When Winterthur advertised a special exhibit of how Jacqueline Kennedy gleaned many of her ideas for the White House restoration from the owner of Winterthur, I had to go since I’ve had a massive interest in this topic for years!
Remember when I portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy, who had just starred in a television special, A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy for one of our Becoming History Presentations?
Instead of a red suit, I sewed a blue dress…but I wore pearls like she did!
WINTERTHUR BEGINNINGS
Arriving at Winterthur in the blaze of autumn, I wondered why did Jacqueline Kennedy come here?
While HF Du Pont was visiting Vermont in 1923, before Mrs. Kennedy was born, he met two different people who collected American antiques and displayed them in their homes.
Impressed, Du Pont decided to do the same…which was pretty amazing, because he inherited a Delaware mansion of 175 rooms on 1000 acres, named Winterthur, from his father in 1927.
Twenty-four years later, Du Pont moved into a smaller house on the estate (now the museum store), so that he could turn Winterthur into a public museum, which opened in 1951.
When he passed away in 1969, his collection of American antiques dating from 1630 to 1860 had grown to an estimated 50,000-70,000 items.
WHITE HOUSE REPUTATION HO HUM
When Mrs. Kennedy first visited the White House as a child in 1941, the interior was rather ho hum with no sense of grandness as the outside falsely promised…because it was simply lived in and worked in, unlike the grand style we know of today.
Even grown adults had little positive to say about a White House visit because it was just a place where people came and went to live and work.
FIRST LADY FORMS RESTORATION COMMITTEE
As First Lady, Mrs. Kennedy endeavored to restore history to the White House for the American people, to whom it rightfully belonged.
Recently confirming HF Du Pont to lead her committee to restore the White House, Mrs. Kennedy guided him through the White House in March of 1961 to assess the scope of the project.
In May of 1961, Mrs. Kennedy visited Mr. Du Pont at Winterthur to gain a sense of turning a home into a museum with American collections.
WINTERTHUR INSPIRATIONS FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
Set in the context of home, the Winterthur collection of American art comes to life unlike typical museums, reminding me of Hillwood Estate in Washington DC.
Since I had visited the White House a few years ago, I looked for anything at Winterthur that reminded me of the White House. (and of course all the signage helped, too)
An eagle in the garden terrace entryway…just like I’ve seen at the White House.
Although this grand staircase caused me to swoon, I soon noticed the China collection in the back on the far left…just like the China Room in the White House. I couldn’t wait to see more!
The yellow furniture of The Marlboro Room reminds me of the yellow furniture in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room.
More eagles in the Empire Parlor..and the crystal chandelier reminds me of the ones I’ve seen in the White House.
Also the green French fabric on the chair reminds me of some fabric I’ve seen at the White House, including the Empire style furniture.
A bust of George Washington in a niche reminds me of a bust of Lafayette in a niche in the White House!
The wallpaper mural in the Chinese Parlor reminds me of the mural wallpaper in the Diplomatic Reception Room.
Again, the China Hall at Winterthur reminds me of the China Room at the White House…
And another inspirational wallpaper mural…
In the Baltimore Drawing Room I found the painting of George Washington on the far left…loved all the 18th century paintings!
The Dining Room Cross Hall…
In the Du Pont Dining Room I saw more inspiration for the China Room.
Also the fireplace reminds me of those at the White House.
And I love this particular shade of yellow…
Oh, to have storage like this for pretty things…
In the Readbourne Stair Hall…
In the Port Royal Entrance, the signage explained that live floral centerpieces from the garden was incorporated into the White House restoration.
In the Port Royal Parlor another living flower arrangement…
A live bouquet of Lilies of the Valley, which represent motherhood, was presented to Mrs. Kennedy when she arrived at Winterthur.
WHITE HOUSE RESTORATION
From the mansion, I went to the museum for the rest of the story.
Eight months later, Mrs. Kennedy wore a red Christian Dior suit while giving America a tour of the White House on CBS.
She wanted America to know why she wanted to restore the White House.
DEEPLY RESEARCHED
Preparing for her monumentous task, to restore history to the White House decor, she deeply immersed herself in reading White House history, making note of furnishings, art, etc during the various presidencies.
TREASURE HUNTING
She and her staff also dug around every nook and cranny of the White House, where they found old artifacts and more written documentations, that they scoured through to identify what they had and what they no longer had.
Cataloguing their finds and wish list, they sought donors to pay for restoration of found items and purchases of items they wanted to obtain for the White House.
Further, they sought donations from museums to get started.
COMMITTEE DECISIONS
Instead of Mrs. Kennedy making final decisions, the restoration committee comprised of museum experts, private citizens, etc, made corporate decisions.
LEGISLATION ENACTED
Knowing that the custom of first ladies had long been to use what they wanted from previous administrations, and sell or trash whatever they no longer wanted, Mrs. Kennedy determined to change that.
Encouraged my Mrs. Kennedy, Congress passed legislation that henceforth, White House items not in use would go to the Smithsonian to display for the public.
As a result of this legislation, donors willingly presented prized collectibles to the White House, without fear of its being lost or destroyed.
PREVIOUS FIRST FAMILY CURATORS
While Mrs. Kennedy may appear to be the White House’s first curator, that distinction goes to Dolley Madison, who escaped with the infamous Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington and other papers and items before the British arrived, burning the White House.
Mrs. Kennedy said some of their research came from those documents Dolley Madison rescued.
As a result, the next president, James Monroe, refurbished the rebuilt White House with items that Mrs. Kennedy is using in this restoration (and which she detailed on the CBS special).
While some presidents uglified the White House, Theodore Roosevelt spent $475,000 to undo damage from previous administrations.
DISCOVERING THE RESOLUTE DESK
Inspecting a massive beat up desk covered with electronics in the broadcast room, Mrs. Kennedy inspected every nook, cranny, and corner of it.
She found a carved inscription in the desk, from Queen Victoria to President Hayes in 1878…the famous Resolute Desk that was restored and moved into the Oval Office for President Kennedy, and many presidents since.
Buried in the depths of the basement was the Monroe 1817 gold and silver flatware from France.
I’M ONLY HERE FOR A BRIEF TIME
Like any President’s wife, I’m only here for a brief time. -Jacqueline Kennedy
Little did she know. But in her short time as first lady, she conquered.
FIRST GUIDE BOOK FOR WHITE HOUSE
At Mrs. Kennedy’s insistance, the first guide book to the White House was written, despite resistance that it would be tacky.
She insisted the White House belonged to the the people of America, who want to know what it’s like and remember its history.
Besides, the profits would go into the restoration committee’s funds for this lifetime of work.
When told that would take years to write, she insisted it had to be conquered, and it was.
FIRST BOOK DOCUMENTING WHITE HOUSE COLLECTION
Mrs. Kennedy and the restoration committee catalogued everything owned by the White House so that nothing is lost ever again.
LEGACY
And Mr. Du Pont won the Thomas Jefferson Award for his assistance with restoring the White House.
During all their work together, a friendship grew between Mr. Du Pont and Mrs. Kennedy.
Mrs. Kennedy invited Mr. and Mrs. Du Pont to every state dinner.
On display were telegrams, letters, and personal notes of many thanks from Mrs. Kennedy to Mr. Du Pont.
As a result of their collaboration, Mrs. Kennedy’s influence, turned the White House into a museum piece, a work of art.
RECOGNIZING WINTERTHUR AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Here are a few photos from my trip to the White House at Christmas time. See anything that might have been inspired by Winterthur?
Portrait of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the Vermeil Room…
The library…
Portrait of First Lady Grace Coolidge in the China Room…
The Green Room where the hanging of pictures in this way began by one of the designers who worked with Mrs. Kennedy.
See the eagle in the Blue Room?
The Red Room…
In the State Dining Room, the fireplace mantel and wall were definitely inspired by Winterthur!
And outside the State Dining Room, how perfect! The Houdon bust of the adoptive son of George Washington, and America’s friend and hero, Lafayette!
SOUVENIR
For my souvenir, I bought at the Winterthur museum shop, Designing Camelot: The Kennedy White House Restoration and its Legacy by James Archer and Elaine Rice Bachmann, published by The White House Historical Association.
Co-author of this book, Elaine Rice Bachmann, was the curator for the Winterthur exhibit about Jacqueline Kennedy.
The White House Historical Association, which published this book, was created by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
A video of this exhibit with the curator and the president of the White House Historical Association can be seen here.
