"L' enfant" ....I know I am pronouncing his name wrong but who cares, he's dead now"....OMG you made me spit out my coffee at my laptop screen laughing!!! But seriously, this was a very interesting video - Thank you for sharing it!!
I'm elated that you both picked up on that and laughed! Thank you so much for making my day. Have a wonderful rest of your week and make sure to subscribe!
@@PresidentialHP "But he's dead so who cares?" really stuck out for me regarding a historical video since, using your logic, the same could be said for your ENTIRE video. btw- you actually pronounce L' Enfant correctly, it's the attitude toward the man who DESIGNED Wash DC that is off putting.
I admit to being fairly obsessed with White House decorative history since the Kennedy administration, since he was the first president I clearly remember and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is endlessly fascinating. I've read a lot of books and pieces on White House history and this presentation is exceptional. I just discovered this video today and will be catching up on all previous and future material. This is going to be fun! Thank you!
About the 1814 fire... The Truman Library in Independence, MO, has a huge, charred, wooden support beam from the East Room floor that was in the orginal White House before 1814. Apparently, to save money during the rebuilding after the fire the workmen salvaged as much of the burnt wood and other building materials as they could from the original White House. About 150 years later under Harry Truman all of these charred wooden beams had had enough. The floors were sagging and about to collapse. During the 1949 renovation the wooden beams were replaced with steel. The workmen also gave Truman one of the original wooden beams, bearing the scars of the 1814 British fire, for his library collection. The Truman Library also has a few other small bits and bobs from the original White House that were removed during the renovation.
I have never subscribed so fast. Thank you. This lends the topic the respect and gravitas it deserves while not failing to be appropriately cheeky when called for. I appreciate the depth of work and research that went into this remarkably thorough work.
Thank you for this exceptional presentation on the history of America's most famous house! The time, effort and passion that you put into this work is clearly evident. I actually took a tour of the White House way back in 1975, and this is the type of presentation that I wish they had given us then, but of course, time constraints would've made it impossible(and I would've been too young to appreciate it). I also love the little anecdotes you give us such as the bit on horologist Louis Moinet(I'd never heard of him) to the origins of the political 'Blank Book'(something I'm surprised today's politicians haven't reimagined for the digital age). I'm very much looking forward to part 2!
I am so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for reaching out; most people think I won’t see it but it really makes a difference. Have a wonderful rest of your day!
While I’m still watching this first video on the history of the origins of The White House, I, too, would also like to thank you for this wonderful presentation. To start, I would like to let you know that, even though I wasn’t born in the U.S. and after living here for 52 years, I really appreciate information on everything that has to do with the President’s house. I have also had the great pleasure to have been able to take a tour of the White House about 20 years ago and loved everything that I saw. Now, one of my older sisters, the second oldest one, was able to come to the States for a visit in the early 1990’s and was also very fortunate to take a tour of the WH. What she told me after her tour made me giggled because she told me that she was not that impressed because being that this is the United States, she was expecting to find that the White House was going to be full of, Oh I don’t know, really expensive and a variety of out-of-this-world furniture and decor, etc., etc. It was my pleasure to explain to her that, thanks to Mrs. Jacqueline B. Kennedy Onassis’s knowledge, hard work and tenacity, and countless other people, the White House was rich, yes, but rich in containing objects, art work and furniture that were part of the history of the United States of America! That, thanks to Mrs. Kennedy, the White House, was finally, The People’s house. I would love to go back and take another tour for old-times’s sake.
I very much enjoyed this video. I've had yet to see such a detailed and chronological history of the residence delve into almost every aspect of the contents of each subsequent President. Well done!
The White House, "The people's house" was at it's most beautiful after the late beautiful inside and out Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis got her impeccable style and keen eye on the project! She really knew her American history and culture and she did a great job especially in the Red, Green and Blue rooms and she was the first to create a wonderful guide book which I still have! The photos of the Blue Room are magnificent! She'll always be my favorite First Lady, a name she hated because she thought it sounded like a race horse! She was also a skilled equestrian, brought the arts to the White House and was a wonderful mother to John Jr and Caroline. She also spoke fluent French and Spanish which was a real asset during her many travels around the world. May she rest in peace~♥♥
Actually, Pat Nixon redid the red, green and blue rooms. She toned down the colors to what you see today. She continued Mrs. Kennedys restoration of the White House and she get the credit she is due.
The King mahogany chairs and 4 sofas were commissioned by Monroe as I understand and first upholstered by Jackson. I'm liking the show so far though. Looking forward to the next two. Ken
I enjoyed this episode very much. As an Irish viewer and art historian I have a few observations to make. 1. - I was struck by Hoban's choice of Scamozzi capitals, as opposed to Greek Ionic capitals, which would have been more fashionable on this side of the Atlantic c.1790-1800. 2. - The screen of Ionic columns surmounted by shallow segmental arches reminds me very much of that in the Entrance Hall at Mount Juliet, Co. Kilkenny (built 1768-71), not far from where Hoban was born. 3. - I wonder if the inspiration for the East Room was the Picture Gallery, now the Senate Chamber, at Leinster House? Though they are decorated quite differently, it would be interesting to compare their dimensions and positions in the plan. As with the East Room, the interior remained a shell for decades after Leinster House was built. It was finally decorated by James Wyatt in the late 1770s. 4. - Congratulations, your pronunciation of the the word "Oireachtas" was very good for a non Irish speaker!
Thanks for watching and commenting! Here are my answers to your questions/observations: 1. Greek Ionic capitals became popular again around 1810-1815, so Hoban was being a bit of a traditionalist in his choice. I rather like them! 2. I think it's perfectly possible Hoban drew inspiration from many different houses in his home country. As Picasso one said, "good artists copy and great artists steal!" I guess he was right. 3. You'll hear more about that in Part II... keep watching! 4. I'm so glad my pronunciation was accurate! I tried so hard to write it out phonetically in my notes so I wouldn't mess it up.
Excellent presentation! I always wondered how many people out there have arrifacts from the White House in their homes to this day but can't tell anyone!
excited for this series based upon this first episode. really enjoying your conversational style - fact and opinion. i have opinions on decor too; no reason to be neutral!
That "enclosure" in front of the entrance door was there in the mid Twentieth century, there are pictures of it in the 1940's. The "glass wall" between the pillars of the entrance hall were added to assist the first central heat system added to the house, the draft from the front entrance interfered with the rudimentary early heat system.
Actually, the picture I showed of the Winter Enclosure prior to exhibiting the Entrance Hall was from the 1960s. I also have a further bit on it in the Bonus Program, which can be viewed here: th-cam.com/video/hFIsWPdZvlg/w-d-xo.html Thanks for the comment! Please subscribe.
Really enjoying this… Washington was not termed out… He just simply chose to not run for a third term and established a tradition that continued until FDR
Oh I know. Actually it wasn’t that the tradition died with FDR, there were plenty of presidents who did run for third term but never won. FDR just happens to have been the first president who successfully ran for a third and fourth term. After that, a constitutional amendment was passed, setting a two-term limit for the presidency.
Have you visited Natchez? You would love the architecture and the decorative arts. It’s overwhelming to see such opulence seemingly untouched for 200 years. The settlers of Natchez had the highest possible level of taste. You really should go
I have seen it many times in books, although I have never been able to make it there. It is on my bucket list. Maybe there’ll be a video about it in the future…
Well all of this decoration was paid for by taxpayers, so we have the right to criticize as much as we want. If a president spends our hard-earned money on bad quality furnishings that don't provide long-lasting value, that's as much of a spending scandal as wasting the same amount of money on other garbage government programs would be.
Thanks for the nice comment! I tried really hard not to talk so repetitively, but pobody's nerfect I guess. Please join us for the upcoming livestream!
@@PresidentialHP that part of my comment probably was not necessary. You did a fantastic job on the video. I’m sorry I missed the live stream, but I will stay tuned.
@@markrhodes8722 No worries! We are having a 3,000 subscriber livestream tomorrow. Click on the channel page and hit "Live" for more info. See you there!
Our lights used to go on and off at the house i grew up in as a child. Since we lived across the street from Williams Henry Harrison Elementary School, they'd say it was the ghost of William Henry Harrison.
I've always prided myself on most of the history of the White House, but you have enlightened me to no end. Thank you for this...and yes...I too giggled at your sense of humor. The "L'enfant' comment made me laugh out loud too.
1:01:30 To the bottom right is a wooden detail known as a plinth. The one in the photo matches one recently sold at auction for seven figures. The seller's grandfather pulled it out of a pile of debris that was on the lawn in front of the WH during the 1902 renovation.
Do the images depicted have any deeper meaning? I saw images depicted at Monticello. I believe they were neo classical. I wonder if it was dumb imitation or a an educated perpetuation of ancient cultural ideology.
Well, the White House was built in the Neoclassical style because it was both popular at the time and it synbolized a return to the ideals of Ancient Rome and Greece: Democracy and Republicanism.@@mikejarrells431
I believe the columns in the modern entrance hall/cross hall are in fact marble. The picture with the holes through plaster columns was during the deconstruction phase of the Truman renovation. The 1902 columns and pilasters were plaster, but Truman had the whole hall clad in marble for the reconstruction.
I believe hat pier table was the one "re-discovered" during the Kennedy restoration. The story is that it was found in the carpenters shop being used as a saw horse. It was refurbished and re-gilded and placed back on the main floor - so for quite some time it had been out of circulation in the WH furnishings
Re. the NY "spoils system": Until the constitution was amended to allow an income tax the entire federal government was financed by the revenues from the Port of New York. That's why Chester Arthur was such a big deal.
During their exploration Lewis and Clark identified 178 plants and 122 animals not previously known to science. That's a little beyond 'cheap arrows and tomahawks'
Certainly! I was merely commenting on how we would view the items placed in the Entrance Hall today given their modern status as souvenirs and commemorative objects. I didn't actually comment or even touch upon their discovery of such animals.
That Congress refused to fund Adams to keep him from building a throne room, and that the East Room wasn't even decorated till Jackson was interesting.
Well, to be exact, they didn't want something that looked like a throne room; nobody ever seriously thought Adams would erect a baldachin and dais.@@cscms28
Thank you for this documentary. When I was a little boy, I was gifted a book about the White House about an inch thick and lavishly illustrated. Sadlly, the book was lost in one of my parent's numerous moves, but it started my fascination with both the Art and architecture of the White house and interior design in general. I wish I could find that book again, it came from the 1960s sometime. I admit to being a bit of an architecture junkie. Have you ever been to Portland maine and toured the Victoria Mansion house museum? It would be well worth your time as the premier or rather hotel style interiors in the USA. Well, thanks for your research and narration. I hope to hear you in the future. Milton
A+ for being both informative & entertaining! The current entrance hall & cross hall are really an awful mess; the Trump tie red, I'd need sunglasses, the WPA piano - don't like. And the weirdly Palladian/Adam mirror over the Belanger console - not great. I liked the long gone Martini eagle rondel more than you - its style the a perfect antidote for the starchy pomp that succeeded it (its wings are no more extreme than usual IMO). Anyway many thanks.
The area chosen, now the District of Columbia, was really chosen with George Washington’s influence. It’s interesting to look at who owned the land around Washington.
I thought he said Washington was involved, told the farmer he had ruined the land by not alternating his crops & approving the layout, firing the first guy that mapped out the future city, telling congress he required the size of the lot the house would sit on.
A tomahawk from the early 1800s, much less associated with Lewis and Clark is not going to be found at a tourist shop, which did not exist. These items were discoveries never seen before, almost like moon rocks today. Are you gonna pick up a moon rock at the local corner shop? AND Even trinkets sold to early tourists by native tribes 100 years later in the 1900s are worth a fortune, ever heard of Antiques Roadshow??
Well that’s why I said such items today would be considered souvenirs. Not originals from the time, ones made in our current day like it was in Jefferson’s day. Also, they weren’t as much of a novelty as people think. Trade with the Native Americans goes back to the fifteenth century.
John Adams was ambassador to Great Britain during the Constitutional Convention; the title kerfuffle came a few years later when he was president of the Senate as Washington's Vice-President.
Could you please, please color correct the chairs and soft furnishings in the center hall? That red does not occur in nature. Or anything other than a chemistry lab. P.S. call the French consulate. Ask them how to pronounce L’enfant. You might also mention all the plazas in D.C. that he designed and are used today.
...well that color is printed onto the silk using a chemically-created pigment, not a natural dye. Nobody dyes fine furniture with natural dyes and hasn't for centuries; that dye WAS created in a chemistry lab. Secondly, I don't have to mention anything anyone designed that isn't the White House! This isn't "Famous Frenchmen, Their Names, and the Plazas They Designed", it's "A Visit to the White House".
I love your delicious dry sense of humor! I really have enjoyed partaking of your excellent knowledge of the WH and its history. Thank goodness that it no longer looks like a high priced bordello!!! IMO the Victorian era was definitely a time of poor taste. Bigger, heavier and decorated to the hilt seems to have been the motto of that time. May Jackie Kennedy be forever blessed and remembered as the person who brought class and tastefulness back to the WH!
Yes, I did so 10 minutes into the video. I rarely do so, but I was extremely impressed with how you presented your topic from the get go. Tomorrow brings another episode! Hooray!!!
A question for you. Other than Jackie Kennedy’s desperately needed restoration is there another period of time when you feel that the WH was tastefully decorated as was befitting the home of the president of the US? Why or why not?
Roosevelt's 1902 overhaul was my favorite period. It's full of regal eighteenth-century designs carefully recreated from French palaces. You'll get to it in its full glory in Part II, which comes out on October 1 at 5:00pm.
@@PresidentialHP in 1992, I visited the White House. I bought a presidential seal Christmas ornament and a VHS tape on the grounds where they were selling souvenirs. I couldn't wait to get home to watch the tape and that was the first time that I heard Steamboat Gothic mentioned to describe the interior.
I take exception to your description of Mary Todd. Her husband was shot to death beside her. How many of her children did she out live? That woman suffered. Have some respect. Do not parrot things you’ve heard. Reasearch her
Hello. I have researched her, and the medical and historical consensus is that she was mentally ill. Descriptions of her behavior have led historians to conclude she had something akin to severe depression and/or bipolar disorder. Do remember that her erratic behavior predated her husband's assassination and the death of Willie Lincoln. She spent wildly and repeatedly lobbied quite harshly for a lavish federal pension after her husband's death. By all accounts, both contemporary and speculative, she was not mentally fit. Also, "outlive" is one word, not two, Ms. Corrections. Let ye without sin cast the first stone .
Thanks for the comment! I'm always happy to get critiques from those who mistakenly consider themselves cultured or intelligent. You gave me a good laugh!
@@saunders06516 That's not how these programs were designed to work. It's supposed to be informal. If people want to read dry accounts of White House history, there's plenty of material out there; these programs serve to open the door to those who do n't necessarily have the time or expertise to consult academic, boring sources like I did. A script would have ruined the flow.
"L' enfant" ....I know I am pronouncing his name wrong but who cares, he's dead now"....OMG you made me spit out my coffee at my laptop screen laughing!!! But seriously, this was a very interesting video - Thank you for sharing it!!
I'm elated that you both picked up on that and laughed! Thank you so much for making my day. Have a wonderful rest of your week and make sure to subscribe!
😂 yes you are correct 😂 this guy is a WHITEAMERIXXX English repeater 😂 . Saludos thanks to the people of France🇫🇷 and Spain 🇪🇸 for creating the USA ❤
Same here, I about died. It was placed as if, “No one will hear this, so let’s mess with them.” Very funny.
@@PresidentialHP "But he's dead so who cares?" really stuck out for me regarding a historical video since, using your logic, the same could be said for your ENTIRE video. btw- you actually pronounce L' Enfant correctly, it's the attitude toward the man who DESIGNED Wash DC that is off putting.
It's a joke; the irony is what made it funny. Maybe you should read more!@@stevepotfora7461
I closely follow the WHHA and have never seen such a informative, fully researched and beautifully narrated presentation. EXCELLENT! THANK YOU!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for making my day. Have you subscribed?
you cam't tell whether i have or not?@@PresidentialHP
yes i have
@@PresidentialHP
This was absolutely the most in depth and wonderful presentation on the White House I have ever watched. You are EXCELLENT!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! This video is great!! 🎉 I am as happy as a schoolgirl, I will watch part 2 tomorrow, and part 3 on Sunday,, the perfect weekend ! ❤❤
Thanks so much for watching! Please subscribe and share the link with friends!
I admit to being fairly obsessed with White House decorative history since the Kennedy administration, since he was the first president I clearly remember and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is endlessly fascinating. I've read a lot of books and pieces on White House history and this presentation is exceptional. I just discovered this video today and will be catching up on all previous and future material. This is going to be fun! Thank you!
Thank you so much! Such high praise is humbling. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I was ten seconds in and paused to subscribe! Excited to watch and binge other videos :)
Welcome aboard!
Wow I can’t believe someone is finally doing a historical architectural deep dive into my hometown
Thank you
About the 1814 fire... The Truman Library in Independence, MO, has a huge, charred, wooden support beam from the East Room floor that was in the orginal White House before 1814. Apparently, to save money during the rebuilding after the fire the workmen salvaged as much of the burnt wood and other building materials as they could from the original White House. About 150 years later under Harry Truman all of these charred wooden beams had had enough. The floors were sagging and about to collapse. During the 1949 renovation the wooden beams were replaced with steel. The workmen also gave Truman one of the original wooden beams, bearing the scars of the 1814 British fire, for his library collection. The Truman Library also has a few other small bits and bobs from the original White House that were removed during the renovation.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing!
This was so amazingly well done.
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I just LOVE your commentary! I really enjoyed this!
Thank you so much!
Excellent work,so interesting,and some of comments were hilarious,loved every minute 🌿can’t wait to see more Thank you
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Well done. Good research. I like how you present, making it a personable and not a stuffy documentary. Looking forward to your upcoming episodes.
Thanks so much!
This guy is deliciously sarcastic.
I just love it.....
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I found him annoying and elitist.
@@whome1299 What a nice compliment! Thank you!
Wow Will, good job man. This is very impressive!
Thanks buddy! Hope you had a good first day today.
Your research is excellent. Great job here. Captivating
Thank you for the high praise! Have you subscribed?
I have never subscribed so fast. Thank you. This lends the topic the respect and gravitas it deserves while not failing to be appropriately cheeky when called for. I appreciate the depth of work and research that went into this remarkably thorough work.
I’m blushing. Thank you for the high praise!
love this documentary
Thanks again!
Amazing
Thanks!
You are so good at this!!! Awesome video!!!
Thank you so much! Have you subscribed?
I have now. @@PresidentialHP
Thanks! That makes sure I can keep making videos.
Thank you for this exceptional presentation on the history of America's most famous house! The time, effort and passion that you put into this work is clearly evident. I actually took a tour of the White House way back in 1975, and this is the type of presentation that I wish they had given us then, but of course, time constraints would've made it impossible(and I would've been too young to appreciate it). I also love the little anecdotes you give us such as the bit on horologist Louis Moinet(I'd never heard of him) to the origins of the political 'Blank Book'(something I'm surprised today's politicians haven't reimagined for the digital age). I'm very much looking forward to part 2!
I am so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for reaching out; most people think I won’t see it but it really makes a difference. Have a wonderful rest of your day!
While I’m still watching this first video on the history of the origins of The White House, I, too, would also like to thank you for this wonderful presentation. To start, I would like to let you know that, even though I wasn’t born in the U.S. and after living here for 52 years, I really appreciate information on everything that has to do with the President’s house. I have also had the great pleasure to have been able to take a tour of the White House about 20 years ago and loved everything that I saw. Now, one of my older sisters, the second oldest one, was able to come to the States for a visit in the early 1990’s and was also very fortunate to take a tour of the WH. What she told me after her tour made me giggled because she told me that she was not that impressed because being that this is the United States, she was expecting to find that the White House was going to be full of, Oh I don’t know, really expensive and a variety of out-of-this-world furniture and decor, etc., etc. It was my pleasure to explain to her that, thanks to Mrs. Jacqueline B. Kennedy Onassis’s knowledge, hard work and tenacity, and countless other people, the White House was rich, yes, but rich in containing objects, art work and furniture that were part of the history of the United States of America! That, thanks to Mrs. Kennedy, the White House, was finally, The People’s house.
I would love to go back and take another tour for old-times’s sake.
What a heartwarming story! Thanks for sharing.@@MarthaR.Durán
Amazing in-depth history presented-thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! Join us for the Premiere of PART III and accompanying livestream! NOVEMBER 2 at 6:00pm PST.
Very nice retrospective account of the White House. Thank you for your insight, and explaining of the art , and architecture.
My pleasure! I am happy you enjoyed it. Have you subscribed?
Wonderful presentation and narration! Thank you!
Thanks you for your kind words! Please share with your friends and subscribe!
I very much enjoyed this video. I've had yet to see such a detailed and chronological history of the residence delve into almost every aspect of the contents of each subsequent President. Well done!
Thank you so much. I am glad you enjoyed it.
I recommend William Seale’s two volume history “The White House”as the definitive history of the White House.
Very interesting. And I was assigned there
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This is a wonderful offering. Thank you so much!
You are so welcome! Have you subscribed?
@@PresidentialHP Absolutely. I am a new subscriber. I'm going back and familiarizing myself with your videos. 👍🙏
Thanks so much! You just made my day.@@douglascollier7767
I love the interior that Theodore Roosevelt’s interior designers did!
Me too. They're great.
The White House, "The people's house" was at it's most beautiful after the late beautiful inside and out Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis got her impeccable style and keen eye on the project! She really knew her American history and culture and she did a great job especially in the Red, Green and Blue rooms and she was the first to create a wonderful guide book which I still have! The photos of the Blue Room are magnificent! She'll always be my favorite First Lady, a name she hated because she thought it sounded like a race horse! She was also a skilled equestrian, brought the arts to the White House and was a wonderful mother to John Jr and Caroline. She also spoke fluent French and Spanish which was a real asset during her many travels around the world. May she rest in peace~♥♥
I’m glad you enjoyed! Have you subscribed?
@@PresidentialHP yes. thanks
O no! Now I'll never hear First Lady without thinking of this. Lol
@@brysonwest93 Jackie also had a wicked sense of humor! lol
Actually, Pat Nixon redid the red, green and blue rooms. She toned down the colors to what you see today.
She continued Mrs. Kennedys restoration of the White House and she get the credit she is due.
The King mahogany chairs and 4 sofas were commissioned by Monroe as I understand and first upholstered by Jackson. I'm liking the show so far though. Looking forward to the next two. Ken
Absolutely correct! That's why I didn't say they were bought by Jackson, I just stated that they were part of the Jackson scheme. Very astute!
This is awesome. Thank you!
You're very welcome! Have you subscribed?
bonsoir, c'est très agréable d'écouter un Américain qui ,s'y connait réellement en histoire de l'art
Merci pour le compliment aimable! Nous avons certainement beaucoup à apprendre de nos ancêtres européens en matière de design !
I enjoyed this episode very much. As an Irish viewer and art historian I have a few observations to make. 1. - I was struck by Hoban's choice of Scamozzi capitals, as opposed to Greek Ionic capitals, which would have been more fashionable on this side of the Atlantic c.1790-1800. 2. - The screen of Ionic columns surmounted by shallow segmental arches reminds me very much of that in the Entrance Hall at Mount Juliet, Co. Kilkenny (built 1768-71), not far from where Hoban was born. 3. - I wonder if the inspiration for the East Room was the Picture Gallery, now the Senate Chamber, at Leinster House? Though they are decorated quite differently, it would be interesting to compare their dimensions and positions in the plan. As with the East Room, the interior remained a shell for decades after Leinster House was built. It was finally decorated by James Wyatt in the late 1770s. 4. - Congratulations, your pronunciation of the the word "Oireachtas" was very good for a non Irish speaker!
Thanks for watching and commenting! Here are my answers to your questions/observations:
1. Greek Ionic capitals became popular again around 1810-1815, so Hoban was being a bit of a traditionalist in his choice. I rather like them!
2. I think it's perfectly possible Hoban drew inspiration from many different houses in his home country. As Picasso one said, "good artists copy and great artists steal!" I guess he was right.
3. You'll hear more about that in Part II... keep watching!
4. I'm so glad my pronunciation was accurate! I tried so hard to write it out phonetically in my notes so I wouldn't mess it up.
Make sure to come to the livestream this Saturday! Linked on the Community Page! I would love to have a real art historian there!
Love love love the Sarcasm throughout 😂😂😂
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Excellent presentation!
I always wondered how many people out there have arrifacts from the White House in their homes to this day but can't tell anyone!
Thanks!.
Excellent pronunciation of Oireachtas, especially the hard "eacht" in the middle.
Thank you so much! I tried really hard to get it right, and it seems to have paid off. Please like and subscribe!
J B West, Chief Usher, was photographed sitting in the settee. 55.12 Designing Camelot.
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excited for this series based upon this first episode. really enjoying your conversational style - fact and opinion. i have opinions on decor too; no reason to be neutral!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thank you! Have you subscribed?
bien sur!
@@PresidentialHP
The siren starting at 40:35 is fun!!
Hmm?
@@PresidentialHP no big deal. You can just hear sirens in the background while you’re recording at 40 minutes 35 seconds.
Oh. Nice catch, I guess.@@Camelcando
Well deserved 10k subscribers! Just subscribed and liked. Next stop, 100k for sure! 👍👍
Thanks so much! Let’s hope I can get there.
You made my day
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Wonderful video !!
Thanks!
Very interesting video. 👍
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Yes. 👍
I’m interested in seeing the comprehensive video on the presidential seal but the video says private. Are you working on updating it?
Hi! Here you go: th-cam.com/video/u52T61UMC14/w-d-xo.html
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That "enclosure" in front of the entrance door was there in the mid Twentieth century, there are pictures of it in the 1940's. The "glass wall" between the pillars of the entrance hall were added to assist the first central heat system added to the house, the draft from the front entrance interfered with the rudimentary early heat system.
Actually, the picture I showed of the Winter Enclosure prior to exhibiting the Entrance Hall was from the 1960s. I also have a further bit on it in the Bonus Program, which can be viewed here: th-cam.com/video/hFIsWPdZvlg/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for the comment! Please subscribe.
Really enjoying this… Washington was not termed out… He just simply chose to not run for a third term and established a tradition that continued until FDR
Oh I know. Actually it wasn’t that the tradition died with FDR, there were plenty of presidents who did run for third term but never won. FDR just happens to have been the first president who successfully ran for a third and fourth term. After that, a constitutional amendment was passed, setting a two-term limit for the presidency.
Nicely done, sir. I am now a new subscriber.
Welcome aboard! Thanks so much.
The whole East Room plants diatribe had doubled over laughing. good job, funny.
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I had a round table very similar to that at a house I rented. It was green with green marble.
Thanks for the comment!
Have you visited Natchez? You would love the architecture and the decorative arts. It’s overwhelming to see such opulence seemingly untouched for 200 years. The settlers of Natchez had the highest possible level of taste. You really should go
I have seen it many times in books, although I have never been able to make it there. It is on my bucket list. Maybe there’ll be a video about it in the future…
You are a little snarky in your commentary, aren't you? Impressive detail. I love it!
Well all of this decoration was paid for by taxpayers, so we have the right to criticize as much as we want. If a president spends our hard-earned money on bad quality furnishings that don't provide long-lasting value, that's as much of a spending scandal as wasting the same amount of money on other garbage government programs would be.
I like the paint color!
Which paint? On the exterior?
Great Content! THanks for the in-depth dive! Were you able to figure out when the 4 east-facing windows were closed over in the East Room?
Which windows? The ones in the center that became a doorway?
@@PresidentialHP the 2 pair flanking that center bay. They are depicted open in the Adams rendering, but not sure when they close up.
I thought this was very well done and informative! Thank you! It could be a fun drinking game if you drink whenever you say rather.
Thanks for the nice comment! I tried really hard not to talk so repetitively, but pobody's nerfect I guess. Please join us for the upcoming livestream!
Make sure to come to the livestream this Saturday! Linked on the Community Page!
@@PresidentialHP that part of my comment probably was not necessary. You did a fantastic job on the video. I’m sorry I missed the live stream, but I will stay tuned.
@@markrhodes8722 No worries! We are having a 3,000 subscriber livestream tomorrow. Click on the channel page and hit "Live" for more info. See you there!
Our lights used to go on and off at the house i grew up in as a child. Since we lived across the street from Williams Henry Harrison Elementary School, they'd say it was the ghost of William Henry Harrison.
Thanks for the comment!
I've always prided myself on most of the history of the White House, but you have enlightened me to no end. Thank you for this...and yes...I too giggled at your sense of humor. The "L'enfant' comment made me laugh out loud too.
I’m elated you learned something. We all have things to learn, including me. Thanks! Have you subscribed?
Of course!!!!!!
@@PresidentialHP
1:01:30 To the bottom right is a wooden detail known as a plinth. The one in the photo matches one recently sold at auction for seven figures. The seller's grandfather pulled it out of a pile of debris that was on the lawn in front of the WH during the 1902 renovation.
Interesting. Have you subscribed?
@@PresidentialHP Yes I have.👍
🎉Kind regards from México
Thank you so much! I can now claim to have an international audience (haha)!
Thanks & good job. Is there any symbology in the images presented?
What do you mean by" symbology"?
Do the images depicted have any deeper meaning? I saw images depicted at Monticello. I believe they were neo classical. I wonder if it was dumb imitation or a an educated perpetuation of ancient cultural ideology.
Well, the White House was built in the Neoclassical style because it was both popular at the time and it synbolized a return to the ideals of Ancient Rome and Greece: Democracy and Republicanism.@@mikejarrells431
I just love the “Proper” sarcasm!
Thanks so much. Have you subscribed?
I believe the columns in the modern entrance hall/cross hall are in fact marble. The picture with the holes through plaster columns was during the deconstruction phase of the Truman renovation. The 1902 columns and pilasters were plaster, but Truman had the whole hall clad in marble for the reconstruction.
It's possible.
You're wrong about the Lincoln East Room. It was magnificent.
It was pretty nice, I'll grant you that. Thanks for watching. Have you subscribed?
😂 I love it…. “I’m sure I’m going to get comments, but we’ve got to move one.” Brilliant
I'm so glad you enjoyed the program. Have you subscribed?
Great documentary!
Thanks so much! Have you subscribed?
I believe hat pier table was the one "re-discovered" during the Kennedy restoration. The story is that it was found in the carpenters shop being used as a saw horse. It was refurbished and re-gilded and placed back on the main floor - so for quite some time it had been out of circulation in the WH furnishings
Yes that is true. Have you subscribed?
Re. the NY "spoils system": Until the constitution was amended to allow an income tax the entire federal government was financed by the revenues from the Port of New York. That's why Chester Arthur was such a big deal.
True, income tax is a thing of the 20th Century.
During their exploration Lewis and Clark identified 178 plants and 122 animals not previously known to science. That's a little beyond 'cheap arrows and tomahawks'
Certainly! I was merely commenting on how we would view the items placed in the Entrance Hall today given their modern status as souvenirs and commemorative objects. I didn't actually comment or even touch upon their discovery of such animals.
Ok, outrageously expensive arrows & tomahawks.
Does anyone know if the original columns to the cross hall were reused anywhere?
I don't know. Subscribe and maybe we'll find out together!
What was your favorite story so far?
"L'Enfant...I know that I'm pronouncing his name wrong, but he's dead, so who cares". 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Classic!
I am so happy you enjoyed! Thanks for the wonderful comment. Have you subscribed?@@cwulfe1
That Congress refused to fund Adams to keep him from building a throne room, and that the East Room wasn't even decorated till Jackson was interesting.
Well, to be exact, they didn't want something that looked like a throne room; nobody ever seriously thought Adams would erect a baldachin and dais.@@cscms28
Thank you for this documentary. When I was a little boy, I was gifted a book about the White House about an inch thick and lavishly illustrated. Sadlly, the book was lost in one of my parent's numerous moves, but it started my fascination with both the Art and architecture of the White house and interior design in general. I wish I could find that book again, it came from the 1960s sometime. I admit to being a bit of an architecture junkie.
Have you ever been to Portland maine and toured the Victoria Mansion house museum? It would be well worth your time as the premier or rather hotel style interiors in the USA.
Well, thanks for your research and narration. I hope to hear you in the future.
Milton
A+ for being both informative & entertaining! The current entrance hall & cross hall are really an awful mess; the Trump tie red, I'd need sunglasses, the WPA piano - don't like. And the weirdly Palladian/Adam mirror over the Belanger console - not great. I liked the long gone Martini eagle rondel more than you - its style the a perfect antidote for the starchy pomp that succeeded it (its wings are no more extreme than usual IMO). Anyway many thanks.
Thanks for the comment! Do join us for the premiere of Part III this evening at 6:00 PST!
The area chosen, now the District of Columbia, was really chosen with George Washington’s influence. It’s interesting to look at who owned the land around Washington.
Thanks for noticing! Have you subscribed?
I thought he said Washington was involved, told the farmer he had ruined the land by not alternating his crops & approving the layout, firing the first guy that mapped out the future city, telling congress he required the size of the lot the house would sit on.
I did say that!@@smf2072
A tomahawk from the early 1800s, much less associated with Lewis and Clark is not going to be found at a tourist shop, which did not exist. These items were discoveries never seen before, almost like moon rocks today. Are you gonna pick up a moon rock at the local corner shop? AND Even trinkets sold to early tourists by native tribes 100 years later in the 1900s are worth a fortune, ever heard of Antiques Roadshow??
Well that’s why I said such items today would be considered souvenirs. Not originals from the time, ones made in our current day like it was in Jefferson’s day. Also, they weren’t as much of a novelty as people think. Trade with the Native Americans goes back to the fifteenth century.
La Dolce Vita - The Good Life.
John Adams was ambassador to Great Britain during the Constitutional Convention; the title kerfuffle came a few years later when he was president of the Senate as Washington's Vice-President.
Yes, although by the time of his election, all of this had combined to make Congress fear his supposed delusions of grandeur.
Whenever you try to touch something at the White House: "WHHA! Don't touch that!"
Haha! Hilarious. Have you subscribed yet?
Could you please, please color correct the chairs and soft furnishings in the center hall? That red does not occur in nature. Or anything other than a chemistry lab. P.S. call the French consulate. Ask them how to pronounce L’enfant. You might also mention all the plazas in D.C. that he designed and are used today.
...well that color is printed onto the silk using a chemically-created pigment, not a natural dye. Nobody dyes fine furniture with natural dyes and hasn't for centuries; that dye WAS created in a chemistry lab. Secondly, I don't have to mention anything anyone designed that isn't the White House! This isn't "Famous Frenchmen, Their Names, and the Plazas They Designed", it's "A Visit to the White House".
I love your delicious dry sense of humor! I really have enjoyed partaking of your excellent knowledge of the WH and its history. Thank goodness that it no longer looks like a high priced bordello!!! IMO the Victorian era was definitely a time of poor taste. Bigger, heavier and decorated to the hilt seems to have been the motto of that time. May Jackie Kennedy be forever blessed and remembered as the person who brought class and tastefulness back to the WH!
Thanks so much! Have you subscribed?
Yes, I did so 10 minutes into the video. I rarely do so, but I was extremely impressed with how you presented your topic from the get go. Tomorrow brings another episode! Hooray!!!
A question for you. Other than Jackie Kennedy’s desperately needed restoration is there another period of time when you feel that the WH was tastefully decorated as was befitting the home of the president of the US? Why or why not?
Roosevelt's 1902 overhaul was my favorite period. It's full of regal eighteenth-century designs carefully recreated from French palaces. You'll get to it in its full glory in Part II, which comes out on October 1 at 5:00pm.
Well not tomorrow, but October 1.
"Pass me the milk."
“Why.”
"I require it."
Exactly. Please like and subscribe!
Who on earth would ever flee to New Jersey??? 😳
A question for the ages, my friend. Thanks for watching, though! Please share the link with your friends.
My Grandmother used to have the Geisha dolks.
You'll have to be more specific with your questions. What are you referring to?
someone may know for certain unlike myself, but I doubt the columns are stone….more like brick columns covered in a plaster mix.
Which columns?
Benjamin Harrison had electric lights installed, but if I remember right, he and his wife were afraid to touch the light switches.
Yes! They were so afraid of being electrocuted that they had the servants turn the lights on and off for them.
So cute!
I’ve never heard a video described as such, but I’ll take it! Thanks. Have you subscribed?
33:00 I wouldn't really refer to the republican party of the 19th century to be "conservative"
They were conservative in that they regarded the Declaration of Independence an integral part of the Constitution/law.
@@PresidentialHP oh i see.
The paint was stripped off in 1991 under GWH Bush
So I have been informed... thanks for watching! Hope you enjoyed and please subscribe.
By the late 19th Century the interior was referred to as Steamboat Gothic.
That’s exactly what I said near the end of the program! Thanks for watching.
@@PresidentialHP 👍👍👍
@@PresidentialHP in 1992, I visited the White House. I bought a presidential seal Christmas ornament and a VHS tape on the grounds where they were selling souvenirs. I couldn't wait to get home to watch the tape and that was the first time that I heard Steamboat Gothic mentioned to describe the interior.
Very nice! I'm glad you enjoyed.
President's Hours? What aboutthe Deschler Morris House?
You'll have to be more specific with your questions. What are you referring to?
Some of the best decorators in the world are MEN!!!!
...and some are women. What's the point?
I am sure his family cares how you pronounce his name. LOL
Maybe! Of course, I said that as a joke.
Its said that Lincoln paid for the redecorating his wife did. Or at least a portion of it.
She used a lot of taxpayer money for it. It was not a fun thing for the members of Congress who had to kindly ask her to stop.
I take exception to your description of Mary Todd. Her husband was shot to death beside her. How many of her children did she out live? That woman suffered. Have some respect. Do not parrot things you’ve heard. Reasearch her
Hello. I have researched her, and the medical and historical consensus is that she was mentally ill. Descriptions of her behavior have led historians to conclude she had something akin to severe depression and/or bipolar disorder.
Do remember that her erratic behavior predated her husband's assassination and the death of Willie Lincoln. She spent wildly and repeatedly lobbied quite harshly for a lavish federal pension after her husband's death. By all accounts, both contemporary and speculative, she was not mentally fit.
Also, "outlive" is one word, not two, Ms. Corrections. Let ye without sin cast the first stone .
William H Crook bodyguard to five Presidents did not this fact.Someone should tell History Channel a special on him.
Hmm?
Why is Adams going to The White House?
What do you mean? Why did he move in so early? It was required by law.
The White House exterior was stripped of paint and repainted in during the George HW Bush administration (1989-1993)
Yep! Thanks for watching!
Every body like my comment if you love Abraham lincoln
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They ransacked the house?
Unfortunately, yes!
The plants looked tacky
A few is nice, but a forest is too much.
Most Evil Place On The Planet. Don’t Be Fooled.
How could an inanimate object be evil? Fooled by what?
Good content but annoyingly unprofessional presentation … distracting.
Thanks for the comment! I'm always happy to get critiques from those who mistakenly consider themselves cultured or intelligent. You gave me a good laugh!
so well done....really enjoyed this presentation....BTW....the reference to Lawrence Welk's champagne music made me laugh....that was rich...
Thank you for the high praise. I was hoping someone would catch on to that reference and you're the first one. Have you subscribed?
Great information but don't care for the narrator. Maybe should have hired a professional.
A professional actor wouldn't have known any of the information I imparted during the series....
@@PresidentialHP Give him a script.
@@saunders06516 That's not how these programs were designed to work. It's supposed to be informal. If people want to read dry accounts of White House history, there's plenty of material out there; these programs serve to open the door to those who do n't necessarily have the time or expertise to consult academic, boring sources like I did. A script would have ruined the flow.
@@Stacy-w5f Thanks!