Presidents' House

the long version

The President's House is an unforgettable account of the White House from its origins during the nation's beginning to 1952, a continuing story of adapting and altering, yet always keeping close to the original image and purpose of the landmark. Seale carefully documents the ways in which different presidents and their families used and lived in the White House, showing not only the lives of the first families but also scores of characters known and unknown who achieve importance in the story and play their parts in the keeping and management of the house -- butlers, housemaids, caterers, gardeners, coachmen, architects, interior decorators, and even fortune-tellers. Filled with behind-the-scenes glimpses of the private and public lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, this richly detailed social history includes 121 images culled from the White House files and other archival collections.