I'm totally drooling. What a great find!!! Nice pic of the East Colonnade! Can you believe that one shot of the Healy Lincoln just leaning against the wall???? I'm sure they know what they're doing, but I'd be freaking about it being damaged with all those workers around. Yikes!
The columns and pilasters in the entrance hall and cross halls are just as always - not "faux". What makes them look that way is that marble is porous - and reacts to the environment surrounding it - and the marble in the White House entrance hall, etc. has oxidized and darkened over the almost 60 years (yikes!) it has been in place. If you compare a pic from just after the Truman renovation with the same view of the rooms today, you'll see the same patterns on the marble, but with a richer and deeper color today. It's called "patina" and ONLY time will create it! Wood does the same thing, which is why a well cared-for antique piece of furniture has such a wonderful glow and color.
Did anyone notice that beyond the Healy "Lincoln" against the SDR north wall, the Family Dining Room is visible, with the rather sultry portrait of Frances Cleveland now over the Fireplace. It contrasts with the stately portait of Edith Roosevelt on the opposite wall.
Great photos. One of my favorites is the one of the unhinged doors(Blue Room?)lying on the floor. You can really see the detail, especially if you enlarge the photo, of the doors such as the fan inlay at the corners of the door panels. Beautiful.
If that is the portrait of Frances Cleveland, good choice. That portrait has always struck me as one of the better and yet more unsung of the first ladies portraits. At one time I believe the portrait hung over the mantle in the Yellow Oval Room.
I was fortunate to be on a behind the scenes tour of the White House in December 2005. We were taken through the Family Dining Room en route to the Ground Floor; the portrait of Mrs. T. Roosevelt was definately on the walls, the portrait of Mrs. Cleveland was not.
BTW, did anyone notice the sconces which flank the mantle in the Library; seem to be a recent installation or perhaps reinstallation as they appear similar to the sconces which graced the library mantle after the Truman renovation and prior to the Kennedy redecoration.
I'm totally drooling. What a great find!!! Nice pic of the East Colonnade! Can you believe that one shot of the Healy Lincoln just leaning against the wall???? I'm sure they know what they're doing, but I'd be freaking about it being damaged with all those workers around. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe all the work that goes into the decorating at the WH. When did they faux marble the pilasters in the front hall??
ReplyDeleteThe columns and pilasters in the entrance hall and cross halls are just as always - not "faux". What makes them look that way is that marble is porous - and reacts to the environment surrounding it - and the marble in the White House entrance hall, etc. has oxidized and darkened over the almost 60 years (yikes!) it has been in place. If you compare a pic from just after the Truman renovation with the same view of the rooms today, you'll see the same patterns on the marble, but with a richer and deeper color today. It's called "patina" and ONLY time will create it! Wood does the same thing, which is why a well cared-for antique piece of furniture has such a wonderful glow and color.
ReplyDeleteThanks, John - your explanation makes perfect sense, of course, especially when the current trend in the Wh is to remove any faux work.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone notice that beyond the Healy "Lincoln" against the SDR north wall, the Family Dining Room is visible, with the rather sultry portrait of Frances Cleveland now over the Fireplace. It contrasts with the stately portait of Edith Roosevelt on the opposite wall.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me, its in the photo of the Gingerbread House.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. One of my favorites is the one of the unhinged doors(Blue Room?)lying on the floor. You can really see the detail, especially if you enlarge the photo, of the doors such as the fan inlay at the corners of the door panels. Beautiful.
ReplyDeletehttp://myzipple.com/pp/showphoto.php/photo/11341
If that is the portrait of Frances Cleveland, good choice. That portrait has always struck me as one of the better and yet more unsung of the first ladies portraits. At one time I believe the portrait hung over the mantle in the Yellow Oval Room.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate to be on a behind the scenes tour of the White House in December 2005. We were taken through the Family Dining Room en route to the Ground Floor; the portrait of Mrs. T. Roosevelt was definately on the walls, the portrait of Mrs. Cleveland was not.
BTW, did anyone notice the sconces which flank the mantle in the Library; seem to be a recent installation or perhaps reinstallation as they appear similar to the sconces which graced the library mantle after the Truman renovation and prior to the Kennedy redecoration.
Joe