Oval Office

WhiteHouse.gov

2009-01-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

The Obama administration has lost no time in updating WhiteHouse.gov, intending to make it central to the pledge to make this the most transparent administration. So far, they seem to have removed all the pages on individual rooms, replacing them with a single page without pictures, altho there is a separate page for the Oval Office (there's a broken link on the summary page, but you can scroll down to the Oval Office section for a link to the separate page).

My hope for WhiteHouse.gov is that it becomes, among other things, the primary source of new high-resolution photographs for use by news organizations and Web-based virtual museums.

Inauguration day

2009-01-19T22:14:00.000-08:00

On this auspicious occasion, I happily announce that Peter Sharkey has completed the new colorful, 3D Residence floor plans, which I've added to the main site as well as the mirror. The main site is very slow, however, owing to a big rise in visitorship. (Welcome!)

I can't get over how beautiful the new plans look. Many thanks again to Pete for all his hard work—which, remember, you can always see over at Wingnut's Workings. More is coming, including some details and fixes. Let us know if you notice any goofs.

By the way, if you check out Wingnut's Workings, let me know what you think of the white wall tops rather than the black wall tops.

Presidential television

2009-01-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

The History channel is running various president-related programs in the next 24 hours, including:

The White House: Behind Closed Doors
The Presidents (a series)
Modern Marvels: presidential transportation
Secret Access: Air Force 1
Civil War Journal
A Presidency Revealed (a series including JFK and FDR)
UFO Files (Cleveland was abducted by aliens)
Star Wars Tech (presumably about Reagan)
Batman Unmasked (Harding fought crime in a black cloak and cowl and became the inspiration for Batman; the "playboy president" persona was a ruse).

UPDATE: At 8 AM and 2 PM on Thu, they're also rerunning their excellent doco on Fort Knox. The history and architecture of the bullion depository is really fascinating.

Inauguration news and wishes

2009-01-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

Keith Olbermann just announced that Barack Obama will keep the Bush 2 Oval Office decor. Most presidents keep the incumbent decor for a while (Bush 2 actually used the Reagan rug), but I bet he gets his own rug eventually... or at least drapes (please drapes).

If this is true, tho, it means a lot less work for Pete in updating the Oval Office model. ;-)

Whatever the case— Best wishes to the Obamas in their new home, our favorite house, this mansion of democracy, this palace of the republic, this old white house.

Also, Vice-President Dick Cheney reportedly injured his back moving boxes and will attend the inauguration in a wheelchair. Best wishes for a quick recovery.

Michael S Smith named as decorator

2009-01-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

Visitor Halcyon notes in the comments on another post that Michael S Smith has been named as the Obama's decorator. Keep your fingers crossed that he passes confirmation by the Senate.* Halcyon says:

To me, this is good news.
Smith announced today his first project is having a very old burled Maple four poster converted from a full to a king size bed. (this last part not in the article, but a buzz from a Rhode Island Designer I know)

* I may have that wrong.

UPDATE: The Bed. AP via PinkPillbox.

Just in time for the inauguration....

2009-01-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

In the immortal words of Stephen Sondheim, "somethin's comin', somethin' good," only this time it's not a shooting death in a vacant lot at the hands of a vengeful Puerto Rican street tough. It's a set of brand new contemporary floor plans in three dimensions and living color by Pete Sharkey.

I've added the draft versions of the new plans to the mirror site only for the ground, second, and third floors so far. I stress that these are drafts and may look a little funny. I think I will have to make them smaller eventually when I get the wings, since the wings are wider and may end up too wide to fit on screen.

Not coincidentally, I hereby award Peter Sharkey the Lorenzo Winslow Beauty in Precision Award (the "Winnie").

Cadillac limo

2009-01-15T08:59:00.000-08:00

Jalopnik has new pics and a big press release on the new presidential limousine.

Now the question is: how can we, the White House Museum Foundation for Education and Historical Research, get our hands on the old limousine?

More miscellany

2009-01-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

I've posted more miscellaneous photos (check the What's New page) and some changes to the China Collection page to reflect the new acquisitions.

The Lincoln White House

2009-01-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

This diagram of the Lincoln second floor appears in Seale's two-volume WH book. It shows the old west stair as a dual initial rise and a central rise to the second floor. But we know from photographs of the grand stair that by the 1890s it was a single initial rise at the right, a left turn, then a single rise to the second floor.

However, I don't recall ever reading about that stair being renovated from dual to single. The question is, are we sure the dual rise stair was ever built? And when was it renovated to the single stair we see in the photos?

Statistics revisited

2009-01-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed from the slow site performance, page views are back up substantially and probably will stay that way thru the inauguration. Oct. 5 represents the last "normal" week. I've kept the mirror site updated.

5-Oct-08	56,761
12-Oct-08	70,975
19-Oct-08	73,760
26-Oct-08	78,386
2-Nov-08	192,762
9-Nov-08	369,645
16-Nov-08	525,377
23-Nov-08	150,528
30-Nov-08	115,720
7-Dec-08	96,561
14-Dec-08	137,404
21-Dec-08	82,121
28-Dec-08	104,769
4-Jan-09	142,713

Top search queries:

white house museum

white house floor plan

resolute desk

white house bowling alley

white house residence

oval office

white house swimming pool

whitehousemuseum

white house

president's bedroom

lincoln bedroom

Bunch of stuff

2009-01-09T18:16:00.000-08:00

I've added a navigation link to the Sub-Basements and posted a bunch of new photos. Check the What's New page or the mirror What's New page.

King George

2009-01-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

Interesting "what if?" article on the lineage of George Washington and who would be monarch if he had taken a crown. The nut graph (given UK-style descent):

Queen Estella would have reigned from 1918 to her death in 1931, but because her only child had predeceased her, the succession would have swung to her oldest uncle’s branch. He was also deceased, but had two living children from separate marriages. The son, though younger and from the second marriage, would have been given preference, so that would give America a King Lee from 1931 to 1969. Lee also only had one daughter. Like her father, Queen Odelle would have enjoyed a lengthy rule—1969 to 2000. And with her majesty’s passing, we would now be under the dominion of Queen Brynda.

Jack Ford

2009-01-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

I've posted some of the photos from the 1976 Rolling Stone with Jack Ford. And I updated the mirror site.

Also, I received the 1968 Life with juicy oblique cutaways of the West Wing as well as the WH and East Wing we used to create the current East Wing floor plans.

There's also a really neat showcase of houses each president was born in (including Johnson), which together make about the ugliest neighborhood I've ever seen.* It sort of starts out as Genteel Town, proceeds to Poverty Row, then on to Middleclass Muddle, with brief jaunts up Old Money Lane. I have a feeling that continuing the trend would look like a tour of Old Money Lane.

* Insert your own "Then you haven't seen wherever" joke.

New china

2009-01-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

Nick V alerted me to an announcement by the first lady of two new sets of china (a formal one of 320 and an informal one of 75 settings) and a Family Dining Room rug that have "been in the works for several years" but which were just delivered.

Check out that informal setting. Let me be the first to say "Waiter, there's a bug in my soup."

1934 West Wing

2009-01-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

I've added the scan of the historical West Wing from Life (who reprinted it from Time), as well as a couple of other photos from the issue. There was even this photo of the Joseph P Kennedy family.

Resources

2009-01-06T21:52:00.000-08:00

Received the 1976 Rolling Stone with Jack Ford in it. Pulp paper makes for bad photo reproduction, but I'll scan his bedroom at least anyway.

I also got the book White House: An Architectural History. It's got reproductions of the Truman floor plans (from the CREM report), good pics of failed expansion plans I haven't seen before, and more. I'll have to spend some time going thru it.

And last, I got the 1937 Life issue with the Roosevelt West Wing floor plan. I'll scan that and post quickly. I had hoped for a lot more; namely photos of the interiors of some of the rooms, but alas... a lack.

Replacement WH exercise

2009-01-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting video done, apparently, as an architecture-school exercise in replacing the WH with a new structure. In this case, the structure chosen was a couple of elevator shafts and a staircase, I guess.

This related site is about open-source (brick-and-mortar) architecture but uses a new WH as its central exercise. (Pete, you may be interested in the SketchUp model of the area around the WH.)

This calls to mind a thought experiment. Since the capital was not moved to Cincinnati after the 1814 fire, we have a capital that sits at the extreme east of the nation. Some presidents have maintained a "Little White House" or "Western White House," primarily as vacation getaways, but do we need a genuine "Western White House" for the president to sometimes work out of and what would it look like?

Presidential limousines

2009-01-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting slide show from the NYT on presidential limousines.

Pete provides another look at the new limo.

Upstairs at the White House

2009-01-03T21:57:00.000-08:00

Going back thru JB West's memoir, I decided to add some of the photos found in there. Several of them I haven't seen from any other source and depicted rooms at times that I don't have covered otherwise. They aren't very good quality images—screened and printed in low quality. Does anybody have the hard back version and are those photos reproduced at higher quality?

UPDATE: The hardback does have better quality photos, and I found a copy for less than $5, including shipping.

Get me Rewrite!

2009-01-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

I've added several photos from Life showing the old Press Room from the 40s and 50s and also the West Wing Lobby from the 30s to the 60s, where journalists hung out.

I'm curious to know more about the strange stand-out wall with a bulletin board (and deer trophy). It seems to have been added in the early 40s, perhaps to avoid all the noise of opening and closing the door.

New front page - Ike China Room

2008-12-31T23:00:00.000-08:00

I've changed the front page to an image from the Life collection, a pleasant 1958 picture of party guests looking over the china collection. And I've also freshened the blog again.

Happy new year!

Magazines and thanks!

2008-12-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

I just got tipped off about old issues of magazines with good articles on the White House, and I managed to find them on Ebay and buy them for $17 each (including shipping):

Life: January 4, 1937—The Roosevelt White House (with a diagram of the West Wing to die for)
Life: July 5, 1968—Special Issue: The Presidency, with diagrams and photos (the primary source for my East Wing floor plan)
Rolling Stone: July 29, 1976—President Ford's son Jack in the White House

Thanks to Alec and Rod....

...And many thanks to Sharon, Kathryn, and especially Lynne for their donations and happy new year to all!

By the way, feel free to suggest any other old White House magazine issues. The Internet is amazing. I'm telling you, this thing is going to be big.

West Wing history

2008-12-30T15:07:00.000-08:00

Visitor Alec sent me photos of a tiny government publication from 1995 called Architecture of the West Wing of the White House. He made modifications to the c1911 diagram to make it a more authentic 1909 diagram, and I used the photos he sent to create a 1935 diagram from the 1945 one. Other photos confirmed Pete's current floor plan. See the First Floor of the West Wing History page.

Thanks Alec!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T22:02:00.000-08:00

A Red, White, and Blue Christmas

Annual koshering of the kitchen with a twist I haven't seen before: covering the hanging pots.

The president's rather casual portrait for the National Portrait Gallery (not his official White House portrait, which will be painted later).

The White House in 3D - a mini-tour

2008-12-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

I've finally managed to produce a high-quality version of the animation of Pete Sharkey's 3D President's Park with narration by me. If you go to YouTube, you should see a little "watch in high quality" link in the lower right for best quality.

The next step is naturally to go inside the White House, and with Pete hard at work on various rooms (have you seen Wingnut's Workings lately?) the only trick will be making the transitions seamless. And then, if I can get Pete to create them: historical versions of the White House in 3D. Imagine flying over Lincoln's or Jefferson's White House....

The elusive Dana Perino

2008-12-22T15:22:00.000-08:00

I happened to catch part of The Situation Room on CNN that showed a short video of Dana Perino in her office. That's the first I've seen of that scenario and yes, she uses the same rounded L-shaped desk I've come to know and love.

Does Perino not do gaggles? Are photos not allowed in her office? She can't be camera-shy.... Given her rather fabulous good looks*, you would think photogs would be crawling over each other to snap her picture in every venue.

It also occurs to me that, judging by this photo, she is all of about 5 foot 2, so she'd have to do press gaggles in her office standing on a chair.

* This site is apolitical, but not blind.

Bowling alley renovation?

2008-12-20T18:10:00.000-08:00

The bowling industry has offered a proposal to renovate the bowling lane in the basement of the White House, the Wall Street Journal reports. Apparently, they hope to ensure the new president won't make good on his jocular claim to replace the lane with an indoor basketball court, which met with serious offers from the NBA. This artist's conception is a little garish, for my taste.

Busy, busy, busy

2008-12-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

C-SPAN's White House Week seems to have gained a fair amount of attention. WHM site performance is quite slow (back up to 20,000 page views a day again).

I'll make a point of bringing the mirror up to date.

White House mansion

2008-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Fred Milani's White-House-inspired mansion is for sale. Get yours while supplies last.

UPDATE: more images via Free Republic (WARNING: politics).

Presidential archives

2008-12-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

Can I just complain for a moment at the appalling state of our nation's presidential library online offerings? I happened to click one of the credit links to a photo from the Eisenhower Library and got a "page not found" error because they've changed the site structure once again and now the photo is nowhere to be found.

My personal website [warning: politics] is almost 5 years old and not a single incoming link made during that time would be broken today. This site is 2-and-a-half years old and only two or three of links made in that time would be broken.

Further, in order to search for photos, they all direct you to a generic ARC search page and give weak instructions on how to find material related to the president in question. The few photos that are available are awful little 256-color GIFs that have scratches and dust, and no color- or fade-correction. A great deal of the work I do to create this site is just making those kinds of images presentable.

These people are the keepers of our nation's presidential heritage and history, set up and supported by the American people. Is it too much to ask that they post clean, high-resolution images on their own sites and keep them available and link-enabled? Here is a photo of the Carter Oval Office on the National Archives site*; compare it to what I finally managed to produce that wouldn't embarrass me to post.

* This is actually a University of Maryland mirror of some National Archive resources. It actually offers high-res images and makes them linkable.

Thanks!

2008-12-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

A number of people have contributed monetarily to WHM.org recently. With the recent leap in visitorship and associated web hosting costs (which are still pretty low, tho, to be honest), it's much appreciated.

Rebecca
Steven
Robert
Beth
Latir

Sub-Basements

2008-12-15T01:09:00.000-08:00

You asked for it (or sat quietly with an expectant look on your face)—you got it: the inimitable Peter Sharkey has provided us with the Residence sub-basement and basement mezzanine plans from photos of the original plans (I am trying to get the source to send me scans or copies).

I have inserted them into the overall blue print and posted them on their own page. And I've created separate pages for the Dressing Room, Laundry, and AC Control Room. I'll take some time this week looking back over the Truman-era photos for more images of basement rooms.

White House Week on C-SPAN

2008-12-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

Today is the beginning of White House Week, C-SPAN's answer to Shark Week.

They even have a floor plan. The "Chocolate Shop" is placed in the basement. I recall seeing a reference to this before; is it really different from the Pastry Kitchen on the first mez?

And there's video of the Living Room! So much for my separate-bedrooms theory....

UPDATE: Hey! They used my version of the floor plans...!
UPDATE: Hey! They credit WHM at the end!

White House in 3D

2008-12-12T00:40:00.000-08:00

I've been playing with Peter Sharkey's 3D model of the White House again and trying to create a nice video from it, but I've been having poor luck. Google Sketch-Up is a little tricky to export from and Microsoft Movie Maker is even trickier to import into.

I've uploaded the raw Sketch-Up animation to YouTube, where it looks fairly terrible.

I've also uploaded the Movie Maker video to this site (it's about 35 MB). It looks better than the Flash-converted YouTube version, but Movie Maker does weird things like freezing on the frame after the frame the source video froze on, which sometimes puts a tree branch in the way of the view. But it's got titles and narration so it seems more polished.

I'll continue experimenting and perhaps try a different video software. I welcome any suggestions.

Capitol Visitor Center

2008-12-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

The new Capitol Visitor Center opened the other day. I'm sure it's very nice, but what do the think the White House could do with $625 million in renovation funding? Add on 625 more balconies? Give the press corps a cafeteria? The mind boggles.

New front page - Reagan Green Room

2008-12-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

I've changed the front page again, and again I've reused a previous image, this time the 1982 Green Room with holiday wreaths in the windows.

Also, I've added some source link details to the Resources page.

Roosevelt Room in 3D

2008-12-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

Peter Sharkey has just released his terrific 3D model of the Roosevelt Room, which I have now added to the site. Typical of his painstaking work, it's got amazingly realistic leather chairs, flags standing at the side, great-looking artwork on the walls, and all. Just fantastic.

Thanks, Pete!

Help: photos of the old west stair

2008-12-02T01:27:00.000-08:00

I have a couple of photos of the old west stair removed during the 19-2 (as JBK would say) renovation, and I have a visitor asking for the sources to use in a commercial project. Can anyone help point out the books or other sources? I don't have either of them labeled with a credit.

One (from Seale perhaps? what was his source?)
T'other

A return to normalcy

2008-12-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Visitorship seems to have more or less returned to normal. I'll maintain the mirror site for a while longer. I have a feeling that visitorship will spike again around January 20.

C-Span's White House Week

2008-12-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

Don't forget about C-Span's "White House Week," starting December 14, which will include a tour. From the trailer, it looks pretty good. Already, I see it will give us good wide-angle view of the Flower Shop and Pastry Kitchen in addition to all the usual state rooms and family quarters. Still no hint of the Living Room and Master Bedroom or even the East and West Bedrooms on the north side, nor anything on the third floor. It would be nice to see what the Bushes have done with the Clinton's Music Room, at least. And it would be nice to the see the grounds in detail, especially the new pool house.

President's offices and servants' stair

2008-11-30T12:43:00.000-08:00

I've added a few new photos of the President's Secretary's Office and Private Study. I've also removed the pictures of Rose Mary Woods and put them on a hidden page for reference, since I'm sure the room is not the President's Private Study, Dining Room, or Secretary's Office.

Also, I've added a couple of pics from the recent History Channel special sent by Stephen of the staircase between the Butler's Pantry and the Pastry Kitchen.

White House: Behind Closed Doors report

2008-11-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

I just watched WH:BCD and here are a few things of interest:

It has a nice 3D WH and takes the lid off to show various parts. However, the floor plans are not significantly different from WHM's and it does not show any parts (like the basement press offices) that I don't have documented. It specifically avoids showing the layout of the third floor even when discussing it directly and showing it from the outside.
The servants' spiral staircase definitely ends at the first mez level and has storage shelves built into the interior[!]
I believe we get our first glimpse at the basement mez pantry.
In addition to the Kitchen and state rooms, we get a good look at the guest rooms, Treaty Room, West Sitting Hall, and Private Dining Room.
Laura claims she and W stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom when they visited the Bush 1s. This contradicts her claims from Monarchy that they stayed in the Queens' Bedroom. Then again, she also says that they hosted QE2 and Prince Charles in the Private Dining Room, while a picture is shown of the QE2 lunch in the Yellow Room.
There's a good moment when the narrator says the WH is wired for 21st century living and we see a workman remove a wall panel to reveal what appear to be 50-year-old screw-type fuses.

More Life

2008-11-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

I've added a dozen more photos from Life, mostly on the ground floor, mostly from the Eisenhower era, and some in great color (once I heavily processed them).

Also, I've added all the recent photos to the mirror site also.

White House: Behind Closed Doors

2008-11-26T21:44:00.000-08:00

The History Channel sneaked up on me and aired Secret Access: Air Force One and The White House: Behind Closed Doors tonight. I managed to record them, but if you missed them, you can still order the DVDs (SA: AF1 and WH: BCD).

Winterthur

2008-11-26T13:57:00.000-08:00

Jack sent along a link to Winterthur Magazine, which has a Q&A with Laura Bush.

Life photos

2008-11-24T14:05:00.000-08:00

I've added a few more photos from Life via Google.

However, after adding this photo, I realize it can't possibly be the room now known as the president's private study. However, it also can't be the traditional president's secretary's office or what is now the president's dining room.

Site stats

2008-11-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

Visitorship continues to rise, apparently with a mention on MSN this week. Here are the page views from the past few weeks, the first of which represents the last "normal" week.

5-Oct-08	56,761
12-Oct-08	70,975
19-Oct-08	73,760
26-Oct-08	78,386
2-Nov-08	192,762
9-Nov-08	369,645
16-Nov-08	525,377

Home Oval Office

2008-11-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a Texas Country Reporter video about Ron Wade's home replica of the Oval Office. Fantastic.

(Thanks to George and to Pete.)

Ford home

2008-11-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

Seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and, presumably, a view of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant... own your own home of former President Gerald Ford.

Mirror site

2008-11-18T16:01:00.000-08:00

Visitor Dale sent a note about the mirror site, saying a lot of the pictures didn't show up. I noticed and fixed a few several days ago, but I can't find any now. Please comment on this message if you come across a page in the mirror site where photos aren't showing up.

More QE2

2008-11-14T11:20:00.000-08:00

I happened upon Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work this afternoon on public television and found episode 1 to include the queen's visit to the White House. Here are some tidbits:

WH staff is shown touching up the paint, using Duron Exterior Alkyd/Oil Gloss labeled "Whisper - 248".
Miss Beazley got into the white paint the day of the queen's state dinner.
The queen's visit was the occasion of the first (and, I think, only) white tie event during the Bush 2 administration.
Buckingham Palace is waaaay fancier than the WH, but some of the corridors are very narrow.
Bush 2 met the queen when she visited the WH during the Bush 1 time, 16 years earlier.
Barney likes to steal the president's ball when he is practicing on the putting green and is very good at pulling golf balls out of the hole.
The president had a good joke about how he was concerned at how Barney would behave toward the queen, given that he is Scottish.
The Bush 1s stay in the Queens' Bedroom when they visit the Bush 2 WH, as the Bush 2s did when they visited the Bush 1 WH.
Some of the queen's house staff are what Mrs. Slocombe would have called "dead common".
The queen's lunch was held in the Yellow Oval Room.

HMS Resolute writing table

2008-11-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

Here's something I don't think I've seen before: the writing table companion to the partner desk given to President Hayes by Queen Victoria, both made from timbers of the Resolute. If I recall correctly, the desk shown in Buckingham Palace in National Treasure 2: The Ridiculous Sequel was the queen's actual current desk, a rather horsey-looking secretary.

Redecoration speculation

2008-11-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

Fox News has an article on moving into the White House. It's a follow-up to their piece about White House food.

The AP has something on first lady transition tours.

Very grumpy article from The Scotsman on how darn much presidents and prime ministers spend redecorating to make things "homely". (British pound conversion: double it and add thirty.*)

The Californian has an article with some juicy cost details I haven't seen before in the right sidebar.

* I may have that wrong.

Photo day

2008-11-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

It was photo day again at the White House. Look for this to be more and more common as the administration winds down. It must just drive the staff nuts to have to move all those priceless antiques out of the state floor rooms for these events (not to mention dragging in risers for the larger groups). And I always wonder whose idea it is for everybody to be photographed throwing gang signs.

I knew this would come in handy for something

2008-11-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

I decided I can somewhat alleviate the site slowdown problem, at least for those who check this blog. I've uploaded nearly the entire site to 1ObservatoryCircle.com as a mirror.

It's still loading as of the moment, but keep an eye on it. Once the images get loaded, I'll go thru and fix things like broken navigation links (like links from the site to this blog, which of course isn't mirrored).

UPDATE: Actually, this is going to take hours. Please be patient.
UPDATE: Okay. All done. 1OC is practically an identical copy of WHM as of yesterday. WHM now has several main room pages and floor plan pages broken out into current and historical versions, as the Oval Office has been for some time.

Site performance still poor

2008-11-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

I called GoDaddy again about the slow performance of the site, but they've confirmed that even with the upgrade it's just swamped with user requests. Mirroring content wouldn't even help, since it's not a traffic thru-put problem.

The only real solution at this point would be to upgrade to my own server, which is $150 a month. And with donations still topping out at $0 a month, that's not economically feasible. :-(

I'll spend some time breaking up content so the individual pages have fewer images and see if that improves things.

Marine One

2008-11-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

I finally added Peter Sharkey's wonderful model of the new Marine One to the 3-D Models page. He created it quite a long while ago, but it looks great. I even did an X-ray view that looks very cool. (When I say I "did" it, I mean I clicked an option that says "X-Ray view." Pete is the genius here.)

Site performance

2008-11-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

I've upgraded my hosting plan with GoDaddy to allow for more concurrent users, which is what is causing the slow-down. Doubling the concurrent users should ease the traffic jam.

PS Can you tell I haven't have a whole lot to do at work today?

Obamas visit the White House

2008-11-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

The Obamas visited the White House today to talk transition. The event happens to afford us the best view I've seen of the Bush 2 Oval Office rug border.
There's also a nice pic of the incoming and outgoing first ladies in the West Sitting Hall.

New presidential limo

2008-11-10T16:18:00.000-08:00

Jalopnik is reporting that GM is working on a new limousine for the president, a version of the GMC Topkick disguised as a giant Cadillac DTS. Since the DTS is a bigger STS, which is a bigger CTS, You would think they'd call this the LTS (for limo) or maybe even PTS.

I've always wanted the limo fleet controlled by the Army so the president's car can be called Army 1 to match the names Air Force 1 and Marine 1, but that's just my natural neurosis for parallelism.

White Gold and Jackie

2008-11-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

Here is an awesome music video commercial for milk. Warning: if you watch for too long, you'll accidentally see the hour-long 1962 Jackie Kennedy White House tour.

East Wing

2008-11-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

I've made a couple of small changes to the East Wing floor plans (first and second) to place the stairs in the right location, altho I'm not certain I have them oriented exactly right.

Page views

2008-11-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

Traffic went thru the roof as election day approached. I'm now getting some offers to add advertising, but the potential sponsors are kind of random (patriotic or DC-related products might make sense). This chart shows page views (not unique visitors) from the beginning of the site to this week, with this week's final numbers partly a projection.

UPDATE: I've updated the chart to show the real numbers up to Saturday, and they're even higher than I projected.

Best wishes

2008-11-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Best wishes to the future first family: Barack, Michelle, Malia Ann, and Sasha (and puppy-to-be-named-later). Here's hoping that the showers are strong enough, the furniture is comfortable enough, and the ghosts are friendly enough.

Welcome, new visitors!

2008-11-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

The WHM site seems to be quite slow this morning, probably as a result of a rush of visitors after the general election. Welcome, all!

Election day celebration

2008-11-04T00:18:00.000-08:00

Visit the What's New page for an election day extravaganza sourced from Architectural Digest and documenting Bush 2, Reagan, and Kennedy rooms. Some of these images were already posted in inferior form; the AD scans are top quality and just beautiful.

Also: don't forget to vote!

The new first family

2008-11-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

Interesting article on the Obama and McCain families and how each might use the Residence. The "small room with a balcony" must be the Clinton Music Room, but I'd never heard of the Johnson girls using it to put on plays.

UPDATE: Added a couple of beautiful, color 1958 photos of the First Lady's Bedroom (Master) and Monroe Room (Treaty), showing what the Eisenhowers did with the residence.

New front page - old front page

2008-11-03T01:15:00.000-08:00

For the first time since I started back in June of 2006, I've decided to reuse a front page image for the monthly front page change. It's the Kennedy Blue Room, one of my favorites.

Planeta Fascinante

2008-10-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of my favorite Spanish-language magazine, Planeta Fascinante, is on the stands, and I naturally rushed out to get it. So there I am, reading "Se pueden leer los pensamientos?" ("Have you lost your thoughts of Mentos?"*) and I turn the page to find none other than Peter Sharkey's 3-D White House diagrams!

The article concerns the security of the White House and its anti-bomber defenses. Unfortunately, the editors seem to have taken the liberty of moving the Despacho Oval from the Ala Del Oeste to the Salon Amarillo, for some reason. But the images look great, don't they?

Congratulations, Pete!

* My Spanish, she is a little rusty.

White House visitors

2008-10-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

Theodore Roosevelt returned from the dead to visit the White House yesterday and, presumably, take over and start a war with Spain. Or possibly Paraguay. Or any of the several other nations whose leaders have visited recently.

One way or another, the White House is preparing for a transition of power to someone.

Nancy Reagan

2008-10-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss in not wishing Nancy Reagan a speedy recovery from her fall in which she fractured her pelvis. She is out of the hospital now and making a gradual—but expected full—recovery.

Thanks to Mike B for commenting previously.

Diagrams

2008-10-22T00:06:00.000-07:00

I added a new and improved East Wing first floor. And I've created a page of high-resolution overview diagrams useful as visual aids for, say, a school report like the one Madeline J has to do for her fourth grade class.

White House contractors

2008-10-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

I got a request looking for information on businesses that do contract work for the White House. I know pretty much all the regular maintenance is done by in-house staff and the Parks Department, tho. The one thing that came to mind is the making of the Oval Office rugs and some of the furniture. Rode Brothers laid a new Oval Office floor a few years ago, for one. I believe Scott Group made the rug for the Clinton Oval Office, but I don't know they have an ongoing relationship with the WH.

Anybody know more about this?

Floating White House for sale

2008-10-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

The Manitou, John Kennedy's "floating White House" has been restored and is up for sale for a ridiculous amount of money. Inevitable unfortunate quote: "JFK using her adds to the intrigue."

Scannin'

2008-10-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

I took a little time finally and scanned an article from a 1902 issue of The Outlook magazine called "The White House - The Plans for Its Reconstruction" and also the recent Architectural Digest spread of the Bush 2 renovation. Look for those soon.

I also scanned the floor plan of 1 Observatory Circle (the VP residence) from American Monarchy; so I'll create a mini-site for that soon, too.

UPDATE: 1902 article now available

C-SPAN's White House

2008-10-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

Pete clued me in to C-SPAN's documentary on the White House scheduled to air December 14-20: White House: Inside America's Most Famous House. Can't wait!

New front page - doorway

2008-10-03T01:15:00.000-07:00

I've put up a new front page: a visitor's picture of doorway from the East Room to the Green Room (at least, that's what I think it is), suggested by Pete. Thanks Pete!

San Francisco

2008-09-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

I've been working in Sacramento for a while now and traveling home on the weekends (it's what I do). This weekend, I stayed in California and visited San Francisco. Down on Fisherman's Wharf, I ran into a surprise: a big copy of the Oval Office Remington bronze Bronco Buster—and, right across the street, the Boudin restaurant (Boudin being the name of the Kennedy's second interior designer). Not more than 20 feet on was a wax museum chock full of presidents. Lincoln looks a bit hydrocephalic, and Washington looks very angry about having swallowed a bug, but most of them are good. There were more presidents, but it was quite dark, so some of my photos didn't turn out well at all.

Check out my Fisherman's Wharf gallery. I'll be posting more on Lombard street and downtown late tonight. And I hope to get the Golden Gate Bridge before fighting my way back to Sacramento.

PS for photo enthusiasts: the way I got the best photos in the wax museum was not using a flash, which tended to wash out the figures (and trip the proximity alarm) but rather to shoot the figure once, set a custom white balance based on the pic I just shot, then shoot the figure again. They were under various colored lights (yellow, blue, white, and red), so it was a bit arduous. I got it figured out at Napoleon.

1902 floor plans

2008-09-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Patrick sent me some really fantastic images of White House floor plans from the 1902 Report of the Architects created by McKim, Mead, and White. They nicely fill in some holes and are so detailed that the original versions (click the hi-def links in the caption credits) could be used to build your very own vintage White House mansion, complete with giant steam boiler. Decorate to taste.

Resolute desk

2008-09-18T23:15:00.000-07:00

Visitor Ryan is interested in plans for the Resolute desk...

hi, i am looking to start carving and building my own exact replica of the hms resolute desk, i was wondering if you know of the exact measurements of the desk overall size and if any other measurements of it , drawings, and what not. and i fully agree with you on the full replica of the white house and a museum . maybe in 7 years from now when i run for congress i can help you obtain that goal, or if luck is on my side maybe when i am president in 2028.

Does anyone know of any such plans?

New front page - East Wing Lobby

2008-09-11T23:06:00.000-07:00

I realized last night that I'd forgotten to change the front page for the month, so I've change it now to a picture of visitors in the East Wing Lobby a couple of years ago.

Semi-secret museum semi-secrets

2008-09-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

The addition of pictures to the Sub-Basement page brought up the subject of "semi-secret" WHM pages. These are pages—or even just individual pictures—that you might not be aware of even if your are a fairly thoro visitor to this site. They aren't semi-secret because of any inherent security concern, but merely because they are labeled or are otherwise unexpected.

The horseshoe pitch is right next to the pool (very clear on Pete's 3D rendering). There is a link to it on the main Grounds page, but that part of the map is not colored, so you might not have found it. Same goes for the Andrew Jackson milk trough on the south lawn.

First Lady's Office hall. Just a dude in the hallway outside the First Lady's Offices, available from the EW second floor page. The East Wing Entrance, altho labeled on the EW first floor page, is easy to miss.

A back staircase photo is available from each of the Residence floor pages by clicking on the staircase next to the Family Elevator.

The Pastry Kitchen is on the first floor mezzanine level and available by a link on the oblique diagram.

The arched hall on the third floor is available from an unlabeled link on the third floor page. The mysterious Bathroom 315, near the Family Elevator, is likewise available, marked only with a "B". And the third floor storage rooms under the roof have a page of their own as well, with an unlabeled link.

The West Wing Navy Mess reception desk is represented by an unlabeled photo link in the middle of the hall on the WW ground floor. Not far away is an unlabeled link to the Situation Room entrance, altho this is probably different since the area was remodeled.

The West Wing stair corridor and east entry corridor are available from unlabeled links on the WW first floor page. A little lavatory off the Oval Office Corridor is on its page.

Then there's the Front Page Gallery page, available only from the Site Map page. The Truman Reconstruction page includes a thumbnail of the 1945 WW expansion plan and tiny links to large images of the ground, first, second floor plans, side view and cross section, and a smaller second try at coaxing Congress into paying for it.

Sub-Basement

2008-08-31T12:42:00.000-07:00

Pete sent me a note about a great gallery of pics taken by a singers at the White House (thanks, Bob and Cherrie!) in, apparently, April. They show not only the state rooms where they performed but the sub-basement dressing room! I've added a couple to the semi-secret Sub-Basement page.

There's one where people are seated under a coat rack, which you can also see in the 1992 HABS photo under the stairs. That suggests that there's actually very little space down there.

Also, I've widened the blog. I've learned a lot about blog templates and CSS since starting yet another website awhile ago.

White House overview

2008-08-27T00:12:00.000-07:00

Pete pointed me to this pic of President's Park on Picasa showing shadowy shapes on the east and west where work on the wings is proceeding, so I cleared up its cloudiness to clarify the clues.

North Portico lamp

2008-08-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

Visitor Merlin writes:

Do you have any information about the large light fixture that hangs in the North Portico, including the name of the manufacturer? It appears in a 1906 photo on your website but is not visible in a 1902 photo, so it must date from sometime in that interval.

New photos

2008-08-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

I added a number of new photos from a White House visitor named Daniel (go forward from here in his gallery) and a couple from older archives that I had a hard time placing. Most are in the residence.

Also, I've received quite a number of photos by e-mail lately. Be assured that I'm looking at them, but I don't always have time to respond or place them yet.

Navy Mess

2008-08-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

Pete sent a link to a SF Sentinel article on DC power eateries. The first part is about the West Wing's Navy Mess. There aren't many photos, but there is one of the menu.

New WHHA online shop

2008-08-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

The White House Historical Association has a new online shop that promises "several new sections and improved navigation." Take a look.

The site is still a bit slow, and the categories are a little too small ("Serving Accessories"?).

Hoban's original plan

2008-08-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

An interesting note from visitor Andrew McCarthy regarding the "original" Hoban elevation reconstructions on the Residence Overview page:

The reconstructed elevations you’ve posted seem inaccurate in several respects, even to the early-revised plan of Hoban’s which they purport to emulate. Not only that, but the two images were done by different draftsmen, so they are slightly inconsistent even with each other. (I understand completely that they’re the best you have – I’m no artist, myself – but you’d think the original artists would’ve put more effort into it.)

In the front reconstruction, a pediment has been added that was not there: as William Seale points out in most of his books, the surviving wall section from Hoban’s second plan doesn’t show one. However, it does show fluting on the central columns, carvings on the frieze, and a more elaborate balustrade than ended up in the final plan – none of which is in the reconstructed image.

Another detail shown in Hoban’s wall section is shown incorrectly: a carved strip of molding ran all the way along the second-story wall, flush with the base of the Ionic columns and acting as a sill beneath the second-floor windows. This exists at Leinster House, and was apparently adopted by Hoban. Below the stone molding on most of the windows, the wall section shows two long scroll supports, similar to the ones holding up the first-floor window hoods on the finished WH. However, at Leinster House, the second-floor central windows have a balustrade beneath their sill instead of carved supports, and I would guess that Hoban copied this detail as well.

Also, the second-story window hoods were probably a little wider than shown in the picture, with the scroll supports beneath them resting on either side of the stone window frame, not on top of it (this is the arrangement both at Leinster House and the final WH). Plus, the windows in the first-floor center, within the rusticated area, are shown as arched. Since both Leinster House and the Charleston County Courthouse (the two buildings which are closest in form to Hoban’s original intent) have rectangular windows in the corresponding area, I suspect that the arching may be incorrect, and that the windows were sunk in rectangular openings in the rusticated wall.

Finally, (and this is just a guess), the window hoods of the central windows on the second story might be more elaborate than the ones to each side – this is the case on the rear façade of Leinster House, and was common in 18th century Dublin architecture. My personal guess is that the window directly above the door had a triangular pediment, while the ones immediately to either side had arched hoods. This idea is based on the placement of the window hoods in the final WH front, where two arched pediments flank an arched transom, a curiosity given Hoban’s alternating hood-shape scheme elsewhere on the house.

As for the rear reconstruction: the windows on the second story, as on the front, should have wider hoods with small scroll supports to either side, and a strip of molding running along the second-floor wall acting as a windowsill. As well, the balustrade and frieze should be more elaborate, as with the front side (and the pillars should be added back to the balustrade, a detail the artist forgot). Plus, the second-story window hoods might have more elaborate designs, mirroring those I proposed on the front. Also, the first-floor door in the center of the bow is missing: this should be an actual doorway, not a jib door, given that in the early-revised floorplan Hoban drew it wide open, as he did the front door, while he drew the other jib-doors as plain windows. Lastly, the artist forgot to draw in the windowsills beneath the third-floor windows, and drew the wrong number of chimneys (these were pretty much as they are in the final WH.)

I was in Charleston about a month ago and took pictures of the Charleston County Courthouse, a building which, even if Hoban didn’t help build it (the records are lost), was certainly known to him and Washington. The back façade of the building has a curious window design which may represent how Hoban envisioned the central side windows of the revised three-story WH plan. The building was exactingly restored about 10 years ago to how it would’ve looked in Washington’s day – judging from old photographs they did an excellent job.

On the first floor is a Palladian arched window, very similar to the one that today graces the East Room. The floorplan for Hoban’s second design indeed shows such windows on the side walls. However, this window is slightly different from the WH version – the smaller side window panels are one tier lower than the height of the “normal” windows to either side. To suit this change, the carved entablature just above the window does not arc over the central fan-shaped panel, as it does on the actual WH, but instead rests in two sections atop the side panels, while a much less elaborate arched window frame curves atop the center of the window. Also, the four Ionic pilasters holding the entablature up have different shapes: the two on the outside are rectangular, and the two inner ones are curved (this was shown in Latrobe’s floorplan of 1803, but is not visible on the window today). Finally, I suspect that if Hoban carried this scheme over to his revised WH plan, he added carving to the frieze on the entablature, and fluting to the Ionic columns, to make the side windows more harmonious with the front façade. In fact, such a carved frieze is visible in an engraving of the ruined WH walls after the fire of 1814 – it may have been altered, like the columns, in the rebuilding.

On the third story is a lunette window with a carved keystone on top and a plain sill beneath. However, this one lacks the row of straight glass panes on the bottom edge of the WH lunette. I suspect that Hoban originally wanted to put the lunette window on the smaller third floor, and when he removed one floor he brought the design down, adding glass panes to the bottom to lengthen it.

Between the wide top and bottom windows on the courthouse back, on the second floor, is a window of ordinary width, but with an arched top tier. Such a design would be awkward on the side of the WH, given the window hoods on the second floor in Hoban’s revised wall section, so I suspect he substituted a normal-shaped window with an arched pedimented hood. Such a curved hood would be complemented by the pointed and curved hoods which I suspect he also put on the center of the second-story front façade (see above).

If you want to see the photos for yourself, ask and I’ll send them along. It’s very rare that the back of the courthouse gets photographed.

As for why Hoban had such an elaborate entablature in the first place: I suspect that, as on Leinster House and the Charleston courthouse, Hoban’s very first plan did indeed have a pediment, but a plain one, without carving on it, or a balustrade or a complex entablature beneath. Then, when Washington ordered more elaborate stonework, he probably removed the simple pediment and added a fancy balustrade and frieze. Later, when he made his final plan, he added the pediment back on and scaled back the entablature carvings, but kept the new balustrade and drew an elaborate bald eagle image to be carved on the pediment (which was never acted on).
As you can see, I’ve probably thought about this too much.

New additions

2008-08-06T00:44:00.000-07:00

I added a terrific layout of the second floor of the East Wing created by Pete Sharkey (thanks, Pete!) from materials dating from LBJ, I believe, but probably not changed much since.

I've also begun adding photos that Pete found. The first are a couple from the West Wing. Next will be some from the second floor of the Residence. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Fixed the What's New page. It had become corrupted somehow.

Facebook photos

2008-08-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

Hey, I found this great little site called Facebook, where there is a vibrant community of White House enthusiasts in a group called "White House Fanatics".

They've posted some great photos on there that I don't have that would look great hanging in the museum. There is even a floor plan of the East Wing! I'll be contacting them soon....

Also Pete has sent some photos of the West Wing dining room and elsewhere that I plan to use.

New front page - TR's new office

2008-08-02T22:45:00.000-07:00

I've changed the front page for August, this time to a photo of TR in repose in his new room in the new Executive Office Building—the original West Wing (if you don't count the stables and laundry).

Happy Anniversary ! (belated that is)

2008-08-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

As a regular visitor and infrequent contributor, I would like to wish Derek all the best on the 2nd anniversary of the White House Museum website and to express my thanks for this refuge for we White House "fanatics" . Technically this blog, and perhaps ceremonially the White House Museum website officially got going on July 22, 2006. So this anniversary greeting is somewhat belated.

Derek has shown terrific leadership in attracting many White House enthusiasts and encouraging them to contribute in many ways, doing so with a tremendous amount of grace and willingness to hear constructive criticism.

The White House museum has been a wonderful place for me to view my favorite building/home. And I have also learned a significant amount of new information by what has been shared. And to top it off, the website itself is structured so well and just-plain looks terrific . . . a true compliment to the class and modest elegance that is The White House.

Derek, Thank You!

Library 3D Model

2008-07-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hi White House Museum Friends,

I've restarted building the White House rooms after needing to take some time away for work. If you regularly check in to the Wingnut's Workings Blog you'll see more frequent updates and photos of the progress. (Derek has a link located on the right in this blog page as well)

I'm currently working on the Library and will be moving on to other Ground Floor rooms after that. Rather than making any of you wait for an entire floor to be completed, each room will be given to Derek upon it's completion for him to present it to you here at the WHM.

I will be calling upon you folks regularly for opinions on specific details and also help with providing color photos. I've already had help from some of you. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Peter

P.S: For now, here is the latest screen photo of the Library:

White House Historical Association tidbits

2008-07-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Mike B notes:

The White House Historical Association has a supplement to the Historic Guide 22ND edition [PDF]. Some great photos here, especially one of the Lincoln Sitting Room I've never seen before!

The Lincoln Sitting Room looks great, and the President's Dining Room is beautiful, altho I'm not crazy about the O'Keefe. There are also some nice photos of the West Wing rooms.

The WHHA site has been somewhat redone. While I was there I ordered a couple of the WHH journals I didn't have yet.

New front page - West Sitting Hall

2008-07-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

I changed the front page to one of the West Sitting Hall around 1937.

Also, I noticed that in the Truman 1945 renovation plans for the West Wing (which were never realized), there was a better layout for the first floor than I had for anywhere near that era, so I combined it with the 1960 plan to create a composite that should be pretty accurate (if not entirely complete on the north side).

Hoban's inspiration

2008-06-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

I got a substantive question from visitor Andrew on James Hoban's sources which I have been unable to answer, but I know some regular readers have more insight into the subject:

I am curious about the possibility of James Hoban having used an architectural reference book when designing the White House front elevation.

A few months ago, when I was browsing in my local university library, I stumbled on the book The United States Capitol: Designing and Decorating a National Icon, edited by Donald R. Kennon (published by Ohio University Press, in Athens, OH, in 2000). On page 32 of this book is reproduced an elevation drawing of Leinster House (Hoban’s inspiration for the White House). The engraving in question was originally taken from the 1780 architectural reference book Views of the most remarkable public Buildings, Monuments and other Edifices in the City of Dublin, written by Robert Pool and John Cash.

This engraving is most notable because in one regard it seems to be an intermediate step between the actual Leinster House as built and Hoban’s final plan for the two-story White House. Specifically, the elevation is much as Leinster House actually looked in the 1780’s (judging by a 1792 painting reproduced in William Seale’s The White House: The History of an American Idea) except for the second-story window pediments, which are inaccurate.

The actual Leinster House has (and has always had, going by the painting in Seale’s book) window pediments that are arranged (in terms of rounded vs. pointed pediments) much differently than those on the White House first-story windows. However, the engraving of Leinster House published by Pool and Cash, reproduced by Kennon et al., incorrectly shows the front side of Leinster House with second-story window pediments arranged almost exactly like those on the first-story front of the final White House.
Because of this inaccurate detail which was reproduced in Hoban’s designs, I think it quite possible that Hoban had a copy of this 1780 book, which he would have used to refresh his memory about Leinster House’s architecture when designing the original 3-story WH plan. Moreover, judging by the floorplan and partial side elevation which survive of his original three-story concept, it is quite possible that the Pool and Cash elevation is very close to what Hoban originally had in mind before budget costs forced a reduction in scale of the project.

I always thought that Hoban was indeed working from an architecture book and not from personal study of Leinster House, but I don't recall seeing the book named.

West Wing Tour

2008-06-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

Visitor Colton passed along a link to a great set of photos on Flickr documenting a recent tour of the West Wing. Great pics!

New front page - Reagan and Bush

2008-06-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

I got busy and lazy simultaneously and neglected to change the front page for June. But Becky kindly reminded me, and now I've changed it to a beautiful photo of President Reagan with VP Bush on the patio outside the Oval Office, from almost exactly 20 years ago.

State Dining Room furniture copies

2008-05-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

Visitor Ben writes:

I am trying to find chairs for my
dining room similar to the gold upholstered 1902
chairs in the State Dining Room. Kittinger has a
similar chair, but it doesn't have the same simplified
lines as the chairs in the White House collection.
Have you ever run across the manufacturer of the
chairs in any of your research? I imagine
reproductions have been made since 1902...just
wondering if you have any leads.