Evening star., 1952-03-24
Society News:
Mrs. Truman Receives Press
Womenin White House our

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landing from which one may look
down into the corridor and Green
Room, but the stairs turn easily.
and gracefully and 90 into the
main. north corridor. the entrance
foyer. The stately descent Of the
President and his wife with the
members Of the cabinet and their
wives at each Of the state recep-
tions win be far more impressive
and be seen by many more guests
with this new arrangement.
Chandeliers Cut
The beautiful crystal chande-
liers put In by Theodore Roosevelt
which are familiar to all visitors
to the White House. are in place
In the East Room. However, what
the casual visitor would not notice
Is that they have been shortened
more inches than the ceiling was
dropped. They always, even with
elevated ceiling. were too low
which was especially noticeable at
musicales when the soloists were
not visible because Of the lower
part of the chandelier. The chan
deliers are none the less beautiful
for the shortening.
The Green Room seems a little
greener than before the removal
ton, the color being q rich emer-
aid shade. Silk brocade covers the
walls, the draperies are the same
green. the long gilt-framed mirror
Is between the windows, the same
white marble mantel with gold
trimming is in place and portraits
Of past Presidents are on the wall.
The rug Is green, centered with
the United States Seal.
In this renovation. it is inter-
esting to note that the rugs in the
Red and Green Rooms match the
draperies and the upholstery Of
the furniture as well as the bro
cade on the walls, while in other
years there has been q wide diff
ference in shade, and, in the Red
Room. sometimes a definite clash
OF color.
Stote Dining Room
The State Dining Room is the
greatest apparent change on the
first floor. Here the very hand
some oak paneling Of the walls.
put in by Theodore Roosevelt, has
been painted a fresh, cool. pale
green. This shows OF to greater
advantage the painting Of Presi-
dent Lincoln which has hung over
the fireplace during the Truman
administration. On the north wall
OF the dining room is the hand
some "over mantel" piece, gift
from Dowager Queen Elizabeth
when she was Queen. It is q
painting Of flowers framed in gilt
over q mirror.
s Something new has been added
to the State Dining Room--a very
handsome Chippendale banquet
table with a number Of chairs to
match. These are q gift from an
anonymous donor.
The family dining room adjoin-
ing the State Dining Room Is
much the same as before the rem
ovation: Crystal chandelier, silver
ship on the sideboard. ct al.
The ground floor is very diff
ferent. tn Oval Room, now
round. just under the Blue Room.
which Is the entrance used by
diplomats for state entertain
ments. is paneled in pine from the
old beams Of the White House and
painted white. The adjoining
rooms are cloak rooms for the
diplomats and the ladies in their
families These. too. are panelled
IN this rich old pine, but the wood
has been rubbed down and shell
lacked to preserve it and shows
natural knots and many Of the
old 1oles made by the wooden
nails. Much OF this wood dates
back to the building of the house,
and on this ground floor there are
i've rooms with this panelling.
Across the hall from these hand
somely paneled rooms is the orig
inal kitchen of the White House,
|fireplaces with the original spits
still there. Over these fireplaces
have been put the old stones,
many Of them marked with ma
sonic hieroglyphics by the masohs
who cut and placed them in the
building. This room has been ar
ranged for television and radio
broadcasting and is complete with
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