Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-29
White House Guidebook =;
Rides High on Own Merit
By HARRIET GRIFFITHS
Star Staff Writer

Star Staff Writer
UnaSSiSted by glossy publish
ers' blurbS or bookstand satura-
ton, the new White House
gtlidebook issued July 4 is en-
route to its second printing.
From two sedate distribution
points, both in Washington,
THE White House: An Historic
Guide" Is tanning out over the
Nation in best-Seller propor-
tons by mail and personal
conveyance.
Last week, sales passed the
$4,000 mark. The White House
Historical Association, the pub
Usher, estimates the first print
ing of 250,000 will be exhausted
by mid-October. A new printing
Is now being planned.
Orders are swapping the
association office in the Interior
Department, and some 1000 of
the daily tourists through the
White House are taking a copy
home.
Mrs. John F. Kennedy did
more than just sponsor the
guidebook, a handsome 1872
page booklet with more than
200 pictures, mostly IN color.
She took an active part in the
preparation Of the booklet, APP
proved texts and layouts, and
wrote a foreword.
. Schedule Moved Up
Many Of those who worked
on the booklet devoted late
hours willingly, particularly
when the schedule was moved
ahead from an earlier publica-
ton date of July Is.
The White House curator,
Mrs. Lorraine Pearce, toiled
into the night writing the text,
rushing chapters by taxicab to
the National Geographic Soci-
ETY. editors.
The Geographic, which did
all the photography and lay
outs and supervised production
as a public service free Of
charge, "outdid ITSELF" says
Nash Castro, National Park
Service official who is admins
TRAITOR for the Historical AsSo-
citation.
They supervised the whole
production for us, and did it
most competently and most con-
scientiously," said Mr.. Castro.
If the booklet was largely a !
labor of love, it also was the
object Of an exacting quest for
perfection.
Geographic men, for exam
pie. took endless pains to get
color reproduction as close as
possible to the originals they
we're photographing. They made
trip after trip back to compare
color proofs with the originals.
Aside from any other consid-
Grafton. they knew visitors buy
ing a guide book at the start of
a White House tour would be
likely to compare an original
portrait with its photo in the
SOCKET.
Photography Complicated
: The Job Of photography was
complicated by the need to do
it outside tourist visiting hours,
which meant a good deal Of
Weekend and evening work.
, Geographic photographer
George F. Mobley was q tenn
porary pupil at the District Fire
Departments training school in
order to mount a 100-foot fire
truck ladder to make front and
back cover pictures of the
White House. Police directed 6
pm. traffic around him one
day while he shot down on the |
north portico.
Pictures were made from a
helicopter for a color drawing
at the back Of the book locating
trees associated with the var
ious Presidents.
On occasion, the Geographic |
worked as late as 5 am. with
the printers, Judd & Detweiler,
Inc. The printing firm used q
newly developed web offset
press described as a break
Through in high quality per-
f0rmance on double-coated
enamel paper stock. The Lam
man Engraving Co. was cred
tied with a superior job of en-
craving.
From original writing to final