Snapshots of the Past

The President's levee at the White House, Washington, D.C. [March 4, 1853] – Antique Print

The President's levee at the White House, Washington, D.C. [March 4, 1853], 1854 — antique engraving
The President's levee at the White House, Washington, D.C. [March 4, 1853], 1854. Antique engraving from the Washington DC 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

Step back in time with The President's levee at the White House, Washington, D.C. [March 4, 1853], an antique engraving rich in period detail. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

Choose the framed print, ready to hang the day it arrives, or the unframed print for a frame of your own. It brings character to any room and makes a memorable gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

The President's levee at the White House, Washington, D.C. [March 4, 1853]

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

Rather than the swearing-in itself, this engraving shows the reception held at the White House after Franklin Pierce took the oath of office on March 4, 1853. Such levees were crowded, open gatherings where citizens could meet the new president, and the scene captures the public face of the executive mansion in the 1850s. *Gleason's Pictorial* ran the image in its March 11, 1854 issue, a year after the event, which shows how illustrated weeklies of the period often reworked older news for their readers.

Created / published1854
Medium1 print : wood engraving.
GenrePeriodical illustrations 1850-1860.Wood engravings 1850-1860.
NotesIllus. from: Gleason's Pictorial, v. 6, March 11, 1854, p. 156.
SubjectsPierce, Franklin,--1804-1869--Inauguration, 1853. Presidential inaugurations--Washington (D.C.)--1850-1860.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,248 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-116868

More from the Washington DC collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.

Related pictures

[President John F. Kennedy on crutches accompanied by White House Press Secretary Andrew T. Hatcher on way to a conference in Washington, D.C.][President John F. Kennedy on crutches accompanied by White House Press Secretar[Taxicabs in Washington, D.C. - Black & White" behind White House]"[Taxicabs in Washington, D.C. - Black & White" behind White House]"Fountain and portico at the East Wing of the White House, Washington, D.C.Fountain and portico at the East Wing of the White House, Washington, D.C.[Two suffragettes and bonfire at front gate, White House, Washington, D.C.][Two suffragettes and bonfire at front gate, White House, Washington, D.C.]View of the president's house. Washington, D.C.View of the president's house. Washington, D.C.2 men in high silk hats, one with camera, on the White House grounds, Washington, D.C.2 men in high silk hats, one with camera, on the White House grounds, Washington