Constituting America – Constituting America's Fall 2015 Gratitude Auction
Auction Ends: Nov 27, 2015 11:59 PM EST

Christmas

White House Historical Association 50th Anniversary Christmas Ornament 2011

Item Number
280
Estimated Value
40 USD
Opening Bid
25 USD

Item Description

The White House Historical Association 50th Anniversary Christmas Ornament 2011 honors the administration of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States.  The 2011 ornament reflects the excitement that President Roosevelt , his wife Edith and their lively to life at the White House.  The front face of the ornament is a color illustration derived from a political cartoon drawn by William A. Rogers in 1901.  Capturing the anticipation associated with the family’s first White House Christmas, a jolly Santa Claus crosses the snow covered North Lawn carrying a large bag of toys over his shoulder and announces, “ I hear that there are some kids in the White House this year.”
The reverse side of the ornament feature a second color image inspired by a period illustration.  It captures the moment in 1903 when young Archie reveals to his family a Christmas tree he had hidden in a seamstress’s closet in the White House.  The tree defied the presidents ban, and its discovery became a popular Christmas story that year in Ladies Home Journal underscoring the simplicity of the Roosevelt family’s Christmas decorations and the president’s conservative ethic.