• President Trump and Coronavirus Task Force Speak to the Press
    Shealah Craighead
    press
    crisis & controversy
    West Wing
    Press Briefing Room
    Cabinet
    staff
    staff of FLOTUS and POTUS
    This photograph of President Donald Trump taking questions from the press was taken by Shealah Craighead on March 14, 2020. Alongside President Trump were members of the White House Coronavirus Taskforce, including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, and Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin. This press conference was taken in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • President George W. Bush Attends a Menorah Lighting Ceremony
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    State Floor
    Hanukkah
    Grand Staircase
    Entrance Hall
    menorahs
    This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead on December 15, 2001, during a menorah lighting ceremony in the Entrance Hall near the Grand Staircase. Although previous administrations had observed Hanukkah, and menorah lighting ceremonies had been held in the Oval Office during the Bill Clinton administration, the first menorah lighting ceremony was held in the Executive Residence during the George W. Bush administration in 2001. Here, President George W. Bush delivers remarks. The menorah used for the ceremony was presented to President Harry S. Truman in 1951 by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion of Israel. The grandsons of both world leaders, Clifton Truman Daniel and Yariv Ben-Eliezer, lit the menorah together at the ceremony.
  • Halloween at the White House, 2018
    Shealah Craighead
    Halloween
    decorations
    South Portico
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead on October 28, 2018, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcome trick-or-treaters by the South Portico for a Halloween celebration at the White House for military families. For the festivities, the South Portico was adorned with decorative cornstalks, autumnal trees, hay bales, and pumpkins. The event included performances of seasonal tunes by the United States Air Force Strolling Strings as well as a variety of activities on the South Grounds including a hay bale maze, a moon carpet by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a robotics display by the Department of Education, and the opportunity to see a variety of vehicles including the presidential limousine, popularly known as "The Beast."
  • U.S. Air Force Strolling Strings Perform for Halloween 2018
    Shealah Craighead
    U.S. Air Force Band
    military
    music
    performing
    South Portico
    Halloween
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead on October 28, 2018, musicians from the United States Air Force Strolling Strings perform on South Portico for a Halloween celebration at the White House hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for military families. For the festivities, the military band performed a variety of popular and seasonal tunes including Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and songs from "Harry Potter," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "The Addams Family." The event also featured a variety of activities on the South Grounds including a hay bale maze, a moon carpet by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a robotics display by the Department of Education, and the opportunity to see a variety of vehicles including the presidential limousine, popularly known as "The Beast."
  • U.S. Air Force Strolling Strings Perform for Halloween 2018
    Shealah Craighead
    military
    U.S. Air Force Band
    music
    performing
    Halloween
    South Portico
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead on October 28, 2018, musicians from the United States Air Force Strolling Strings perform on South Portico for a Halloween celebration at the White House hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for military families. For the festivities, the military band performed a variety of popular and seasonal tunes including Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and songs from "Harry Potter," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "The Addams Family." The event also featured a variety of activities on the South Grounds including a hay bale maze, a moon carpet by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a robotics display by the Department of Education, and the opportunity to see a variety of vehicles including the presidential limousine, popularly known as "The Beast."
  • Pastry Chefs Work on the 2006 White House Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    staff
    gingerbread
    decorations
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    food & drink
    Christmas
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier, and the White House pastry team work on the 2006 official White House Gingerbread House in the China Room. Mesnier retired in 2004 but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season, where it was displayed in the State Dining Room. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing. Pictured here from left to right: Roland Mesnier, Mark Ramsdell, Marlene Roudebush, and an unknown pastry chef.
  • Installation of the 2006 White House Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    Christmas
    staff
    Residence staff
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier assists members of the White House Operations Crew in placing the 2006 Official White House Gingerbread House on a pier table in the State Dining Room. Mesnier retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Preliminary Sketch for the 2006 White House Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    drawings
    decorations
    Christmas
    This preliminary sketch by White House Calligrapher Debra Brown shows a design idea for the 2006 White House Gingerbread House. The "Red and White" Gingerbread House was designed to complement the holiday theme selected by First Lady Laura Welch Bush. Former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier, who retired in 2004, returned at Mrs. Bush's request to oversee the creation of the gingerbread house. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Chefs Mesnier and Ramsdell Assemble the 2006 Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    food & drink
    gingerbread
    decorations
    China Room
    State Floor
    winter holidays
    staff
    Residence staff
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (right) and assistant pastry chef Mark Ramsdell (left) work on assembling the 2006 Official White House Gingerbread House in the China Room. Ramsdell joined the White House pastry team in 1992, and worked alongside Mesnier as an assistant pastry chef in the White House Kitchen during the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Mesnier retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Preparation of the 2006 "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    staff
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    Christmas
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, pastry chefs including Mark Ramsdell (far left), former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (second from left) and Marlene Roudebush (far right) consult during the construction of the "Red and White" Gingerbread House in the China Room. The partially assembled gingerbread house is visible in the background, while a table holding a wall and plans is visible in the foreground. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Preparation of the 2006 "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    staff
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    Christmas
    China Room
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier pours coverture chocolate into a cone as part of the preparations for the assembly of the "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. Mesnier and his team piped coverture chocolate against the walls of the house to support its structural foundation. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Detail of the 2006 "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Christmas
    This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006. It shows a close-up of the "Red and White" gingerbread house, with details including snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing. The gingerbread house was modeled after the White House and included architectural details such as the grand, arched windows of the East and West Sitting Halls. Construction was overseen by former Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season.
  • Preparation of Window Details for the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Christmas
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead, a member of the White House Pastry team prepares the windows and architectural details for the 2006 "Red and White" gingerbread house. The detailing of the windows were created by piping royal icing on top of a base cut from a sheet of white fondant. Construction and design of the gingerbread house was overseen by former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Architectural Plans and Decorations for the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    decorations
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    Christmas
    This photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, shows a table in the China Room topped with materials used by the White House pastry team for the creation of the "Red and White" gingerbread house. Included among the materials are architectural drawings of the White House, which the pastry team consulted in creating the model of their gingerbread house. Construction and design of the "Red and White" gingerbread house was overseen by former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Preparation of the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Christmas
    This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, during the construction of the "Red and White" gingerbread house. Here, a member of the White House pastry team uses a rotary tool to drill holes into a wall of the gingerbread house. The holes were filled with tempered couverture chocolate and used to support architectural details more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing. Construction and design of the gingerbread house was overseen by former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season.
  • Preparation of Window Details for the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Christmas
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead, a member of the White House Pastry team prepares the windows and architectural details for the 2006 "Red and White" gingerbread house. The detailing of the windows were created by piping royal icing on top of a base cut from a sheet of white fondant. Construction and design of the gingerbread house was overseen by former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Preparation of "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    staff
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    Christmas
    This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, during the construction of the "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. Here, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (far left) examines tempered couverture chocolate while other members of the pastry team including Mark Ramsdell and Marlene Roudebush work at a table in front of the fireplace at right. Mesnier oversaw construction and design of the "Red and White" gingerbread house. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Preparation of Window Details for the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    staff
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    Christmas
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead, members of the White House Pastry team prepare the windows and architectural details for the 2006 "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. The detailing of the windows were created by piping royal icing on top of a base cut from a sheet of white fondant. Construction and design of the gingerbread house was overseen by former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • White House Pastry Chefs Assemble 2006 Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    food
    decorations
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    staff
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, pastry chefs including Mark Ramsdell (far left), former Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (second from left), and Marlene Roudebush (far right) consult during the construction of their "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. A table with a section of the wall and plans is visible in the foreground. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004 but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Chef Mesnier Assembles the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    staff
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    Christmas
    This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, during the construction of the "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. Here, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier assembles gingerbread base for the roof of the gingerbread house. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Preparation of the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Ground Floor
    Christmas
    China Room
    This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, during the construction of the "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. Pictured here is the south view of the gingerbread White House. A thin gingerbread veneer was created to enhance the visual appearance of rounded surfaces such as the reconstructed South Portico. Construction and design of the gingerbread house was overseen by former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • White House Pastry Chefs Assemble 2006 Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    China Room
    Ground Floor
    decorations
    food
    gingerbread
    staff
    winter holidays
    In this photograph, taken by Shealah Craighead, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (left) and assistant pastry chef Mark Ramsdell (right) work on assembling the 2006 Official White House Gingerbread House in the China Room. Ramsdell joined the White House pastry team in 1992, and worked alongside Mesnier as an assistant pastry chef in the White House Kitchen during the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Mesnier retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Assembly of the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    Christmas
    This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, during the construction of the "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. Here, members of the White House pastry team erect the cornerstone wall of the gingerbread house. Couverture chocolate was piped against the walls of the house to support its structural foundation. Construction and design of the gingerbread house was overseen by former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Preparation of the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    staff
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    Christmas
    This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, during the construction of the "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. Here, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier completes the finishing touches on a vibrant red tree made of marzipan "berries" that accompanied the gingerbread display. Prominently featured in the background is Howard Chandler Christy's ca. 1924 portrait of First Lady Grace Goodhue Coolidge. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.
  • Assembly of the "Red and White" Gingerbread House
    Shealah Craighead
    winter holidays
    staff
    gingerbread
    food & drink
    decorations
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    Christmas
    This photograph was taken by Shealah Craighead in 2006, during the construction of the "Red and White" gingerbread house in the China Room. Here, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier measures the base for the Third Floor of the gingerbread house. Mesnier's career at the White House began in 1979. He retired in 2004, but returned at the request of First Lady Laura Welch Bush to create the "Red and White" gingerbread house for the 2006 holiday season. Mesnier and his team decorated the gingerbread White House with more than 850 snowflakes and red bows made from royal icing.