One thought about the bedroom of JBK, the previous picture. Looking at her room, it could have been 1961 or 2007. The beauty of using period furniture is that it is timeless. When one thinks of previous furniture in that room, it was clearly 1930 to 1960 and would always look that way.
We owe her a huge debt as she made the White House into a "truly grand house."
Thanks to her, too, for her seeing the need to recreate the Rose Garden into its present form. It has become a beautiful setting for meetings, dinners, speeches and even a wedding!
It's really amazing what Jackie accomplished during her brief time in the White House. People who haven't read much about her tend to downplay her intellect - which was formidable. Her love of books and of history would lead to the establishment of the White House Historical Association and the publication of the original White House Guidebook, in 1962. Seems like such an obvious thing to do - publish a guidebook - but nobody had ever thought to do it before Jackie. Think of all the joy it's brought so many of us over the years!
What I've read about Lou Hoover leads me to believe that had the Depression not clouded the Hoover administration and had her times been more conducive to such ventures, she might have been able to do a lot more to bring a sense of history to the White House.
But the time really wasn't right yet, back in the 1930's. By the 1960's we had matured a little more as a nation and were ready for a better understanding of how our own history and accomplishments as a nation fit into the Big Picture.
The amazing thing about Jackie to me it that I don't think she really set about "elevating taste" intentionally. She simply did it by being herself and going with her instincts.
If Jackie didn't have brains, it was the only virtue she lacked. She had style, charm, reserve, and taste--qualities that nearly all the policy wonks who have trouped thru the WH have lacked. I agree that Lou Hoover was an important part of the "awakening" of Americans to their own history, but the first Roosevelts even more so. Prior to 1902, the WH was repeatedly redone to befit the style of the day; TR made it more practical and also more true to its original vision.
Jacqueline Kennedy's great legacy to the American people is her transformation of the White House.
It was Rachel "Bunny" Mellon who, at the request of President and Mrs. Kennedy, designed the current layout of both the Rose Garden and what was to become the Jacqueline Kennedy garden on the east side of the mansion.
Bunny Mellon, wife of the famous philanthropist Paul Mellon, was Mrs. Kennedy's friend for many years.
Beautiful! A perfect picture!
ReplyDeleteOne thought about the bedroom of JBK, the previous picture. Looking at her room, it could have been 1961 or 2007. The beauty of using period furniture is that it is timeless. When one thinks of previous furniture in that room, it was clearly 1930 to 1960 and would always look that way.
We owe her a huge debt as she made the White House into a "truly grand house."
Thanks to her, too, for her seeing the need to recreate the Rose Garden into its present form. It has become a beautiful setting for meetings, dinners, speeches and even a wedding!
ReplyDeleteIt's really amazing what Jackie accomplished during her brief time in the White House. People who haven't read much about her tend to downplay her intellect - which was formidable. Her love of books and of history would lead to the establishment of the White House Historical Association and the publication of the original White House Guidebook, in 1962. Seems like such an obvious thing to do - publish a guidebook - but nobody had ever thought to do it before Jackie. Think of all the joy it's brought so many of us over the years!
ReplyDeleteWhat I've read about Lou Hoover leads me to believe that had the Depression not clouded the Hoover administration and had her times been more conducive to such ventures, she might have been able to do a lot more to bring a sense of history to the White House.
But the time really wasn't right yet, back in the 1930's. By the 1960's we had matured a little more as a nation and were ready for a better understanding of how our own history and accomplishments as a nation fit into the Big Picture.
The amazing thing about Jackie to me it that I don't think she really set about "elevating taste" intentionally. She simply did it by being herself and going with her instincts.
If Jackie didn't have brains, it was the only virtue she lacked. She had style, charm, reserve, and taste--qualities that nearly all the policy wonks who have trouped thru the WH have lacked. I agree that Lou Hoover was an important part of the "awakening" of Americans to their own history, but the first Roosevelts even more so. Prior to 1902, the WH was repeatedly redone to befit the style of the day; TR made it more practical and also more true to its original vision.
ReplyDeleteJacqueline Kennedy's great legacy to the American people is her transformation of the White House.
ReplyDeleteIt was Rachel "Bunny" Mellon who, at the request of President and Mrs. Kennedy, designed the current layout of both the Rose Garden and what was to become the Jacqueline Kennedy garden on the east side of the mansion.
Bunny Mellon, wife of the famous philanthropist Paul Mellon, was Mrs. Kennedy's friend for many years.