The White House!

In college I focused my academic history interest on politics, specifically presidents. In graduate school, I focused in even more and wrote my master's thesis on the White House from a public history perspective, exploring how both presidents and the people used the building itself and its image to establish and reinforce their views of how the government should relate to the people [I could go on but very few people would care :) ].

I think, on a personal and public historian level, that it is a shame that the White House is now so closed to the general public (by understandable security necessity of course, but still unfortunate). I myself have done the public tour that one can get through their congressperson, and have always wanted to see more. The house just exudes this sense of history that is somewhat intoxicating to a public historian who specializes in politics...and the White House itself. So while I enjoyed the public tour, I always wanted more.

And I finally got to go! I went as a guest of my boss who was invited to the White House Celebration of Design cocktail event on October 8, 2014 (the day before my birthday. Best. present. ever.) Though only the public sections of the house that one usually sees on tours were open, there were no ropes to keep me from touching things (judiciously, of course. I do work in a museum after all), from wandering the rooms at my leisure, from inspecting paintings up close and taking pictures was totally allowed. It was amazing. 

Dresses worn by the FLOTUS.

Line to meet the FLOTUS.

Michelle Obama gave a speech, but I was too short to see it. Nice chandeliers though.

From my Project Runway viewing, I recognized Anna Wintour, Rachel Roy, Jason Wu, Carolina Herrera, Naomi Campbell, Cynthia Lieve, Jenna Lyons, Zac Posen and Diane von Furstenburg. I was wearing a dress made by my mother and shoes I bought from Old Navy five years ago because I am awesome.
 

I made an exception of not taking photos of famous people for Anna Wintour, because my friend was begging me to capture her image on film.

Just absolutely amazed to be there.

                            

And I took a selfie in the White House bathroom. Can you say classy?

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Oh, history. You never fail to surprise me.

"Several of the Cheyennes at Lame Deer tell versions of the story of a woman pushing an awl into Custer's ears. This might be dismissed as fanciful fabrication but for the condition of Custer's body when found. It was relatively unmarked except for two bullet wounds-one to the chest and one to the side of the head-and an arrow that had been shoved up his penis."

Viola, Herman J. Little Bighorn Remembered: The Untold Story of Custer's Last Stand. New York: Times Books, 1999, 53.

I've been to the Little Bighorn. I have both master's and bachelor's in history, which means that I studied only history for six years. But never did I learn that General George Armstrong Custer (of hamper fame) was posthumously (one hopes) unmanned. Apparently that detail was not widely circulated due to respect for Custer's widow, Libby.

Dude.

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