Evening star., 1925-07-07
WHITE HOUSE REFURNISHING SEEN
AS DISCARD OF @sHODGE-PODGE'
Roosevelt Report on Interior Makes No Mention Ot
French Empire or Louis KY Style, and Study
of Furniture Sho,rs No Period.
National Photo

furniture and recognized expert on
this subject.
Mrs. Harold Pratt of New York:
One of the leading members of the
Garden Club of America and well
versed in the collection of colonial
furniture.
Mrs. Miles White. ir. of Baltimore:
splendid representative of the lay
element interested in work of Amer.
lean colonial furniture and furnish
ings.
Mai Oscar n. Sober, Office of pub
lie buildings and public parks, Wash
ington, ID. c.
Architects Represented.
1t should be noted that the Amer
lean Institute of Architects. which
has made the protest to President
Coolidge over carrying out the CO.
lonial atmosphere in the White House
interior. as successor to the pseudo
French Empire style. is well repre-
sented on this commission by two
menbers-Messrs Delano. one Of the
most eminent OF architects. and Plattt
treasurer OF the institute.
The details of the Colonial scheme
are not vet available. because this
commission will not hold it's formal
meetings until October or November.
.
taking advantage OF the absence Of
President and Mrs. Coolidge from the
White House, is TO paint the green
room and clean up some of the 9TH
ers. Later curtains. draperies and
rugs will be ordered from the $50, 900
appropriation made by Congress.
In the painting of the green room
the first attempt toward the Colonial
atmosphere will be attempted. 1t has
been charged that the blue room. the
red room and the green room would
entirely disappear. They will con-
tinue. but instead of such glaring and
startlingly vivid colors as now char
acterize them the colors will tone
down so that the green Will blend
more gradually into the blue and the
blue into the red so that the entire
effect may be more quietly harmo-
nious and the transition from one room
to the other more plea sing.
The committee appointed by direc-
ton of Congress has informally ap-
proved this work.
Must Tone Blue Room
While Ii has been stated that the
blue room, which is the principal one
where state receptions are held. will
not he materially changed in the
course OF the reftting Of the state
suite Ii Is clear to those who are CO.
operating with the President and Con.
gress for restoration of the White
House interior to truly colonial
mansion that this room also must be
toned down, in harmony with the
others. The details will be carefully
considered this Fall by the committee
of specialists which Congress provided
for
U1x.t~ L. H. zaIn Ia
a committee whose members are out.
standing authorities on colonial style.
both interior and exterior. AS Con
gress has not made any appropriation
for furniture, but has authorized the
acceptance of gifts of furniture and
fittings, an important part of the
work of this committee will be to pass
upon the gifts offered. so that the
White House will not partake of the
appearance of a museum. 1t is more
than likely that every piece of furni.
ture that goes into the White House
under the authority of this act will
have a history.
Lockwood Best Authority.
The decisions will largely rest on
Mr.. Lockwood. who is recognized as
probably the best authority in the
country on Colonial furniture. He is
the author of a monumental work on
this subject in two large volumes with
S67 illustrations selected after a study
of several thousa nd pieces of furni.
ture, especially the Bolles collection OF
American furniture. which is the most
important ever assembled.
The letters submitted by the Ameri.
can Institute of Architects to Presi-
dent Coolidge seem to express a de-
sire to emphasize the fact that this
institute considers itself unofficial
custodian of the White House. Mem
bers of Congress. particularly mem
bers of the Ryles committee that re.
ported out the resolution providing
authority for accepting gifts Of CO.
lonial furniture for the White House.
and of the appropriations committee
that recommended the appropriation
of $50, 900 for the work being carried
on this summer. say, however, that
Congress has not yet surrendered To
my orga nization its Jurisdiction and
authority over the Executive Mansion
which, as President Roosevelt in a
property of the Nation and so far as
is compatible with living therein II
should be kept as 1t originally was
for the same reason that we keep
Mount Vernon as it originally was.
The attitude of President Coolidge
seems to he in complete accord with
this attitude Of Congress.
The American Institute Of Archi
tects has made public a letter from,