Designing Camelot : the Kennedy White House restoration / James A. Abbott, Elaine M. Rice.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Abbott, James A. (James Archer), 1963-

Contributor:

Rice, Elaine M.

Boscobel Restoration, inc.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929-1994.

Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963.

White House (Washington, D.C.).

Mansions--Conservation and restoration--Washington (D.C.).

Mansions.

Mansions--Conservation and restoration.

Art patronage.

Washington (D.C.).

Washington (D.C.)--Buildings, structures, etc.

Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963--Art patronage.

Kennedy, John F.

Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929-1994--Art patronage.

Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy.

Physical Description:

xi, 260 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 29 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold : Wiley, [1998]

Summary:

Nowhere was the "Kennedy style" more evident than in the rooms in which the young President and his wife Jacqueline lived and worked between 1961 and 1963, as America witnessed the transformation of its premier residence from "home of the President" to "house-museum."

Designing Camelot is the first book to document the restoration of the White House by Jacqueline Kennedy and her advisors--the most significant and extensive restoration to date. Under the watchful eye of the Fine Arts Committee for the White House, chaired by famed antiquarian Henry Francis du Pont, and, unbeknownst to the American public, French interior designer Stephane Boudin, the White House became a model for historic houses all over America. Many of the country's governors' mansions were renovated as state First Ladies strove to emulate the efforts of a sophisticated Jacqueline Kennedy.

Through rich anecdotes and a stunning collection of four-color and black-and-white photographs, Designing Camelot illustrates the rich interiors of the White House, while at the same time exploring the restoration as an extension of the Kennedy/Camelot legacy. Individual chapters examine the White House room by room, inviting a look at not only familiar public places like the Oval Office and West Wing, but the Kennedys' private quarters as well.

Kennedy enthusiasts, interior designers, architects, preservationists, museum professionals, collectors, history buffs, and White House watchers alike will enjoy this intimate look at the taste and style of Jacqueline Kennedy, the most emulated First Lady of America, and the relationship between an extraordinary client and her designers.

Far beyond the mere selection of furniture and fabrics, the renovation of the White House reflected the desire of the Kennedys--Jacqueline Kennedy in particular--to associate themselves with a grand historical past. Designing Camelot captures this incredible era as never before, and offers a unique insight into the collective Kennedy mind and personality.

Contents:

Chapter 1 The Kennedy Style 1

Chapter 2 Restoration: Idea and Organization 15

Chapter 3 Maison Blanche 47

Chapter 4 The State Dining Room 55

Chapter 5 The East Room 65

Chapter 6 The Red Room 77

Chapter 7 The Green Room 89

Chapter 8 The Blue Room 101

Chapter 9 The Ground Floor 119

Chapter 10 Halls 133

Chapter 11 The Private Dining Rooms 153

Chapter 12 The Yellow Oval Room 163

Chapter 13 Guest Rooms 175

Chapter 14 The Victorian Taste 185

Chapter 15 The Private Rooms 197

Chapter 16 The President's Office and Cabinet Room 211

Epilogue: The Legacy 221.

Notes:

Published subsequent to an exhibition organized by the author and held at Boscobel Restoration, inc., Aug. 2-Nov. 30, 1995.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 245-252) and index.

ISBN:

0442025327

0471375144

OCLC:

36877475