north and south side. the basic form is late 18th century federal style furniture with the simple tapered legs, inlays used as cuffs, inlays used as decorative element across the bottom, a fold out writing board and little slides to support it. in fact, it also has hidden section behind the top that can be locked. so in many cases a desk would have been a little bit bigger and perhaps had book shelves above it, but this one was a small and relatively comfortable piece. not atypical, just not as fence i will made perhaps as high style would have been done in new york or philadelphia. >> so now we will leave our james hoban desk of 1800 and take a look at some furniture that dates to a later period of white house history.

>> in this case we're looking at a couple of objects that relate to the president's use of the house as his office. this is a side chair, called the gothic style, was made in 1845 probably. it was purchased in 1845 anyhow. it wasn't especially made for the white house, it was a style of chair that was made by many cabinetmakers and could be purchased on the general market. what made these interesting was that there were 24 of these black walnut side chairs that were purchased by the white house for use around the president's office table, the cabinet table, on the second floor of the house. there was no west wing until 1902. the president occupied the rooms on the second floor, both for his family and for his offices. so this chair would have seen -- was purchased under president james k. polk so it would have

been occupied by members of his cabinet during the next can american war and all the activities that went on then. it would have been used throughout the 1850s, was still in use in the 186 os and as most interestingly seen in images of president lincoln in the cab knelt room. the first reading of the emancipation proclamation took place with him seated in a chair of his own and the cabinet members seated in this type of chair and they are very accurately drawn in the painting and prints from the painting that documented that particular event. so they said in use until the 18 -- until 1869 when president grant moved the office from where lincoln had it in what is now the lincoln bedroom to the adjacent room that is now called the treaty room and was used as the cabinet room until the turn of the 20th century at which point president grant bought a

whole new sweet of elaborate furniture, cabinet table and chairs and he also bought an enormous black marble french made clock that sat on the mantle that had not only the clock works but a barometer and a calendar and a thermometer. so you could monitor the conditions inside, not outdoors, it wasn't -- it didn't have an outdoor gauge somehow that was collected to this block chock. so this sat on the mantel also from 1869 to 1902 and would have been how the cabinet when it was meeting kept track of the time that was going by. one of the things that happened in the 19th century was if a president came into office and had things that he didn't find stylish any longer the government actually authorized public sales and white house things simply got away legally because they were authorized.

so with some of these kinds of things that were the most historic that didn't leave. there are only four of the chairs that we have had continuously since the 1840s. so, in fact, 20 of them did get away. they were used in other parts of the house, as was the clock. so these are treasures now that have survived those auctions and remained in the white house's possession and have been used at different times. sfrl of these chairs are currently used in the lincoln bedroom as part of the décor of the room showing what would have been in there when it was lincoln's office. so they've come down here because they weren't in regular use at the house and they told such interesting stories and went with images that showed them in place that made the story even more powerful by being able to see one of these chairs in position, the block clock on the mantel. for the visitor's center we

thought these told the greatest stories because they were beautiful, they were historic and backed up by graphics that helped placed them in time. >>4q above the chair here is a wonderful drawing that was done in 1864 by a local government employee named tellwagon who was doing drawings for various publications and was able to go into lincoln's cabinet office and room and you can see a man sitting dead center in the middle of the room with the back of one of these chairs very accurately depicted and others of the chairs around the table. the picture above it shows the other cabinet room, what is now the treaty room, with the clock on the man tell behind two members of the president's staff who have come n but that's the furniture that dates to the grant administration rather than

the polk administration. next we will look at a typewriter used by president wilson and a desk that was used by franklin delano roosevelt for his fireside chats. one of the objects we have on exhibit, it's a typewriter that belonged to president woodrow wilson and was used by him when he was personally drafting the 14 points, which was the document at the end of world war i where he was trying to establish principles by which the peace should be noesegotiat so that war wouldn't happen again and that nations would be properly treated. it wasn't a successful fight that he tried to lead to get the united states to -- to agree to the league of nations which was the out growth of his 14 points, but the peace treaty was finally signed after he traveled to

paris and helped negotiate the treaty of versailles and this typewriter was simply a tool that he used in the pre computer age to put together his thoughts and create his documents. i'm sure the final version was rp& person but the president would do all of his drafting. it is an interesting object to represent technology and presidential activities without being just another piece of furniture. now, in terms of furniture i'm standing beside a desk and it's very simple, simply a government issued desk and it worked just fine for president frankly roosevelt beginning in 1933 when as he inherited the economic depression that had happened under president her better hoover he decided that he would make speeches to the nation explaining the steps that the government was going to take to try to relieve the economic angst of people across the country and the business

community as well. these were radio addresses, there was no video component so it didn't require anything other than a government desk. this particular one had large holes cut in the top. that's where microphones were mounted to the desk and the microphones were enormous at the time. not as big as his face but pretty close. you can see them on the photograph that shows the president seated at his desk making one of his speeches from the ground floor oval room in the white house. so these address you may recall were fireside chats. it was often thought that he was by his fire side but in fact the fire plais in that room had been walled up in 1902. probably it was more likely that the meaning was you were at home where your family radio resided which was next to the fireplace in your living room listening to the president give great remarks about how he was trying to lead the country to economic

prosperity. and he did this throughout the 1930s and clear into the 1940s in the days of world war ii as well, giving these fire side addresses, the chats to the nation. the desk pretty much went into storage. i mean, it really was feared towards radio purposes and by the 1950s you started having television. so it's use -- it was no longer as attractive, it has holes cut in, it has patches where holes had been cut on it, on the backside there are some drawers and then one section that has no drawers and no cover because it was behind the desk. even if someone took a still picture of the president making a fire side chat you wouldn't see that part of the desk at all. it ran its course in the 1930s and '40s in the hands of franklin roosevelt. we have an opportunity now to link the desk that have used to make radio address toss an radio that was used in the white house and would have been the kind of radios that people had around

the country and part of what life in the white house was like for the first family beyond its formality. >> so we've moved over from the white house as office to the white house as home and it's been that ever since it's opened, it's one of its inherent jobs is to provide the president and president's family with a place to live while the president is in office. here we have a radio, this is a pretty standard 1941 issue tabletop radio made by the emerson company. it was one of a dozen or so that were purchased for the private quarters rooms at the white house. they weren't the first radios to exist in the white house but this is the earliest one that has survived in our collection. a lot of the more technological things weren't treated as historical objects as readily as the furniture was and so radios would be replaced and once new ones arrived the old ones were generally discarded as being

outmoded the same way one would do today with computers and iphones. this particular one it shows in a picture -- again, we picked things that had great documentation. there is a photograph of one of the third floor bedrooms with one of this set of radios, not necessarily this exact one, located between two single beds where either guest could reach over and turn on the radio in an era before television. this was acquired in 1941 just before the start of world war ii. the white house has also had other means of recreation. president coolidge was shown in a photograph as vice president using indian clubs. this was a form of exercise, they were weighted wooden clubs that you would raise and move and do calisthenics with. this particular picture was not at the white house but it was a great image of one of these in use. we have a pair of these wooden clubs and they are stamped u.s.

to represent they are government property and they have survived in our limited collection of historic recreational artifacts. as is this bowling ball which is marked white house, it's of a size that would have been used by a woman or a child, it's a little bit lighter weight than the standard issue for a man bowler in. 1947 dr. harry true man added the first white house bowling alley, at that point it was in the basement of the west wing. when it was later moved to the old executive office building next door to the white house, but in 1970 president richard nixon was a big bowler, he said i really would like to have a bowling alley as part of the residential complex and so a new single lane white house bowling alley was located under the north lawn. when you are standing on pennsylvania avenue looking into the white house house and seeing a beautiful mountain new things located under the north lawn

where there are service areas and electrical facilities and the white house bowling alley. >> now, the children at the white house often found ways for recreation, including gym equipment, swing sets, pets that could run out and play on the grounds with them. in the late 1960s before leaving the white house first lady, lady bird johnson, created what's called a children's garden, it's a small secluded spot down on the south lawn not too far -- actually close, adjoining the white house tennis court. in that garden -- which it was honored all of the grandchildren of the presidents starting with the johnsons and they had wonderful rust stick furniture was made in children's size to place around the garden and it has a fish pond as well. the main feature was that she had her grandchildren create their hand prints and they were cast to look like stone and used

as pavers on the ground. the walkway leading into there now has such handprints for all of the grandchildren of the johnsons to the present presidents, grandchildren that were alive at the time that they were presidents. so if it was a child who came after his term of office they are not included. so samples of the prints are seen here in the white house visitor's center including a hands on spot for children to place his hands in the prints in a modern creation. >> probably everybody has heard about the blue room of the white house. the white house has three parlours on the state floor that are named for colors, traditional colors that have been used for up who will trees, carpeting and textiles, the windows, draperies and such. it wasn't always the blue room, though. this chair was acquired byment james monroe in 1817, purchased

from paris, as part of the refurnishing of the white house after the rebuilding of the interior of the white house after the fire of 1814 when the british set fire to the -- to the building during the bar of 1812. there were 53 pieces in this gilded sweet, it was very high style, congress actually thought the president was being rather wasteful and especially by buying in france and not buying in america and he had to justify that the furniture was of such good quality that it would last for 20 years. in fact, it lasted at the white house in its first use until 1860 so they got 43 years of use out this have wonderful suite of furniture and then unfortunately like so many other things it was sold at auction. mrs. kennedy was given back this chair, this was the first one returned to the white house in 1961 by people who lived here in washington who had attended some of the white house sales, whose ancestors had attended some of the white house sales.

so this chair became the model for reproductions that were placed in the blue room to try to recreate the monroe era. when these chairs arrived at the white house in 1970 they were up holstered in crimson, that's how the room looked. since 1837 it has been blue and that's why the name is now the blue room. it's a very high style french chair. this is the one that we discovered had the most original material still a part of its guilding and its surface features and so it has been restored to look like it probably would have looked in the monroe administration with some very beautifully burnished smooth surfaces to simulate metal. in fact, that is fwilded wood. and then the red upholstery fabrics were put on to recreate its original appearance so that this became, then, the specimen chair we could use at the visitor's center while we still

have other chairs in the suite up holstered in blue that are in the blue room. since the arrival of this chair in 1961 the white house has upped its total to ten original pieces from the suite that was made by pierre belogge. it represents some of the grandeur of white house interiors, how the public rooms were meant to be impressive to foreign diplomats and american citizens who came to the white house for political persuasion activities that would encourage people to support the president's

stanton, virginia. we are a living history museum with a mission focused on education. >> our objective here is the

frontier culture museum is to team people how a unique american folk culture was created through the blending of european, and african and indigenous people cultures. told we'll start on the old world side and see the english and the irish and the german farm. and lastly move over to america and see the 1740s american farm settlement. >> my fame is sally landis. i'm a historic interpreter at the museum in stanton, virginia. right now we're on the english farm and this house comes from worcestershire in the midlands and the time we're showing is 1620s to 1640s. they have 150 to 300 acres of land. they are growing wheat, barley and rye and harvesting that and hiring people to help them. they have about 100 sheep, and

they are shearing those twice a year and selling the fleeces. and then the lady of the house and her daughters would be responsible for milking the cows, say 15 to 30 of them and then go ahead and make -- take the milk and make cheese and selling that at market. those would be the sources of income for this family. so they are working hard, they are doing well. and they have -- they are basically the top of the working class. could you refer to them as the midland sort. and again they are farmers. this is based on the woodhouse family. they have edward and cecilia and on one stone is says e.w. and that stands for edward wood house and this is his home and he and his wife cecilia has six children. you can see it is timber framing and there was not as much wood in england at the time.

things like ship building and tanning have deforested so you're going to need to be resourceful. but the fact that this person can afford wood and have wood and wooden furniture in his home shows he is doing well. and we have in the square panels we have quadle and daub. that is like a basket weave, and one plain, with one plain and you would have daub on one side and daub on the other. it consists of what you have on the farm, like straw, animal hair, lime, clay and manure. that is an important ingredient. we do know that lady of the house is cooking of course. she is going to be baking. she's going to be brewing. she's going to be the gardener and she has a 1-15 acre kitchen and she's the doctor for the family and making cheese and selling that. the yo man farmer has about 100 sheep to shear twice a year and have people help and they are

selling those at market. he also has the grain to take care of. he's growing grain. we know he had 36 acres in wheat, barley and rye and he would be harvesting that and hiring people to help with the harvest. a good harvester could harvest half an acre of grain in a day. the only thing is interesting about the farmer, he is a progressive farmer in the sense that in the fall he's thinking about at his fields, you've harvested and everything, but what he's going to do is putting in like green fertilizer, if you will, for the next year so that your fields will grow and do well. so things like turnups and in time clover is something that he can add so you are taking care of your land. and he's got fences to build. fences to repair. and then you are thinking ahead in the winter like what you are planting. so they really were kind of either in the thick of doing it, and i'm saying harvesting or

planting, harvesting, but then you are planning and preparing for the next season too. so things are seasonal, very much. and you are just trying to be prepared. and you want to do well. you have a good situation, this yeoman farmer, there is 5-7% of the population are farmers and this guy is in a good position and he wants to keep it that way. the first room you encounter if we go in this way is you're going to be encountering the kitchen. that is where we cook of course and bake. and that is where we make cheese as well. and i guess if i had to say, that is probably one of my favorite rooms. because there is a lot of action and i enjoy baking very much there. next we could take a step up, the room to the left would be the room which is called the parlor. and that is a formal room you have. you are very seldom using that. the door would be shut much of the time. and what you are doing is you're having that room for weddings,

for funerals, christenings and special occasions and at times the families could have light meals in the evening there. but the fact that you have a room you are hardly using shows you are doing well because most people are using every inch of space in their home. and then the next room we come to would be the hallch that is a room where you are dining. and also could be spending time knitting, sewing, reading a book, playing a game, something like that. the family spends time interacting there and dining there primarily. then we have an upstairs. and that consists of two bedrooms. one for the parents and one for the children. and then we have a locked room, which would have been a bedroom for the servants. here on the english farm, prime a jenityure is important because that is the system by which who inherits what. and what i mean, is the oldest son is going to be getting

everything. he gets the house and the land. and of course we're talking about 150 to 300 acres of land in the case of woodhouses. so second and third sons are left with, you could say nothing, tangible. an the second and third sons would be leaving and going to america to seek their fortune, you could say. or they could choose the military, the university. and maybe be an apprentice to another tradesman much like joseph woodhouse was. the other thing that i would like to mention that is a common thread is people are wanting to have a place of their own. whether it be english or irish or german. and so if the oldest son gets everything, then the second and third sons are going to need to leave to go to america if they want to have land. and if you came to america, before 1700, paying your passage, of course, on a ship bound to virginia, you had the

right to receive 50 acres of land for free. so that was an enticement for many of the second and third sons. my name is jerry kester and i'm a costumed interpreter on the scotch irish farm. the time period here is between 1720 and 1740 and the farm comes from ulster, from the northern province of ireland. and this is the home of a farmer as well as a weaver. and 1720s, 40s, that is what the people start leaving ireland to come to america because they want a better life. and part of the reasons they are leaving is there has been a big depression in the linen market because there is a whole series of doubts and you are having foot shortage and famine and the

flaxseed is low so there is a depression of the quality. and when the leases run out, the land lord doubles and triples the rents. so if you want a better life for yourself and your family, you sell everything you have and off you go to america. daily life, oh, you could get up early, the women or girls who go out and start milking cows and cook breakfast and then work in the herb beds, make butter, take care of the kids, sew. but the most important job they'll have to do is spin. and because the man is a weaver it takes three spinners to keep up with one weaver so the women or girls are quite busy doing that and they stop working late in the day and get up in the morning and do it again. and the men and boys, they are going to be outside working. gosh, it is soon going to be time to harvest the oats and the flax and if you don't get those

harvested then you don't have anything to eat or make linen with. so very important jobs. and everything will go out and help with that. but also in the meantime, you have farm jobs to do like taking care of animals. upkeep on the farm and maintenance, that sort of thing. taking care of the stone walls and everything. so quite a busy life, busy days. now this farm, this is the first farm at the museum. and it is laid out exactly the way it was in count tyrone. so behind me this is the pig pen. the pig crawl here and the chicken are down below and the long buyer at the far end. and buyer that is scottish for barn. an the first two rooms on the long briar is for storage an the other two are for livestock. basically it is a two-room house. a classic irish architecture is one room deep with a chimney on

the end. so when you first come in the front door, you are in the kitchen. and that is really the main room of the house where all of the activities take place because it is the only warm room in the house. and you also have a pete fire burning night and day year round and so that is where everyone is. and behind it is the shop. and that is also the boys' bedroom. they would have a mattress on the floor where they would sleep. an the loom is in there too, so they take over the weaving so they are close to their work. the weaving process, that is one of those things that -- i'm sure they were planted by the galtal year. probably if it is a good year for the linen trades, they may have hired some alternate weavers to take care of that or maybe some irish laborers to work in the fields, then you could concentrate on the weaving. and of course a lot of it would take place in the winter time. and especially for the laborers, that is the only way they could make money in the winter time so they would have a year-round income. of course,