Publisher's Synopsis
Nowhere was the "Kennedy style" more evident than in the rooms in which the young President and his wife Jacqueline lived and worked between 1961 and 1963, as America witnessed the transformation of its premier residence from "home of the President" to "house–museum." Designing Camelot is the first book to document the restoration of the White House by Jacqueline Kennedy and her advisors—the most significant and extensive restoration to date. Under the watchful eye of the Fine Arts Committee for the White House, chaired by famed antiquarian Henry Francis du Pont, and, unbeknownst to the American public, French interior designer Stéphane Boudin, the White House became a model for historic houses all over America. Many of the country’s governors’ mansions were renovated as state First Ladies strove to emulate the efforts of a sophisticated Jacqueline Kennedy. Through rich anecdotes and a stunning collection of four–color and black–and–white photographs, Designing Camelot illustrates the rich interiors of the White House, while at the same time exploring the restoration as an extension of the Kennedy/Camelot legacy. Individual chapters examine the White House room by room, inviting a look at not only familiar public places like the Oval Office and West Wing, but the Kennedys’ private quarters as well. Kennedy enthusiasts, interior designers, architects, preservationists, museum professionals, collectors, history buffs, and White House watchers alike will enjoy this intimate look at the taste and style of Jacqueline Kennedy, the most emulated First Lady of America, and the relationship between an extraordinary client and her designers. Far beyond the mere selection of furniture and fabrics, the renovation of the White House reflected the desire of the Kennedys—Jacqueline Kennedy in particular—to associate themselves with a grand historical past. Designing Camelot captures this incredible era as never before, and offers a unique insight into the collective Kennedy mind and personality.
