76. Jacqueline Kennedy: Restoring the White House

The White House 1600 Sessions

When First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy took on the herculean task of restoring the interior of the White House, she appointed renowned collector Henry Francis du Pont of Delaware to lead the project. Winterthur, du Pont’s home which he turned into the first Museum of American Decorative Arts in 1951, served as inspiration for the renovation. White House Historical Association president Stewart McLaurin visited Winterthur and spoke with Elaine Rice Bachmann, curator of an exhibition based on the mentoring relationship between the reserved octogenarian and Mrs. Kennedy. “Jacqueline Kennedy and H. F. du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House” uses artifacts and images to go behind-the-scenes of this collaboration which culminated in the First Lady giving a televised tour of the renovated White House in 1962. The exhibition will be on view at the 175-room museum of American antiques and interiors outside Wilmington, DE, through January 8, 2023.

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