Added several images to the East Room page showing the fascinating changes from the 1860s thru the 1890s and even one of JBK's "portable" theater.
UPDATE: I've made several changes based on an improved understanding of the changes made by Grant/Patterson in 1873 and Arthur/Tiffany in 1882. I think I need to expand my renovations pages.
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I LOVE the colorized East Room photo. I have no idea whether the colors are right, but at least they look plausible. This also gives a good view of the electric light fixtures on the ceiling that were put in during the Harrison administration. Very odd!
ReplyDeleteChris
Does anyone know when the windows along the east wall of the East Room were covered? Fenestration (luv that word)indicates there should be two windows on either side of the doorway that leads to the roof of the east terrace. The fenestration (again I can use it) corresponds to windows in the baths and sitting rooms adjoining the Queens'and "rental unit" sitting rooms on the residence floor.
ReplyDeleteAnother question, this one technical: anytime I wish to comment I must sign up, provide email address, etc. and type in the odd security password. Ain't there no shortcut?
What's with that (2nd time asked)?: Pix of Bush 43 with the prime ministers of Japan and of the UK, and the 1964 photo of LBJ in the Cross Hall show a thingy hangin' where we'd expect to see the door to the State Dining Room. This thingy is often seen in news conferences held by the prez in the East Room. Why is it there? Gotta have an answer. My shrink says so.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that those four windows on the east wall of the East Room were blocked when the house was rebuilt after the fire of 1814. The East Room would have been impossibly cold with five windows along that wall and only two fire places, which was probably obvious as soon as the house was occupied in 1800. The two chimney breasts that appear on the wall in 19th century photographs look like they're part of the original architecture of the room (although the mantelpieces were replaced several times), along with Hoban's anthemion cornice. Those chimney breasts would have overlapped the windows if the windows were open.
ReplyDeleteThe two windows in the corresponding place on the west wall of the State Dining Room were sealed from the inside for the same reason, and this is visible in some of the early photos of the State Dining Room. In the latter part of the 19th century two windows were opened from the State Dining Room to provide access to the enlarged conservatory; however, the new windows could not correspond to the exterior openings because of the chimney breast, so they were cut through the masonry wall a little to the north and south of the exterior window openings. This is visible in some of the demolition photos from 1902, which show the window openings from the exterior.
Chris
Duane: What you see in those photos are 1/the closed Dining Room Drapes covering the west terrace door (Bush 43) and half-closed pocket doors at the Dining Room Entrance (LBJ). Both the State Dining Room and the East Room can be closed off from the Cross Hall by these sliding pocket doors that go into the walls.
ReplyDeleteAnything else is shadow.
Duane, you should be able to use the same user name each time you log on to comment or even just select "other" and enter your name. Is that not what happens for you? Blogger usually remembers me and I don't have to log on each time.
ReplyDeleteJackie's "portable" East Room theater. Un-hunh... Interesting picture of the model. Derek - I believe there's a picture of the real thing in that National Geographic from 1966 with the "Living White House" article.
ReplyDeleteThat photograph on the "what's new" page of the detail of the old East Room chandelier is really great! You can almost see the crystal sparkle. That and the one of the Cross Corridor with the Fan Light into the East Room. Very life-like.
If you folks would allow me a personal note - it's been two years to the day since Katrina. Some things here in New Orleans are much, MUCH better. Some things are much worse. And some things will never be better. And in very many ways EVERY DAY is the "day after Katrina" - and that gets very, very, very tiresome.
I can indeed understand what the people of Richmond or Charleston lived through after the Civil War, during Reconstruction - because I have lived through the 21st. century version of it. Lived through no food in a grocery store. Lived through nowhere to get a haircut. Lived through sporadic electricity and practically no water pressure. Lived through being THRILLED to find a Mc Donalds open until 3:00 pm. Lived through temporary stopsigns (no traffic lights)pretty much every where in town. Lived through - and STILL live in a city occupied by the National Guard.
But through the grace of God, my house was on "high land" and didn't flood - so all my books and all my stuff - a lifetime's collecting - are OK.
This place is my home and my birthplace and - though I've lived in several other cities - even now, it remains one of the most amazing places in the world. And one of the most vulnerable.
Decisions, decisions... Go. Stay. Go. Stay. Back and forth. Nowhere else is New Orleans. Well - At least I have options and friends and family waiting in Cincinnati, if that's what I wind up doing.
You cannot - unless you have seen it - possibly conceive of the kindness and generosity, to the people of New Orleans - and the Gulf Coast in Mississippi, of the thousands of people from all over the country and all over world. It is amazing and incredibly heartwarming.
OK, Dubya's gone back to Washington now and the helicopters have stopped circling overhead - time to head out and run some errands!
John in NOLA: Your post was very moving. Thank you! Having gone through 9/11 in New York City, with five friends killed, I have some sense of the kind of thing you're talking about, although New York was not devastated as a whole the way New Orleans was by Katrina.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Chris
John,
ReplyDeleteI have seen it. I was there a year ago to work in the rebuilding of a church.
You're in my thoughts today.
Dennis, the diamond-patterned hanging seen behind the President and his guest standing at the podiums at the entrance to the East Room from the Cross Hall is not the pattern found in the Dining Room draperies, at least as seen in the latest photos taken and posted of that room. Besides, from the perspective of the East Room itself, one would see the full doorway to the Dining Room framing the west wall doorway/window beyond it. That is not what we see. The description of the photo with LBJ seems apt because we can see light coming through that west wall aperture beyond the pocket doors.
ReplyDeleteDennis, Oops! Another example of my leaping before looking. As I review the photo of Bush and Blair I can see that the two cadets standing in the distance behind them are framing the doorway into the Dining Room from the Cross Hall. The patterned hangings behind, indeed are not a regular diamond pattern.
ReplyDeleteAh, first impressions (and many beyond) before I get things right.
All's I know is Where's my invite to dinner down that hall.
Chris and Dennis - thanks so much! No, New York and Washington weren't devestated the way New Orleans was, but I think people in all three cities can relate to a shaken sense of fundamental safety that used to be taken for granted. Life will go on, but it will never be *quite* the same...
ReplyDeleteMy brother-in-law was in the Chase Manhattan (Morgan Chase or whatever it is now) buiding just a few blocks away from Ground Zero - and saw the 2nd plane go into the 2nd tower that was hit - and walked through all that horrific mess up to Grand Central (I think, though I'm not sure trains were running - I try not to ask him too many questions about that day...) to get a train home to Westchester. He still won't get on a plane.
And in Washington, my cousin at the State Department had to walk from Foggy Bottom all the way back to Alexandria - pass the burning Pentagon - something he won't ever forget. Just like the people in the church that Dennis helped to rebuild will never forget his help!
It always amazes me how many people have been affected by these events - and how interconnected they are! We've lived through History.
OK! No more gloom! Happy Thoughts! Happy Thoughts!
I too am moved by the comments of John/Nola regarding the Katrina damages. I am totally repulsed by the fact that it is 2 years later and there is still so much devastation in some poor areas of New Orleans. I really think about that when I see Hillary, or Barack pander their twaddle to potential voters. How the hell can we trust them to solve other national problems when neither took the initiative, or was willing to oversee an ongoing effort to solve the Katrina land damages in a timely manner.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as the Republicans- I saw Bush at a news conference in New Orleans and what he said was disgusting. To say that everything was progressing well as he did is an insult to everyone. EVERYONE CAN SEE THAT IT HAS NOT PROGRESSED WELL for many.
I am relating this with reference to the inscription on the mantle in the State Dining Room. We should all reflect on the last line:
"May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof".
I am begining to wonder if this is still possible after the high crimes and misdemeanors of the last 7 years of the Bush "administration".
It really is heartbreaking to see the images of New Orleans that have been playing on the news channels over the last few days. It was clear from the beginning that nearly *all* the top Washington leadership was deficient in their reaction. It's sad that they continue to fail to see that NOLA was not merely devastated but effectively destroyed. As we have seen with our favorite house, we must recognize when short-sighted planning and neglect make it necessary to gut and rebuild and not merely renovate.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Nawlins: I note the conversation never touched on the fact that the city had been in precarious positions for decades, with the city and state administrations knowing all this. Suddenly, though, there's blame to be directed primarily at Washington, especially during a GOP administration. Pardon me, but some partisan slips are showing. But then, they can't really be hidden. Hey, I only picked up where others conveniently left off. Finito.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that it was decided early on that there would be no political debates on this site. I think that is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteDennis, I totally agree - there are plenty of sites out there that allow folks to post their thoughts and opinions about politics, current events, etc.
ReplyDeleteI intentionally avoided that in what I posted about New Orleans, etc - and I do apologize if my posts led to a political discussion.
I think the photo labled "Louis Comfort Tiffany's silver-paper ceiling addition to the East Room, around 1885" is misdated. Although the reflections make it look silver in the photo, if you look carefully you will see the painted anthemeon-like devices that were put up during the Grant renovation. Also, the carpet shown here is the Grant carpet, which Tiffany replaced with a carpet with a much more complex pattern.
ReplyDeleteTiffany's silver-paper ceiling had complex geometrical patterns. The photo captioned "The East Room in 1893" shows the Tiffany ceiling, although slightly altered in 1891 by the addition of the inverted glass shades for the electric light fixtures. I think I have a picture post-Tiffany/pre-electric lighting that will fill the gap.
Chris
I have a photo of
My previous post got truncated for some reason. In any case, I am going to be slaving over a hot scanner tomorrow and Saturday and get some stuff to Derek to with as he pleases.
ReplyDeleteChris