Wonderful photos of the Kennedy Renovation. I must point out, however, that the mantelpiece in the State Dining Room is not truly a reproduction of the Teddy Roosevelt/McKim mantelpiece but an adaptation of it. It is much smaller than the original (since the firebox and the paneling were altered in the Truman rebuilding) and it's polished marble rather than unpolished limestone, which affects the character of the carving.
Truman had a great idea in creating the Broadcast Room, but it looked too much like a bunker. And I think that the ceiling was lower than in the Oval Office, so lighting it was more awkward.
I've changed the dining room mantel description to "copy" with a note about the material. I want to be accurate but I also want to be clear to school kids researching a report.
How does one access the pictures that you displayed of the Kennndy White House rooms at their library site? I can only bring up the same dreary collection that has been displayed for years now!!
Interesting that the "broadcast room" has been sub-divided since 1962 - I guess the space was just too precious to waste.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos of the Kennedy Renovation. I must point out, however, that the mantelpiece in the State Dining Room is not truly a reproduction of the Teddy Roosevelt/McKim mantelpiece but an adaptation of it. It is much smaller than the original (since the firebox and the paneling were altered in the Truman rebuilding) and it's polished marble rather than unpolished limestone, which affects the character of the carving.
ReplyDeleteTruman had a great idea in creating the Broadcast Room, but it looked too much like a bunker. And I think that the ceiling was lower than in the Oval Office, so lighting it was more awkward.
ReplyDeleteI've changed the dining room mantel description to "copy" with a note about the material. I want to be accurate but I also want to be clear to school kids researching a report.
ReplyDeleteHow does one access the pictures that you displayed of the Kennndy White House rooms at their library site? I can only bring up the same dreary collection that has been displayed for years now!!
ReplyDeleteThese actually came from Designing Camelot but were provided to the authors by the Kennedy Library.
ReplyDelete