Snapshots of the Past

The White House prepares for Santa Claus – Vintage Wall Art

The White House prepares for Santa Claus — historic photograph
The White House prepares for Santa Claus. Historic photograph from the White House collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

The White House prepares for Santa Claus comes to life in this historic photograph, reproduced from the original with every detail intact. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

The White House prepares for Santa Claus

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The White House has had a Christmas tree since the Benjamin Harrison family set one up in 1889, and by the 1930s the holiday preparations at the executive mansion were a familiar subject for the press. This 1934 print, titled *The White House prepares for Santa Claus*, captures the house being readied for the season during the Great Depression, when a festive domestic scene offered reassurance to the public. Pictures like this often served to present the presidential household as warm and ordinary, so it is worth looking at both the tree and the message the photographer intended.

Medium1 photographic print.
Notes1934
SubjectsWhite House (Washington, D.C.)--1930-1940. Christmas trees--Washington (D.C.)--1930-1940.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan4,096 × 3,285 px · prints to 14 × 11 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-204324

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