providing a history of the rooms, architecture, and furniture. The presentation of the first edition took place in the Fish Room, now known as the Roosevelt, and was photographed by Cecil Stoughton on June 28, 1962. Behind them are President John F. Kennedy; David E. Finley, chairman of the board of directors of the White House Historical Association; Lorraine Waxman Pearce, curator of the White House; Dr. Leonard Carmichael, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and member of the board of directors of the White House Historical Association; Melvin M. Payne, executive vice president and secretary of the National Geographic Society; (partially visible) Nash Castro, assistant regional director of the National Park Service and administrative officer of the White House Historical Association.
  • Oval Office Looking Towards the Fireplace, Kennedy Administration
    Cecil Stoughton
    refurbishment
    West Wing
    Oval Office
    textiles
    This photograph of the seating area next to the fireplace in the Oval Office shows the newly installed carpet that had been selected by President John F. Kennedy and French interior designer Stéphane Boudin. Cecil Stoughton photographed the office on November 23, 1963, the day after President Kennedy's assassination. Although the restoration of the White House is most closely associated with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, President Kennedy himself guided the choices for the redecoration of the Oval Office. Tragically, he never saw the completed room, as the curtains and carpet were being installed while he was in Dallas in November 1963.
  • Oval Office, John F. Kennedy Administration
    Cecil Stoughton
    refurbishment
    West Wing
    Oval Office
    textiles
    This photograph of the Oval Office with recently-installed new carpet and drapes was taken by Cecil Stoughton on November 23, 1963, the day after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy and French interior designer Stéphane Boudin selected the carpet and drapes. Although the restoration of the White House is most closely associated with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, President Kennedy himself guided the choices for the redecoration of the Oval Office. Tragically, he never saw the completed room, as the curtains and carpet were being installed while he was in Dallas in November 1963.
  • Oval Office, John F. Kennedy Administration
    Cecil Stoughton
    refurbishment
    furniture
    case goods
    West Wing
    Resolute Desk
    Oval Office
    textiles
    This photograph of the Oval Office with recently-installed new carpet and drapes was taken by Cecil Stoughton on November 23, 1963, the day after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy and French interior designer Stéphane Boudin selected the carpet and drapes. Although the restoration of the White House is most closely associated with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, President Kennedy himself guided the choices for the redecoration of the Oval Office. Tragically, he never saw the completed room, as the curtains and carpet were being installed while he was in Dallas in November 1963.
  • State Funeral for President John F. Kennedy
    Cecil Stoughton
    military
    lighting
    funerals
    Presidential Seal
    Cross Hall
    torcheres
    This photograph of the entrance to the Blue Room as seen from the Cross Hall was taken by Cecil Stoughton on November 24, 1963. The Presidential Seal hangs above the entryway, which has been draped in black mourning crepe for the State Funeral of President John F. Kennedy. Following his assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, Kennedy's body lay in state in the East Room of the White House and the United States Capitol Building prior to burial at Arlington National Cemetery. This photograph was taken on the day the president's body departed from the White House to lie in state at the Capitol. By the flags on either side of the door are a gilded bronze light standards created by McKim, Mead & White for the 1902 White House renovations. The candle arms of the light standards were extended during First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's redecoration of the White House.
  • State Funeral for President John F. Kennedy
    Cecil Stoughton
    Blue Room
    funerals
    State Floor
    This photograph, taken on November 24, 1963, shows the Blue Room of the White House dressed in mourning for the State Funeral for President John F. Kennedy. Black crepe hangs from the central chandelier and is draped on the mantelpiece. Following his assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, Kennedy's body lay in state in the East Room of the White House and the United States Capitol Building prior to burial at Arlington National Cemetery. This photograph was taken on the day the president's body departed from the White House to lie in state at the Capitol.
  • Riderless Horse Equipment for Kennedy Funeral Procession
    Cecil Stoughton
    funerals
    Library
    Ground Floor
    This photograph shows the caparison that was carried by riderless horse Black Jack during President John F. Kennedy's funeral procession on November 25, 1963. The materials, seen here on a circa 1810 octagonal library in the Library, include a saddle, blanket, sword, boots, and spurs. After the funeral, the equipment was presented by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment Old Guard to assistant military aide Lt. Col. James M. Connell. Connell also served as military aide to General of the Army Omar N. Eradley and President Lyndon B. Johnson.
  • Reception Following Funeral for President John F. Kennedy
    Cecil Stoughton
    First Family
    Red Room
    State Floor
    funerals
    Head of State
    In this photograph, taken on November 25, 1963, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and her brother-in-law Senator Edward Kennedy receive guests in the Red Room following the State Funeral for President John F. Kennedy. Here, Mrs. Kennedy shakes hands with Prince Georg Valdemar of Denmark. Also pictured among the distinguished guests are Danish Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag; Prince Jean of Luxembourg; Prince Moulay Abdallah of Morocco; U.S. Chief of Protocol Angier Biddle Duke; and Brig. Gen. Godfrey T. McHugh, Air Force aide to President Kennedy. Following his assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, Kennedy's body lay in state in the East Room of the White House and the United States Capitol Building prior to burial at Arlington National Cemetery three days later. A funeral service was held at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
  • President Kennedy Dedicates State Dining Room Mantle
    Cecil Stoughton
    restoration
    refurbishment
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    mantels
    This photograph was taken by Cecil Stoughton on July 2, 1962, during the dedication ceremony for a new marble mantle in the State Dining Room. The mantel was a joint gift of the architecture firm Steinmann, Cain and White and the Marble Industry Board of New York. Pictured between President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in front of the mantel is Alice Roosevelt Longworth, eldest daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. The mantel was a modified reproduction of an earlier mantel created by McKim, Mead & White for President Roosevelt's White House renovations in 1902.
  • Reception for the Centennial Year of the Emancipation Proclamation
    Cecil Stoughton
    State Floor
    Cross Hall
    receptions
    This photograph of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy receiving guests in the Cross Hall during a reception to mark the centennial year of the Emancipation Proclamation was taken by Cecil Stoughton on February 12, 1963. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, and granted freedom to enslaved people residing in Confederate states. Located on the State Floor of the White House, the Cross Hall runs the length of the Executive Mansion and offers views of the East, Red, Green, and Blue Rooms.