Blue Room History

The Blue Room in 2000 (White House Historical Association)

The Blue Room, circa 1999 (White House)

The Blue Room in 1995, looking west (White House Historical Association)

The Blue Room, with its new carpet, circa 1995 (White House)

Hillary Clinton planning changes, circa 1994, while Chief Usher Gary Walters holds a sample at the window (White House)

The Blue Room in 1992 (HABS)

The Blue Room around 1991 (White House Historical Association)

The Blue Room in 1984 (NARA)

The room around 1979 (White House Historical Association)

The Carters and the Mondales in 1977 (Carter Library)

Rosalynn Carter hosts luncheon in honor of Second Lady of New Zealand Thea Muldoon in 1977 (NARA - Carter Library)

The Nixon redesign of the Blue Room in 1975 (White House Historical Association)

The Nixon redesign of the Blue Room in 1972 (White House Historical Association)

The Blue Room in 1963 (White House Historical Association)

The Blue Room in 1963 (Kennedy Library)

The Blue Room in 1962 (White House Historical Association)

The Blue Room at Christmas in 1961 (Kennedy Library)

The room around 1960 (National Geographic)

The Eisenhowers entertain King Frederick and Queen Ingrid of Denmark in 1960 (White House Historical Association - Robert Knudsen)

The Blue Room in 1952, after the Truman reconstruction, with 1902 McKim furniture
[Close-up of drapes] (Truman Library - Report of the CREM)

Plan for the Blue Room in the 1952 reconstruction; the oversized sconces and matching chandelier were not installed. (Truman Library)

The Blue Room in 1947 (US National Archives)

The Blue Room, circa 1946, before the Truman reconstruction (Library of Congress - Theodor Horydczak)

The Blue Room in 1940 (Getty Images)

Close up of furniture, 1940 (Archi/Maps)

The Blue Room in 1934, as FDR's office while the West Wing was being renovated

The Blue Room in the time of Herbert Hoover, circa 1930 (White House)

Blue Room around 1913 (Library of Congress)

Illustration of a Victrola in the "Music Room" around 1912 (Victor Victrola advertisement)

Hand-tinted photo of the Blue Room around 1910

Hand-tinted photo of the Blue Room around 1907 (Library of Congress)

Hand-tinted photo of the Blue Room in 1904 (Library of Congress - Theodor Horydczak)

Hand-tinted photo of the Blue Room around 1903, shortly after the Theodore Roosevelt renovation

Blue Room around 1903, shortly after the Theodore Roosevelt renovation

The room before the Roosevelt restoration, circa 1901, looking southeast (Library of Congress)

The Blue Room, around 1899, looking southwest (Latest Views of Washington)

Hand-tinted photo of the Blue Room around 1898 [stereo] (New York Public Library)

The Blue Room, circa 1898 (Library of Congress - Frances Benjamin Johnston)

Drawing of the Blue Room around 1898 (Walworth plumbing advertisement)

The Blue Room, circa 1895 (Singleton - Story of the White House)

The Blue Room, circa 1894, during the Benjamin Harrison administration (Benjamin Harrison Home)

Hand-tinted etching of the Blue Room around 1887 (Library of Congress)

Blue Room set for the Cleveland-Folsom wedding in 1886 (White House Historical Association)

Computer reconstruction of the Blue Room, circa 1886
(Nick Buccalo, The Drawing Studio magazine; featured in Nest magazine, fall 2000 — original flopped left-right)

The Blue Room in the 1880s (Library of Congress)

The Blue Room in the 1880s (Library of Congress)

Blue Room, around 1879

The Blue Room, circa 1878; note the sconce change (White House Historical Association)

The Blue Room, circa 1874

The Blue Room, circa 1873; note the chandelier change [stereo] (New York Public Library)

Etching of Andrew Johnson receiving the Chinese delegation in 1868 (New York Public Library)

Andrew Johnson's Blue Room, decorated by his daughter in geometric patterns, circa 1867 [stereo] (New York Public Library)

Andrew Johnson's Blue Room, decorated by his daughter in geometric patterns, circa 1867 [stereo] (New York Public Library)

Etching of a Lincoln reception in the Blue Room in 1862 (Singleton - Story of the White House)

The Blue Room as it appeared after Thomas Walter’s alterations during the Pierce administration, circa 1856

Artist's conception of the room in 1817, after the reconstruction (Patrick Phillips-Schrock)

An artist's conception of Dolly Madison and steward Jean-Pierre Sioussat
packing up the red velvet curtains before the British attack in 1814 (White House Historical Association)

Artist's conception of the Benjamin Henry Latrobe design of 1809 (Patrick Phillips-Schrock)