Within weeks of moving into the White House in January 1961, the First Lady created the Fine Arts Committee for the White House, composed of art and historic preservation experts, to assist in the restoration. Kennedy used her interest in art and style to overhaul the residence’s furniture, décor and carpeting. She courted private donors to pay for the project and worked closely with the White House curator to acquire furnishings and antiques once owned by previous residents such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Kennedy also unearthed forgotten gems in the White House’s storage, such as the Resolute Desk—an 1880 gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes—which was moved to the Oval Office and used by subsequent presidents.
The first lady showed off the restoration’s progress during the 1962 pre-recorded television broadcast, “A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy,” which aired simultaneously on CBS and NBC. (An additional 10 million people viewed the ABC rebroadcast four days later.) In addition to extensive glimpses of the White House’s grounds and first floors, television viewers saw the second-floor private residence and Lincoln Bedroom for the first time.
Accompanied by CBS newsman Charles Collingwood, the first lady displayed her knowledge of fine arts and history as she described the White House’s portraits, antiques and furnishings. “She was to prove a virtuoso among guides,” raved The New York Times. The program earned Kennedy an honorary Emmy Award.
