| December 6, 1999  White House Holidays 1999 Celebrates America’s Treasures
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the 1999 White
House holiday theme, "Holiday Treasures at the White House." To honor the past
as we move into the new millennium, the White House has been decorated with ornaments,
wreaths, trees, mantelpieces and a gingerbread masterpiece that highlight and celebrate
our nation’s historic and cultural legacy —- our landmarks, events and people
that tell the story of America to future generations.
 The journey through
America’s heritage begins as visitors first enter the White House. The East Wing
landing features an old-fashioned Christmas tree (above) created to display some of the
replicas of Save America’s Treasures projects. The mantels and pier tables in
the Green Room (left), the Red Room (below), the Grand Foyer, the Cross Hall, and the
Ground Floor corridor also showcase Treasures projects.
 The centerpiece of
the Blue Room is the official White House Christmas Tree (left), an 18 ½ foot Noble Fir,
from the Hedlund family’s Christmas Tree farm near Martin, Washington. The tradition
of a thematic tree began in the early 1960s and is continued this year with ornaments that
honor our colorful heritage. American crafts were designed and created by expert
craftsmen, replicating objects and scenes from our history. Dollmakers honored our
forefathers and contemporary heroes with dolls made in their images, such as Benjamin
Franklin, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein and Rosa Parks. Tinsmiths have hand-forged
ornaments indicative of their colonial trade, such as miniature Revere lanterns and
candlesticks. The green velvet tree skirt was handmade by individuals from each of the
fifty states, territories and the District of Columbia in celebration of the Clinton
family’s first holiday season at the White House.
 The traditional
Gingerbread creation (right), located in the State Dining Room, is a confectionery tribute
to some of the historic treasures around our nation’s capitol. White House pastry
chefs created this delicious masterpiece to take us back to nineteenth-century Washington,
surrounded by four timeless landmarks at Christmas time: The White House, the Jefferson
Memorial, the Washington Monument and Mount Vernon. The spectacular creation would not be
complete without its marzipan Potomac River and the chocolate trees that line its banks.
Past Christmas themes at the Clinton White House include:
"A Winter Wonderland" (1998), "Santa’s Workshop" (1997),
"The Nutcracker" (1996), "‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and All
Through the House’" (1995), "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (1994), and
"Angels" (1993).
The Oval Office contains a tree decorated with ornaments made by 140 students from Project
Northstar, an organization of young multi-racial community leaders who work with
Washington’s homeless and formerly homeless children in one-on-one tutoring sessions,
designed to promote literacy and strengthen basic academic skills to children. Volunteers
from the White House serve as tutors.
 The Menorah in the West Wing Lobby was made as
a tribute to the Breed Street Shul, in Los Angeles, California. Modeled after the historic
synagogue, the Menorah (right) was created by California artist Marlene Zimmerman, who was
commissioned by the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California to commemorate Mrs.
Clinton’s visit to the synagogue in December 1998. The First Lady visited the Breed
Street Shul as part of a series of Save America’s Treasures regional visits, at which time the synagogue was officially
designated an official Save America’s Treasures project. The menorah will be
lit each night of the eight-day celebration of Hanukah.
Hanging in the Cross Hall is the traditional "kissing ball" created by master
needlepoint artist Hyla Hurley. This year, the kissing ball takes the shape of an
old-world Santa peering out of an elegantly decorated Della Robbia wreath, shaded with one
hundred and fifty colors.
 The traditional
White House crèche (left), the focal point of the East Room, was made in Naples, Italy in
the late 18th century. It has been on exhibit in the East Room of the White
House during the holiday season since 1967. This year a new tableau has been made for the
nativity scene; the design inspired by the historical Neapolitan crèches from the Baroque
period, which incorporated architectural elements found in 18th century Italy.
All of the forty-four terra cotta and wood figures also have undergone conservation. The
crèche was a gift to the White House in 1967 from Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. The
Charles Engelhard Foundation and the White House Historical Association provided the
funding for the creation of the new tableau. The National Park Service assisted with
conservation and the design of the new tableau.
One of the most significant pieces in the White House
collection, on display in the State Dining Room, is a gilded bronze plateau (below)
purchased from France in 1817 by President Monroe. Although pieces of it have been proudly
displayed on holiday tables ever since, this is the first time in 100 years that the
plateau has been displayed in its entirety.
###
Home | About Us | Projects | Funding | Events
Newsroom | Get Involved | Resources | Contact Us |
