• 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Treaty Room, Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Treaty Room
    Second Floor
    This photograph, taken on August 28, 1963, shows the Treaty Room of the White House prior to restoration completed during the John F. Kennedy administration. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy collaborated with designer Stéphane Boudin to restore the room to a reception space and late-night conference room, enhanced with historic details from the late 19th-century including chandeliers and furniture from the Ulysses S. Grant administration and a wallpaper with geometric borders suggestive of the style used on the State Floor during the Andrew Johnson administration.
  • Queens' Bedroom Staged for a Renovation
    Robert L. Knudsen
    construction & maintenance
    Queens' Bedroom
    Second Floor
    This photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on October 24, 1963, shows the Queens' Bedroom, then called the Rose Guest Room, apparently under renovation. The effect was staged by Chief Usher J. B. West and the White House Carpentry Shop, as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy used the unfinished rooms as an excuse to amend an overnight guest invitation. The Lincoln Bedroom was similarly staged for the ruse. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's redecoration of the Queens' Bedroom was completed by late August 1963.
  • Lincoln Bedroom Staged for a Renovation
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Lincoln Bedroom
    Second Floor
    construction & maintenance
    This photograph, taken by Robert L. Knudsen on October 24, 1963, shows the Lincoln Bedroom apparently under renovation. The effect was staged by Chief Usher J. B. West and the White House Carpentry Shop, as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy used the unfinished rooms as an excuse to amend an overnight guest invitation. The Queens' Bedroom, then called the Rose Guest Room, was similarly staged for the ruse. In actuality, the Lincoln Bedroom was not drastically refurbished during the Kennedy administration, although First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw minor alterations including the installation of a chandelier and the addition of slipper chairs with fringe selected by interior designer Stéphane Boudin.
  • President's Dining Room, Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Second Floor
    President's Dining Room
    refurbishment
    This photograph of the completed President’s Dining Room was taken in July 1963 by Robert L. Knudsen, during the John F. Kennedy administration. The decor includes a contemporary gold and off-white flame-patterned carpet and the final arrangement of furniture following refurbishment. The President's Dining 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 Kennedy administration that the room became the President's Dining Room and 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.
  • First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's Bedroom
    Unknown
    refurbishment
    Bedroom
    Second Floor
    This photograph shows First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's bedroom. The bedroom was in the process of being redesigned by French interior designer Stéphane Boudin. Boudin reconfigured the furniture arrangement and included one of the president’s own rocking chairs.
  • Victorian Furniture in the Treaty Room
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Treaty Room
    Second Floor
    seats
    furniture
    construction & maintenance
    restoration
    This photograph of a Victorian period sofa and chair in the Monroe Room, later known as the Treaty Room, was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on October 11, 1961 during the John F. Kennedy administration. These were, like many other pieces chosen for the restored rooms by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, were in poor condition resulting from extended periods of time in White House storage spaces. These pieces were refurbished and placed in the newly restored and renamed Treaty Room.
  • Lincoln Sitting Room, John F. Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    refurbishment
    Second Floor
    Lincoln Sitting Room
    restoration
    This photograph of the redecorated and refurbished Lincoln Sitting Room was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on August 28, 1963, during the John F. Kennedy administration. Along the east wall is the mahogany daybed upholstered in a French paisley-patterned cotton as designed by French interior designer Stéphane Boudin. The walls were covered in olive green and yellow fabric brought from France by the head of the design firm Maison Jansen New York office, Paul Manno.
  • Lincoln Bedroom, Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Lincoln Bedroom
    Second Floor
    This photograph of the Lincoln Bedroom was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on June 16, 1960, during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration. Located on the Second Floor of the White House, in modern times the Lincoln Bedroom is used for official and personal guests of the president’s family. In the past, it served as an office and the Cabinet Room. The room became a bedroom in the family quarters during the 1902 Theodore Roosevelt renovation. The high-back bed, known as the Lincoln Bed, was purchased for the White House by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. While it was purchased during the Lincoln administration, the bed was probably never used by President Abraham Lincoln, nor was it originally placed in this room. Repurposed 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 room.
  • Queens' Bedroom, Dwight D. Eisenhower Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Queens' Bedroom
    Second Floor
    This photograph of the Queens' Bedroom, called the Rose Guest Room during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration, was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on June 16, 1962. The Queens' Bedroom is named for the royal guests that have stayed there in the White House, 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 room is decorated in shades of pink, white, and rose. The bed in the center of the room may have been purchased during the Andrew Jackson administration.
  • Lincoln Bedroom, John F. Kennedy Administration
    Robert L. Knudsen
    Lincoln Bedroom
    Second Floor
    This photograph of the Lincoln Bedroom was taken on April 17, 1961 by Robert L. Knudsen, during the John F. Kennedy administration. It shows the room before First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy made minor changes to the room — such as adjusting the seating arrangements — as part of her restoration project. Located on the Second Floor of the White House, in modern times the Lincoln Bedroom is used for official and personal guests of the president’s family. In the past, it served as an office and the Cabinet Room. The room became a bedroom in the family quarters during the 1902 Theodore Roosevelt renovation. The high-back bed, known as the Lincoln Bed, was purchased for the White House by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. While it was purchased during the Lincoln administration, the bed was probably never used by President Abraham Lincoln, nor was it originally placed in this room. Repurposed 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 room.
  • Remodeled and Refurbished West Sitting Hall
    Robert L. Knudsen
    West Sitting Hall
    Second Floor
    refurbishment
    This photograph depicts the newly remodeled and refurbished West Setting Hall during the renovation and refurbishment of the family quarters in 1961. The photograph was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on October 30, 1961, during the John F. Kennedy administration. The West Sitting Hall is often a favorite for first families. But until 1869, the room was the location of an open stairwell connecting the State Floor to the private residence, President Ulysses S. Grant had the staircase replaced with a smaller one and the room slowly took shape. During the 1902 Theodore Roosevelt renovation, the stairwell was completely removed, allowing the West Sitting Hall to connect with the Center Hall and the rest of the Second Floor residence. The room is noted for the large arched window that mirrors the one in the East Sitting Hall, on the opposite end of the Center Hall.