Naulin is assistant curator of the White House and has selected pieces for the new exhibition at the Renwick Gallery “Something of Splendor: Decorative Arts from the White House,” which opened Saturday. What was the importance of Jackie Kennedy’s White House restoration?
It’s certainly not the only preservation movement, other first ladies did it before. She made the best use of publicity for the campaign. But beyond the campaign of the antiques she also established the White House curators.
At one time, a bedroom in the White House was turned into a fitness center. What’s the worst thing done to the White House?
The Truman renovations from 1949 to ’52. They made the decision to gut the interior to address stability issues. They had intended to remove paneling and reinstall it, but basically they ran out of money. A lot of the 18th century architecture they found was discarded. It was just a different mind-set then than what we would do today. It’s not their fault, it was just more a product of the times.
The new exhibit shows never-before-seen pieces, what are some of those?
There’s a pair of bronze urns that have been photographed but have never been outside. A lot [of the pieces] have been photographed but haven’t been on view for the public, like the coverlet that Grace Coolidge made. Some things have just been in deeper storage than others.
Whose White House would you love to live in?
Certainly the turn of the century with Theodore and Edith [Roosevelt]’s renovations. It was the first time office spaces were moved from the second floor to create more private quarters for the family. It was such a sea change in history, too, because before that, the White House always reflected modern architecture and this was trying to reflect a past period.
— Leigh Giangreco
