Association. Doctor matthew costello, Vice President of the david m. Rubenstein center for white house history and Senior Historian at the White House Historical association will moderate the conversation. Our first panelist is Leslie Greene bowman president of the Thomas Jefferson foundation which owns and operates monticello. In addition to this work, she is served by president ial appointment for the committee for the preservation of the white house under president joe biden, donald trump, barack obama, george w. Bush into bill clinton. Stuart mcclinton is president of the association, leading the associations nonpartisan, on Profit Mission to preserve conservation at the white house private funding. John John Stanwich serves as the park service to the white house. Overseeing the Park Services responsibility through the care of the white house and its grounds, as well as the park areas immediately surrounding the white house. Finally, we are joined by lydia tederick, creator of the white house. She has been part of the white house curatorial staff since 1979. Tederick as lectured on the white house collection and specializes on of historic photographs of the white house mansion. Please join me in welcoming our panelists to the stage for our final panel today. [applause] put me in the middle here, i dont like this. [laughs] well, thank you sarah, for that wonderful introduction. Its been a pretty incredible day. Heard some fascinating insights from different people. I know this will be a fitting conclusion to our symposium. Before we get into our conversation about preservation of the white house, i figured we should share a little bit about history behind these preservation efforts at the white house. And some of the challenges that we face. In addition to being the home and office of americas head of state, the white house also must serve as a ceremonial stage and as a museum. All while continuing to function on a daily basis as a home for the first family. The white house is not frozen in time. Rather, it is a Historic Place where history is constantly unfolding. This makes the task of preservation even more challenging when the Historic Site you seek to protect and safeguard is used for large events, press conferences, state dinners, holiday parties. Those can be especially treacherous. In johns case, easter egg rolls, concerts, picnics. Tree lighting. s Tree Lighting all of these things, i would imagine, can do a number on the lawn. Also marine one landings. Just year ordinary things have to do with a Historic Site. All these individuals bring a different perspective on these issues. But before we get to our conversation, i would like to summarize a brief history of the preservation of the white house. For nearly a century, the homes occupants constantly struggled to meet the expectations placed upon them by the American Public and press. What congress appropriated funds for furniture and furnishings, starting with john adams, 14,000. It was raised to 20,000 during interject sons presidency and stayed that amounted to the presidency of calvin coolidge. As you can imagine, that money went quickly and wasnt evenly distributed across the rooms. So, since these funds didnt go very, far this meant fixing broken items, regilding, reupholstery, and shifting items between rooms to address or concerns and, when necessary, selling outdated or wanted items that public option and using the proceeds to buy new items for the house. In 1826, Congress Passed legislation that mandated that all furniture purchase for the white house should be as far as practical be of american domestic manufacture. This is included as part of the appropriations bill, there were ways around this. As we heard, with for example, the china services. Many of which were french made and were brought to the United States and then purchase for american firms. The white house, was after all, an office and a home in an extremely accessible one at that. This greatly affected the house, its appearance at its furnishings. In 1840, to author charles dickens, yes that charles dickens, wrote of his experience visiting in the white house. He noticed that there is a multitude of people asserting their supremacy, more than anything else, as i had no particular business at the white house or that anybody knew of. While waiting for president john tyler, thickens made note of the gentleman who are waiting with him and their affinity for chewing tobacco. They quote bestowed their favors so abundantly upon the carpet, that i take for granted the president ial housemates have high wages. No one saw these carpets as artifacts where the of preserving, they were seen more as household necessities and even those buttons were abundantly placed, some people were not polite enough to put their spit into a bucket. Only late in the 19th century did people start to see these places objects differently. They became imbued with historical significance and relevancy much like we heard earlier today, this movement in the wider cultural awakening behind Historic Preservation was propelled by women. First ladies, hostesses, journalists, photographers, researchers, and eventually curators. Caroline harrisons attempt to identify and catalog white house china as well as creating display for the public to see this china in the executive mansion transpired shortly after the centennial celebration of the constitution in the celebration of the first presidency in George Washington. This was not a coincidence and as we heard earlier with lucy hayes, this idea of commemoration in centennials are very much connected to this wider idea of what is American History, who defines it, who tells the story. It could take some time for this role to solidify, part of the first lady responsibilities, there are some notable examples worth mentioning and i will touch on briefly because we heard a bit of this earlier. Edith roosevelt oversaw a major white house renovation, but also suggested portraits of first ladies being on the ground in the derby cabinets me to display pieces of president ial state services. We had edith wilson who created a designated china on the ground floor to house more of the collection, Grace Coolidge who worked with the committee of experts to assess donations to the white house and lou huber who oversaw the first systematically of white house artifacts, their origins, and even permitted documentary photographs to be taken of the private quarters. All of these women, and we heard this in the late morning panel, contributed, these women and others, to the evolving idea of preservation the white house, and after the truman renovation 1940, eight 1950, to first Lady Jacqueline kennedy spearheaded a restoration of the executive mansion. Her hiring of the first curator of the white house, elaine pearce, as well as the support of congress through public law 87286, and acts concerning the white house and providing for the care in preservation of its historic and artistic contents, specified the need to preserve and interpret the museum character of the ground floor corridor in the public groups on the state floor. And also codify that furniture, fixtures, and Decorative Arts of the white house are an alien bull and consider the property of the white house. This is committee supported the creation of the White House Historical association, as well as a cooperating organization with a National Park service and we are proud to maintain that 60 years later. While mrs. Kennedys time the white house was tragically cut short, her successor, lady bird johnson, and her husband, president Lyndon Johnson further institutionalize these roles and our ongoing relationship, and president johnson issued executive order 111 for five, which officially created the position of white house curator, and the committee for the preservation of the white house. We will talk a little bit more about what that is and who is on that. The coalescence of these ideas in practices and collaborations between government, private advisories, practitioners, all takes place in the 1960s in sets a new standard for president s at the white house. Today, we will learn more about these roles, these organizations, and how we collaborate to carry out this critical work. And so i would like to begin with a big question that i am going to pose to all of you. You all approach preservation from different perspectives in different capacities, but what would you say is your overarching philosophy when it comes to preserving the white house . Its anybody who wants to tim i will jump in. Sure. Preservation of the white house, it is not just material comfort. And he so eloquently stated all of the different roles that it has. Preservation has each of those rules. When you look at the executive order, it talks about this place, a place of democracy and ideas, its wiping preservation at the white house is a much more then our typical understanding of museum preservation, material culture, architecture, this is also preservation of a place. This is a place of preservation of ideas in american ideals that actually define us as americans. Its the only thing that defines americans is already is, when i tribe, were not a religion, were not a conquest, this is one of the nuclei of those ideas. And so i think that for us on the committee, historical so ca, shun Curators Office, and all of the wonderful people that weve been able to Work Together and preservation, all those dimensions come together in a preservation standpoint, and then they also hit the practical. The press who have to use this, the White House Christmas parties, all of the things that make us a living, breathing museum. A stage set, a theater that most of us in preservation do not think about in our respective assignments. I would definitely, thank you very much, that was a very eloquent start and obviously the park service, weve been involved with the white house since 1933, and with this house itself, and the collections from waves since making 61. I feel like really speak to at the National Park service is about. Its about conserving, protecting, telling a story of this nation for a future generations. I feel like thats what we do every day working here at the white house, and i feel like all of those things that we see are important for people who sometimes take it for granted but people really see each one of those things as meaning something to them, something they have waited their whole life to see and so it is a very important that we all bear together and making fear that that place is very special for people when they come to visit. And also to, as weve said, it is an ever dynamic environment. It is changing every moment in changing what that administration is like, and so we have to be there to adjust and be able to be nimble into work with it. At the same time, understand the trust has been given to us from president s and first families before that those areas are there and that it was sacred to them and that will be sacred to those future generations of our leaders and their families as well in the future. It is a really important trust that we all have, and that we collectively share and Work Together collaboratively on. I would say that our approach is a little bit more practical. Because as you know, we are not a traditional museum, and we are first and foremost the home that the president of the United States, and then a historic with an important collection of fine and Decorative Arts and so our objects are used in people do sit on our 19th century chairs and sofas. We do have regular tours, and there are a number of events that take place in state forums, as weve been hearing, and foods drinks are served in these rooms. So the question for us is what can we do to help preserve this collection in the white house for future first families and we do this in a number of ways. For example, we offer training sessions to resident staff on how best to handle the collection. Gloves are, worn to protect Sensitive Services from oils found naturally on hands. For staff outside of the residents, weve given presentations to new employees as part of an orientation. Accession, to tell them a little bit about white house history invite our collection, which now numbers about 60,000 objects. We emphasize to them that import objects can be found in all of the public spaces and that they may see on a daytoday basis. So we asked them, unless youre aghast at an event, to please not sit on the furniture. Please dont walk through the state for rooms with a coffee cups. And essentially, were inviting them to help us preserve the collection. We monitor tour setups, any objects that may be at risk, and hopefully will be identified, and we can suggest modifications in order to protect it. And additionally, our curatorial staff monitors the condition of all of our objects. We range for conservatives to periodically examine the collection. We work with them to establish a party list for objects that are needed in treatment. And we arrange for that conservation. Theyve actually been times when the fragility of a peace has forced us to retire it from service. If this happens, it doesnt mean that its going to be sent off to storage forever, but we now have an opportunity to place it on display at the White House Visitors Center or at the smithsonian. Well thank you, matt, for the question, and for leading this. As i began this morning of thanking you and calling for puttings entire day together, it is really been a marvelous day. To have leslie, lydia, and on this panel, im starting my ninth year here at the association. I dont think weve had these four perspectives of voices for the committee from the preservation of the white house, the curator, the park service, and our voice in the panel. Its really an interesting and fundamental look how the place and the continuity of care for the place, as president s coming go. They have been 46 presidencies in 45 men and there is different as they can be, all of them. But they have one thing in common and that one thing theyll have in common is that little white house about 200 yards from where were sitting right now. And so we exist. The White House Historical association as the living legacy and miss kennedy, that matt outlined what she did miraculously, remember, shes 31 years old when your president becomes president. And shes 31 years old when her husband but she couldve thought she had for years or years to put something in place according to her vision, but she found loaded that, thank goodness. And now 11 president s and first ladies since the committees have been able to benefit from and take advantage of things like a curator to take care for the art of the objects, a committee for the preservation of the white house to be the voices advice of the counsel in the first ladies going to do something. And then our case to be the non taxpayer funded to make this possible. If you look at homes a heads of state around the world, even buckingham palace, and certainly number 10, sorry to any british friends that are watching, but in number 10, the draperies, the furniture is frayed, and you cant go to parliament and say, give us this money, just be a big screaming headline in the newspapers as it has been recently. But we mrs. Kennedy, at the young age, put in place these processes and procedures, including us, so that over this time we are able to find any possible the things that lydia and her team identified and that the committee for the preservation of the white house advises the first lady that should be done or how they should be undertaken. And that is amazing privilege that this country has. This, our organization, has to do that on behalf of the American People. Care of the house and all three of these aspects and in being and so some people like to think of us of like the czech rioters to make that possible, but we are more deeply invested in the care of the house and all three of his aspects and being their biggest fans and cheerleaders of what they do and helping make possible what they do. Its really a brilliant system in our country, and we are very fortunate to have the structure in place. And thats actually a great transition, because were talking about collaboration and how these different entities and organizations have worked together. We will have distinct roles relate to the white house, but we were collaboratively on preservation acquisition efforts. So in terms of process, i was wondering if you could and lightness as a panel, how does this, how does this work . How do these relationships work . After sometimes maybe they dont work as well, sometimes they work better, but how does acquisitions work . Just pull back the curtain and tell us a little bit more about the relationships. I guess i will take that one. Obviously, a lot of us got here up on the stage in different ways. I actually studied law and diplomacy. I went to the Fletcher School of law in diplomacy at Tufts University and i was anticipating going and working for the state department, you know, going overseas, and i studied american diplomatic history. In my concentration was on early u. S. Russian relations. In a brought me to Adams National historical park, which was John Quincy Adams home, and of adam familys home as well. If i was out there for research and they interest me in a job for the National Park service and ive been working for the park Service Every since. But i looked back to my training in diplomacy and every day that i work here at the white house, i can tell you, i would never have used it as much overseas every single day and no matter what you do you need to go be a diplomat, you need to remind yourself of your mission, of what youre trying to accomplish. But you have to cooperate and appreciate everyone elses mission at the same time. We have 13 other federal agencies working on the complex, and we also have great partners like the White House Historical association who help us in this and surmountable amount of a task that we have to preserve, protect and tell the story. We couldnt do it without that collaboration, cooperation. So, that needs to be done. Sometimes those partners have totally Different Missions than we have and im sure all of you know that we have been working, over the last few years and replacing the white house fence. So, that project is a very huge project that we are working with the u. S. Secret service on. So, sometimes, obviously their mission is to protect the first family, protect the complex. But we, collectively, had to make them aware to that that fence was a very historic object and that it needed to be preserved and needed to have its own story told. And so, lydia and her team from the white house Curators Office partnered with us together, we worked with secret service to let them know how important this was. We catalog, get we also made sure that it was going to be protected and taken care of as much as the historic fabric that we have. So, if weve got the slide there, if we could maybe. You can see the historical fence here that was in front of the white house. We are in the process of replacing that with a bed a six foot, two inch fence with a 12 foot fence. You can see the project, here on the south side. Going on and here on the pennsylvania avenue side, where you can see the 12 foot fence in place. But along the way, you can imagine that that fabric that we touched, we had to make sure that the secret service was going to be respectful of the process that we had to go through in order to put that fence in and all the work that needed to go on in order to do that. There was one real simple, to me, of the success that we had in this collaborative objective, and its on the Southeast Side of the white house complex. Its a long easy street and it is a gingo tree that we believe has been there probably before George Washington went there to survey the site. We told the secret service of all the things we really needed to make sure that tree was preserved. Think about all the stories i could tell about where the white house is and whats that special place is. They were at first a little hesitant, because it would cost a lot more money, there was a lot more time that needed to go in. But ultimately, we prevailed. So i invite you all, if you have time, to go down and president s park along easy street there and look at the very large gingo tree that sits there. Just say that we collaboratively have Work Together on a really important that we can all still enjoy, hopefully lots of future generations can enjoy as well. Lydia, did you want to, or stewart or leslie, speak about how that process works with acquisition . Or how these projects are processed and moved . Again, we need to work collaboratively to add an object to the collection. For something to become part of the permanent white house collection, there is a process that we have to follow. We have whats called the collections policy, that was approved by the committee for the preservation of the white house. It was first passed in 1992 and has been revised twice since then. It outlines our objectives, the criteria we need to fallout to acquire something for the white house. And describes the types of objects we should be looking for for the collection. For example, my portraits of president s and first ladies and famous americans, landscapes and cityscapes that show different parts of our country. Works by leading american artisans. Objects that were once in the white house. Thats something that we desperately want to acquire for the collection, things that have a strong white house providence. With the exception of the commission of president and first lady portraits we do not, however, except works by living artists. In fact, the artist needs to be deceased in the work at least 25 years old. Often, works are brought to our, attention offered as gifts or donations. When this happens, we will compile images and all known information about that object. Including condition, providence, exhibition history, and put this together as a packet and present the information to the committee. Of which leslie has been a longtime member. In the hope that we will get their approval. And there are times when we do not. As i said, the policy has been amended a few times since it was passed in 1992. Working with future committees, changes to the committee are possible to help us adapt to the future. I should also mention that priorities and what we acquire are sometimes determined by the administrations and by first families. During the obama administration, for example, there was a desire to collect more moderates for the collection. With the assistance of the committee we acquired some wonderful paintings by artists like joseph helpers, russian, berg albert thomas, roy liechtenstein. Also during that administration the family dining room on the state floor was refurbished to specifically showcase modern design. I think, matt, you have a photograph of, that dont you . I do. Were going to segway into leslie, unless you also want to weigh in on acquisition and preservation. I could be really quick. It really starts, usually, with the curators. Where the professionals, not only caring for the collection, but when i want to say as you understate your incredible role. You and melissa and the rest of the team. In finding those things and trying to stay under the radar while you try to find them. Because, depending on how much is known about the provenance its going to change the price, right . So, theres an incredible role that the curators and that office plates. The committee is really meant to do two things. Its meant to protect the first family from having to make tough decisions or decisions that would be like currying favor, right . Theres a political role that the committee needs to play to protect the first family from both the slings and the arrows, as well as political gain. Then there is just, if we have expertise, right . I love the fact that weve had some folks on the Committee Like wendy cooper and richard islander who have deep, deep experience in neoclassical material culture. Then we might advise on price, we might advise on condition, we might advise on oh, i think theres one of those at the met. Generally lady and her team already know that, and theyve already gone up and down it. But it is a wonderful collaboration, its been a great joy. I would simply put, as summary, that it does begin principally with the curators on what is needed wanted. Whether something theyve identified are the first family has identified. Then it goes to the committee for the preservation of the white house for their advice and counsel and cover, if need be. Then to the association, perhaps to do research from time to time. And to fund this project or this acquisition. And then, because the white house itself does not have gift receipt authority, we didnt deliver it to the park service. Which receives it and restores on behalf of the government until such time as is chosen by the curators on the state floor. Thats the quick summary of how we all Work Together. Its one other piece to this pie. Its not always when something is spotted at an auction or an opportunity to acquire something, but we have two ways of really working with the Curators Office. There are those episodic opportunities, but we have annual experiences as well where they look to see something that me really need to be taken care of in terms of one of the most interesting examples in the previous presidency when the first lady and her design, or the curators, realize that so many of the historic tours in the white house had scratches from the pets of the president s for years and years. This is a major project. It wasnt a sexy project, but the takedown 30 sundays for four days at the time and take them away and refinish them and bring them back, it was disruptive for the flow, for the family and Everything Else in the white house. But that was something that had to be done thats someone going to the white house wouldnt be like, oh these beautiful doors. But it was necessary. To have someone caring about the things on a daytoday basis and having a first lady that gets that and supports that and comes to us is a really great thing. So, my next question is for stewart. The White House Historical associations mission is to educate the public about the history of the house, but also placement port role and supporting preservation acquisition efforts. Can you tell us a little bit more about our role and some of the recent projects. You mentioned the door, but maybe we could talk through some of the other ones. Sure, well, the slide you see now is really a summary of some of our acquisitions. These are just four presidencies of the 12 and some of the items that weve acquired during those presidencies. Roughly 111 billion dollars of investment in that period of time. The most expensive acquisition, i believe, was the Jacob Lawrence during mrs. Laura bushs time as first lady. Which is in the green room, next to the, door going into the east room. That was two and a half million dollars. The alba thomas that you mentioned was more in line with the type of acquisition, but 300,000. So, we are very fortunate to have the resources that have been we cumulated to private support, individual support. We have no government funding whatsoever, its all private support. When it comes from a retail products, comes from our private philanthropy. All of this builds together to make these Resources Available when they are needed. And this is a wonderful example through this list here of just the types of things that have been acquired and placed in the collection. Some of the most recent projects, if you want to click through these, lydia mentioned the old family diving room above the state floor. You could see there, the russian buried on the left and the thomas on the right. Significant about the alba thomas is a first African American female office artist, to be in the white house collection. This is where titled resurrection. We then take that and, through our education programs, even our retail products, amplify the message and the story and the history of that product. So its not just a painting hanging on a wall in a room in a house that a limited number of people will see. We use that to teach and tell stories about acquisition, about this artist, about why mrs. Obama selected this. And its put in this wonderful room and the contrast to me is fascinating. Its a little stark. Even some of our Board Members are considering support for this project, this doesnt look like the white house. Its not this federal appearance. Given the collection policy that lydia mentioned, where the artist has to be deceased where the work has to be 25 years old or older, the farther we get into the 21st century, the greatness of the mid and late 20th century in america are becoming eligible to other works in the collection. And here they are so, they have the right and the opportunity to be showcased as well. They also have the early 20th century t said over there from the worlds fair. The output is uninspired rug there on the floor. It creates a whole different dimension. Another first lady may come along and change that, thats their prerogative. But this is an example of a specific type of unique project that we were privileged to work on with a first lady and her team. This, the red room, you recognize. I just asked letitia, we finish this part of the project, didnt we . But the most extreme part of this project that was noticeable to those of you who happen to be in there often is, youre looking at the western wall going into the state dining room, the sunlight coming through those southern windows had faded that western wall almost to a pinkish color. It was really bad. So, this is fabric, not wallpaper or paint. So, it was real pollsters. And the furniture was reimposed shared with us as well. That was completed during the trump presidency, a project during the trump presidency. And then this was a wonderful project. The diplomatic reception room. And item were talking about here is the rug thats on the floor. As you, know this is the room that the president goes through to get out to the helicopter. It can run a little path from the downstairs hallway out to the south lawn. So it wears, thats a lot of wear. Mrs. Trump replace that rug with this rug. The significant element of it thats really beautiful, i dont think shes shown up today here, but she worked with mrs. Trump on this. The previous right at the state seals around the perimeter. This replaces those with the state flowers. So, its really a beautiful addition. Of course, its an American Made rug, and michigan, and its really beautiful in the diplomatic reception room. A spectacular photograph, extraordinary image and amazing work. Is melissa still here . How the queen is over there. This is a sweet, represents the blue furniture. Its a suite of elijah a furniture which, i told you guys going to mention jasmine roe, chancellor had been administer to france. Returns to the white house of the first president since a fire in 1870. Brace within this extraordinary 53 piece suite of furniture from the french cabinet maker. It is there in the white house, was originally a red color, now a blue color. Overtime it becomes worn and out of fashion and by the time of the buchanan presidency, i think its been whittled down to just one piece of the 53. Which is tragic, that was a time on the presidency where there was no collection. And im coming to the white house, for the president , and the next president to come along and it could go away. It was nothing that required that stay in the white house collection. But that change with the kennedys in the johnstons. But at this point, this beautiful 53 piece suite of furniture comes in by became, and its all gonna suffer one piece. This is kennedy, she undertaken initiative to reclaim as many pieces as she could and we worked with her on that and other first lady sense. To this day, i believe theyre ten original pieces now in the white house collection. Is that right . I think theres 11. 11 pieces in the collection including that table in the fire screen you see there is the most recent. If you had seen that when it was acquired, you would not have looked at it twice. It looks like a piece of junk that was in the trash somewhere. It is been extraordinarily restored. And this entire suite, thanks to melissas leadership, and that entire team of restoring the furniture back to its original state, it is exquisite and spectacular and is an investment of about 700,000 of our park to do the ten or 11piece, plus some duplicate pieces that have been created overtime to compliment this. But privilege of ours to do, you wouldve looked at the furniture before and thought, this is beautiful, this is handsome furniture, but if you look at a refurbished pieced next to a piece that not been refurbished, it is like night and day. So amazing, amazing accomplishment by the Curatorial Team with the affirmation of the committee and the support of the American People to make this possible. Its just really the most stunning example, and the other thing about the story is that it transcended presidencies, it started under mrs. Obama, and then it continued and there was no interruption, it continued under mrs. Trump, and now you can see it in the white house. Really amazing. I think the blue room is a good transition for leslie. We are in the introduction, you served for multiple presidencies in the committee for the white house, but can you tell us about a specific preservation project that really resonated with you, and why . It was this room. It was 1993. I think i came on the committee and 93. And this room actually, at mrs. Clintons request, was submitted to the committee and the curators for refreshing. For restoration. They were afraid, and im not sure which, this is 1991 just to give people an idea of how much the room has changed, this is post truman in this after mrs. Kennedy will store the room, and even that didnt last very long because then mrs. Nixon came up and then i think that was the last major refurbishing of the space until i just like this photo. Its sort of like were looking ahead to the future, there is governor clinton, meeting with president reagan, and i think it was one of the governors conferences, and then some sort of foreshadowing into history, and now this is where leslie is. I want to go back to the wonderful one i was talking about. The blue room is just really the centerpiece for the white house. Architecturally as well as the popular mind. If we go there, where the Christmas Tree in the white house . Its in that room. It really is the heart and soul of the home, the office, and all of it. And lucky for me, i had just come on the committee in the curators and they were really looking at how to take on this room. And there was a sense of really making it more historical. So, everything that was done there had a historical basis. And of course, the crown jewel of all of that is that they have this bell on jay furniture, which i think maduro did not bring back from france, but i think he ordered it. It was not supposed to be gilded. He actually requested, the plane would. And why . Because he knew that he should not look like a monarch. You should not look palatial. Theres so much politics from the very beginning. And when it arrived and it was gilded, bruce is nodding, so i am okay [laughs] it was a real shock. And we were concerned that this furniture, 53 pieces of it in full french guild. And of course van buren ultimately pays a price for that when theres a backlash after jacksons expenses for the white house. And then Congress Passes the law that everything has to be made in america. But this is the furniture that really sets that in motion because its just too opulent into gilded and its wonderful. And so its just this furniture that is really the centerpiece of the historical period that we are going to work with. In richard and founded these period documented wallpapers that we could use and we have produced. And then scale andre did the upholstery of a deeper blue, whats the earlier a poultry had been for those chairs, and with literally the, we have the image of monroe standing next to this, and we knew the declaration that they had, and i think the piece that was most interesting to me, and thats when i ask you to go back to stewards slide, if we can go back, there we go. Everything was pretty much falling into place with the wallpapers and the upholstery and amazing chairs and so forth, but the rug. What do you do for the rug . And every committee for the president in the white house included the first familys decorator and designer. I think it was kathy huff for smith and miss clintons was asked quite appropriately, what do we do about the rug. And there is a presumption that we didnt have any period rugs. And so we have to decide something that looked like it. And she was designing something lovely with state sales and medallion and all cooper and i, i was still at that. And i think when he Los Angeles County museum of art and we kind of scratching our heads and said, theres some historical president s for this . Can we find something that is not passed each . Which is not meant to be negative, but it will be made up. And then we discovered that there were still the historical point papers in england of the period rugs that have been made in that period, and may have them sent to america through philadelphia, through a vendor. And so we were able to get a point paper that was not a rug and then have that made by an american. And so we have to honor the but i do think the rug was a huge, huge historical asset in pulling it together as what really would be a really accurate part of the period. Lydia, i was wondering now that we talked a little bit about these different preservation efforts, what all goes into producing a room like the blue room. Where are these things kept. You mentioned 60,000 items and so i was curious if you tell us a little bit more about that. Were both fortunate to have an onsite Storage Facility and a much larger offsite facility thats maintained by our friends at the National Park service. One project that we wanted to tell you about today, it involves the curatorial onsite of broom. It has been a long time storage room and it had not been renovated since the 19 80s. So as you can imagine, as time went by, we outgrew our space. This is one of the slides showing you how it looked prior to the renovation. But the opportunity presented itself had thousand and 19 to make some changes. We were directed by the chief usher to make the space as aesthetically and functionally pleasing as we could. Anyone would feel comfortable taking a first Family Member and their, or researcher, in the space to look at objects. So, what started out as a refresh, perhaps new cabinets, shelving, maybe a little bit of paint, developed into a complete renovation from floor to ceiling. We were very fortunate to have our partnership with the White House Historical association because without their support, it would not have been possible. All of the work that needed to be done in this space, again, would not have been possible without the help of the White House Historical association. To begin with, an Architectural Firm was hired to design the new space. It helped us make better use of the space that was available to us, and with other vendors, we were able to plan for new cabinets, compact shelving, booking shelving, paint racks, painting racks, a new lighting system, flooring, in a new hvac system and to improve environmental monitoring, wireless data logging systems would be added. And so as daunting as this project, was it was one that we definitely wanted to undertake. Everybody in the Curators Office had a role. But the one person that i really wanted to bring attention to is our associate curator of collections donna smith. She really spearheaded this project. Our reaccreditation is scheduled to occur next year and so we knew this would be a real feather on our cap. And so forever for over a threeweek period, approximately 1400 objects were removed from the room, packed in a transit frame, custom boxes and crates, and transported to our offsite facility for temporary and long term storage. This included 256 frame paintings, and prince. 287 pieces of glassware, numerous looking glasses, sculpture pieces, lighting fixtures, some furniture, archival boxes with documentation photographs, and even our collection of 18th century italian crunch favors. And we also use this opportunity to assess which object should be stored in the room. Each object before it was packed was examined, photographed, and a determination was made as to whether it should remain on site or go off to the offsite facility. And so there is one section of the space that i really wanted you to see the before picture, if you wouldnt mind going back a couple that one. Thats a good choice [laughs] just a little cluttered. But this is one section of the space, the before picture, and when you go to the next picture, you will see what it looks like now. This whole section we added compact shelving units. A wonderful space saving device about increase our storage capacity. Next slide. We also found that some of our visual storage cabinets could be saved, including the ones that have our 18th century figures in it. Next slide. Probably one of the most dramatic changes happened in our packing room. Unfortunately, i dont have a before picture to show you at the best, but there was an old air handler, rather large, noisy thing, but used to be in this room. By replacing it and reducing the footprint, we were able to add additional painting racks on the far side of this section. And so here you have the packing room today. The new air handler is somewhere inside near the refrigerator. It is actually located behind the screen and the center of the image that the painting on it. And so now in addition to having a packing in receiving object space, we cant display works for researchers, spending in this room has adjustable and so we can mimic daylight if we need to, and we have a nice space for photographers and conservators to work on projects. And so much like a home kitchen renovation project, there were things that slowed us down. Including covid. In a president ial transition. So while the room was completed by the end of 2020, most of the new cabinets and objects were not installed until early last year. Im very pleased for you to see these images of the finished room. And again i think the association for their generosity. Thank, you youre welcome. One of the last things, here is another image, one of the last things i wanted us to talk about, in part because its a another good example of a collaborative project that involved all of us as partners and as organizations. But its also on our invitation. You probably noticed the lincoln bedroom. That was after a major project was undertaken during the george w. Bush presidency. I wanted to start by showing you a few slides of the lincoln bedroom looked like. To answer your first question, no, Abraham Lincoln did not sleep there. It was his office in cabinet room. Post harry truman renovation, president truman ordered that all of these different lincoln era items and associated lincoln items be moved into this particular space. So, this photograph is from the eisenhower administration. Periodically there is some different changes to it. But for the most part, it remained a bedroom. Even though Herbert Hoover called at the lincoln study, fdr called at the lincoln study. And then the lincoln bedroom after harry truman. But there was this interest about what to do with this room to sort of restore some of the historical elements. Youre calling at the lincoln bedroom, why not go back to the true lincoln era when lincoln actually used the space. So, i wanted to ask our panelists to talk us through this project. But all went into it and how it came about and how it was executed. I move the floor open to whoever would like to start. These two. During lincolns time, that room was not the bedroom, it was his office. The lincoln era furnishings were not placed in their, in the lincoln bedroom, created in 1945 under president truman. So, up until the early 2000s, the room, as matt mentioned, hadnt really changed much since the truman renovation. In fact, the carpeting youre seeing at some of those early photos was actually installed in that room in 1952. So, as you can imagine, by the early 2000s there was dry rot. It was time to replace it. It was First Lady Laura Bush that decided to take this project on. It would have been very easy for her to have brought a decorator in and created a nice, victorian looking setting for the lincoln furniture. But she decided that the rooms should be restored along historical lines to preserve the past as much as possible. So, in january, 2002, she approached the committee for the preservation of the white house and asked if they would lend their expertise and participate in this endeavor. Its not an official room. So, actually, it was outside their purview. But the room had achieved such a special status over the years that it was important that they be involved. Mrs. Bush knew that there would be a lot of interest in anything done to this room. So, we were fortunate that the committee agreed to take this on. And a special subcommittee of experts was appointed to work on the project. Leslie was a member of that subcommittee. I think its an example of the challenges of preservation, right . Because you have furniture that wasnt in the room originally, for the period were trying to interpret. It was actually in a room down the hall, the prince of wales bedroom. You have that furniture which is among the most opulent of the white houses surviving intact furnishings. And slight conflict, perhaps, with this photo, which was really with the room eyes of the period we are trying to take it back to. You have lincoln, how he used, it and that the furniture that has wife brought that was down the hall in a different bedroom. Trying to get that all in your head. Notice a difference between bat carpet and the carpet that you just saw. This carpet is relatively authentic to that furniture, right . So, we were really wrestling with, seemingly, slightly conflicting aesthetics, thats maybe the best way of putting it. Here we have the photo with what we determined was green wallpaper, with that rug that you saw there with the cabinet and the print of the cabinet here. Hearing the emancipation proclamation read, what a stirring moment. Lonnie bunch was on that committee, wendy cooper, richard islander. And bill omen. We went through this, how do we pull this together . The bed is clearly, maybe we moved ahead one, but the bed is the outstanding, center stage object. This is how it had looked when mrs. Lincoln had it in the prince of wales bedroom. It had this crown, this canopy. It had the purple upholstery and the lace, the drapery were there, the valences. This is all pretty opulent. Then how do you square that with this really rather incredible moment of gravitas and sobriety, and a Pivotal Moment in our history . When lincoln is using this as his cabinet and his office. You see, what we began to do as we found a wallpaper that was actually as close as we could find to what we thought was in that photograph. We determined that green would be too dark on the walls with that furniture. We worked on a rug that would channel and be geometric like the one that had been in lincolns office. We actually found, i think, lydia jump in and help me here, but i think we found the order for the wilton carpet that it be in that space. They described the colors where g and oh meant green and oak. At that color, debris put purple in or didnt have it . We knew we had to get that purple in somewhere. Was there purple in the original . Thats when i cant remember. I cant remember. Maybe we didnt know for sure, but we got some purple in there. And then with the wallpaper, we took the design but we obviously made it more neutral. So that the rug and the furniture could really aesthetically have the presents that it needed. If you go to that slide, whichever way you want to go. Theres the canopy that we had reproduced and gilded. Because i think it survived in the collections into the 20th century, but it finally until the 1920s, then disappeared. Then it disappeared. Some little girl and a fairy princess bedroom has the original canopy, right . Could be your great aunt milley. Then, if we go to the next one, you can see the mere, the over mental mirror on the next one. Im not being very easy to follow here. This was already in the collections, this over mental mirror. At the same shield and it clearly had a dialogue with the valences for the windows in the canopy. The canopy and the valences were recarved from photographs and documents. So, they really are accurate what was in the room. I think the belt or center table within the collection, if im not mistaken. And it was part of that sweet that mrs. Lincoln had bought. But what is lacking was perhaps the same level of detail and curving with the sofa, the original sofa, thats all for that was in the room by the period was not original to the room. It was a little simple, still in the row cocoa revival style. Fortunately, winter had the collection of melter furniture and we had more belcher that we could ever display. By that time, i was at winter tour and wendy and i put our Heads Together with whose donated, that pair of sofas to go with it. And that marble fireplace was recarved of white quran marble. Because of the photographs that we had and we knew what it looked like, but that had not survived either. The image on the left is actually a detail from a stereograph that we blew up to help the carver determine with the mantle should look like. Then the image on the right is how it appear is now. But the death was really important. Talk about the deaf can finally get on the soldiers home. There it is. The thing with that desk is that it was one lincoln used that soldiers homes and it came into the collection, i think, in the 1930s. So, its been part of our collection since then. I think they also discovered that it had a bookcase attached to the back of it at one time. I think youre right, i think youre right. But i think thats a great photo. So sorry, matt. I think thats a great photo to see how we integrated the emancipation proclamation and that desk and that cabinet depots of that room. With the belt or road cocoa revival style that mrs. Lincoln had for it for the future. And i was just going to say, if you visit president lincolns house, they have a reproduction of the desk. Thats what im remembering, thank you. Part of the interpretation of that lincolns been a quarter of his presidency, the summers usually, at the soldiers home so this is where he contemplated ideas about freedom emancipation and that perhaps he even drafted the and so i think it was lou hoover who won at that desk for the white house, that she had approached the white house, and i think its a very fitting way to end this panel and before we do that, i like to turn to the audience to see if anybody has any questions for our panelists. I think mine is a park service question. Im wondering about when the barricades went up on pennsylvania avenue in from the white house, i think it was during the clinton administration, so yes, that wouldve been after the Oklahoma City bombing. Thats one pennsylvania avenue close to the public after that. Has it ever changed . Its a really unusual circumstance, so i talked about the partnering between different agencies, multiple jurisdictions that are here, and so the avenue actually is d. C. Property. Its a d. C. City streets still. The National Park service does have maintenance jurisdiction there, and so we take care of the pennsylvania avenue and we also have legal jurisdiction for the white house sidewalk in for Lafayette Park on the other side. Obviously, for security reasons, i dont anticipate that that will ever happen anytime soon. Obviously, the white house is all about continuity and change. And things ebb and flow. Obviously one time, the white house was burned and those things have since changed. Hopefully, maybe in the future, security will be such that we might not have these situations or the security might be irate indifferent way to allow for the eagerness to happen differently. And so we are obviously working with secret service and other partners to look at those different opportunities as they reveal themselves. And obviously, at the same time, threats around the world of obviously impacted that as well. A really good question, obviously likewise on the south wise southside easy street, and that actually happened after 9 11. So that was close to the public, at that time. Thank you. Id question about looking forward, future repair and renovation priorities, but from an interior perspective, with respect to the rooms that are within the jurisdiction of the White House Historical association and allied committees. And then john, in your case, from the 18 acres outside, what do you foresee the next compelling priority is that a future president or first lady might want to work on within the next five years . Often first, because one of my dreams is actually to find a appropriate, entrance for guests and for visitors to the white house complex. But really, the way that the people in this presently is substandard. Weve obviously done a lot of work here to restore the white house and to bring the historic character to it. But the approach to it is so beneath what we should be doing at this point in time. But like weve said, its during the advocacy of people to be able to bring attention to that situation and to work collaboratively to affect it away and to the complex that i think we could all be proud of it would say to people, on their experience then, they are learning something about what this place is and its significance rather than going through makeshift tents and that sort of approach that we have. Moreover, presently, its being done at park which is a historic area and its own right. And so it detracts from peoples ability to go and visit that area and learn about that story as well. Its something that my minds i we all would want to make you all aware of that stuff is something that we would like to advocate for and work to a vision that would create that better situation for us all. Im hoping, in addition to, that we can take a more holistic view at the entire tour experience, the visitor experience, from the Visitor Center all the way through maybe coming up with ways of modernizing some of the things that we offer to the public and how they see things. It meant to both of you on that. This is our message right here, accessibility and including how close you can get to the white house when the fence from the Oklahoma City bombing, but in the most recent activities with a large fence was put up here on the north side of the park and we were inside of the cage, and we were fearing, is this the new normal, it is the way its going to be . A lot of people wanted to take that down, pushed back, and then to come into the house and have that experience of knowing that what you are about to see, and the tours are self guiding. So unless you know what you are looking at, you dont know what you are looking at . Ive stood in that east perception areas so many times, as people have been waiting in line, theyve come from all over the country and they come into that east wing door and there is a secret Service Agent there and 90 of them will say, is this the white house . Are we in . Its a set . Yes, you are in. Come on. There is a real need, weve all talked about this, weve all had plans for this, but a man. This is something that really needs to be done for the visitor experience. We are off of that too. I vote for their ideas. I want to thank you to the White House Historical association to for working on a app that gives people access to that even though you are experiencing unfortunate circumstances at present. But at least that app gives people that access to be able to understand with a would be seeing, or they could see, with the events that are going on for those people to be aware of those as well. So thank you. I would love to see, a more inclusive story at the white house. So i think there are, and this isnt about staffing, resources, and this isnt about future first families in the choice that they wish to shine a light on. I think the story the white house has been on a track of being more inclusive and more honest. And obviously, at monticello, weve been tackling this to. And i think theres more that can be done, i think its really exciting, and i think it would matter to america. I think that you will see that. I will tell you weve had those conversations about those things, and we talked about it this morning. The park, the nine president s, and i think that we are actively engaged in that work. But i think we now have currently a scenario where there is interest in making that known through the experience as well and so we are here for that idea to. Any other yes i just wanted to follow up on lines that way to get into the public white house tours. We now have the new bicycle lane that the mayor put in, going all the way down 15th street and you have the electric scooters who dont write in that lane, they write on the sidewalk, any of the people waiting to get into the white house tour, and there really a soft target. There is so much stuff now going on in that block in front of the sherman monument, that really i think from a Security Point of view, safety point of view, needs to be addressed for these citizens who have waited so long to get into the white house. After compliment you on the white house garden tour, it was lovely seeing the multi colored flowers in the rose garden. Lovely. Obviously with the issue that you raised, as i said, it is not an ideal situation there at all. Secret service has work to try to bring as many tour guests into the park for that reason, so that they dont really provide a soft target for that. But this obviously only so much room, and as to her side six band, it becomes more challenging to do that. But its obviously something that we are aware of, we are mindful of, its hopefully we can work towards a solution and that has those circumstances in the future. I love the garden tour to. I cannot tell you, i worked in the National Park service before, but when i came here, i didnt realize you could literally just get a ticket and go inside on a weekend in the fall or in the spring, look at the white house grounds, and its like you lived there. Walk around and listen to bands that have people who i feel like im trying to sell a used car to come back and thought like this was amazing and thank you for telling me. So please enjoy that, in the future, we really love, it and we brought them back online. In the spring, hopefully that will continue the fall thank you. Any other questions . Please join me in a round of applause for our panel. [applause] thank, you that was fun. Did you want to close . This brings us to the close of our entire day. I want to thank all of our panelists and everyone who participated all day long. Its been really an extraordinary occasion. Our shop is open, i believe, if anyone wants to take advantage of our shop. Its there for you and i hope you will follow the missions that we all undertake at all of our sights and locations and through our various social Media Channels and our programming. You, know one of the things i love about an occasion like this that brings together the various sites and perspectives as we are not competitors with one another, we are supporters and an inspiration to each other. And even when there is a particular donor that we all know and love who might give us a generous gift from time to time, every time that entity gives something to one of us i thank him for giving it to you or to you or some other group. Because it puts wind in the sales of all of us and history is such a vital, critical, important thing for us all to know more about and to teach and to tell. And as i said earlier today, if the 45 men who have been president of the United States, they had one thing in common and it is this white house. And its history. So much of American History can be taught and learn through the prism of white house history. Even science and technology, with Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham bell. All that has happened in this amazing building that we call the white house. Thank you for your interest, thank you for your support and your generosity to all of us. Into those who put this on again, thank you very much. Was there any other announcement i was supposed to make . Oh, elaines book signing, thats right. We have this wonderful book, designing camelot, which is one of our more recent publications. Publishing books as the first order of business given to us by mrs. Kennedy a 1961. She had been to the white house as a teenager with her mom, there was no guidebook. Have to publish a guidebook now we publish for the six books a year, we have our quarterly magazine. Elaine is one of the authors of this beautiful, beautiful book and shes going to be doing a book signing here at the end of the program. Is that it . Cover anything else . As you exit, we will have a parting gift for you all. Its the newest issue of our white house quarterly. Which is about the white house garden the white house grounds. Its really an extraordinary issue. So, thank you all for coming, have a safe travel home [applause]