From the White House to Christmas House

Christmas House opens in less than 24 hours! To help kick off the event, celebrated author Jennifer Pickens will be at the showhouse tomorrow (11/16) at noon for a special book signing and presentation. Pickens is the author of Christmas at the White House, a popular coffee table book that documents the lavish private and public Christmas celebrations and traditions spanning half-a-century inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The 408-page book is beautifully illustrated with more than 500 exquisite photographs, many of which have not been seen before. It is the first documented and published history of how First Families have decorated and celebrated Christmas. Voted one of the “Top Ten Great Gift Books” by USA Today, Christmas at the White House is full of lively text and anecdotes gathered by Pickens from interviews with First Ladies, their families, social secretaries, artisans, photographers, museum staff, volunteers, historians and chiefs of staff.

Copies of Pickens’ most recent tome, Pets at the White House, will also be available for purchase at the Christmas House. With charm, wit and compelling photographs, the author reveals how pets have played an important role in the White House throughout the decades, not only by providing companionship to the Presidents and their families, but also by humanizing and softening their political images. The book starts with the Kennedy family and their menagerie of pets and continues through 10 administrations—and more than a half century—to the Obama family and First Dog, Bo. Throughout the pages are more than 200 exquisite photographs—images of Presidents with their pets in quiet moments as well as more animated times of play—most of which have never been seen before. This poignant collection of stories and photographs is a must-have for pet lovers and lovers of American history alike!

Jennifer Pickens