Sofa Table in the Red Room, Lorraine Waxman Pearce Collection
This photograph of a sofa table in the Red Room was likely taken during the John F. Kennedy administration. The mahogany table has gilded winged caryatids and verde antique feet that display elements from the ancient world, which were popular in New York during the period this was likely made, circa 1815 to 1820. Sofa tables like this one were placed before sofas and used for drawing or writing and were seldom made in America. This table became part of the White House Collection in 1961 and is inspired after the work of Charles Honoré Lannuier.
This photograph is part of the Lorraine Waxman Pearce Collection. Lorraine Waxman Pearce served as the first White House Curator from 1961 to 1962. As curator, she oversaw refurbishment projects, implemented collections policies, and collaborated with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to write the first White House guidebook—a joint publication of the National Geographic Society and the White House Historical Association. Since its original publication in 1962, “The White House: An Historic Guide” has been revised, updated, and printed for over 60 years.