Official Christmas Tree 2001

2001 White House Christmas Tree. White House photo by Tina Hager. Works by the U. S. Government are not eligible for U. S. copyright protection. Photographs in this collection were taken by photographers working for the U.S. Government. Generally speaking, works created by U.S. Government employees are not eligible for copyright protection in the United States. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" from the U.S. Copyright Office

The tradition of a placing a decorated tree in the White House began in 1889 on Christmas morning during the Presidency of Benjamin Harrison. The President's grandchildren, young Benjamin and Mary McKee, led the Harrison household into the second floor Oval Room to take a look at the first White House Christmas tree, which was lit with candles. Filled stockings hung from the mantel, and presents, candy and nuts were distributed to family and staff. President Harrison gave turkeys and gloves to his employees, and he received a silver-dollar-shaped picture holder from his daughter, Mame Harrison McKee.

What began as a family gathering has become a national tradition. Over the years, the White House Christmas tree has reflected both the times and the tastes of the First Family. First Lady Frances Cleveland created a "technology savvy" tree in 1895 when she hung electric lights on the White House tree. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy began the tradition of Christmas Tree themes when she decorated the 1961 Christmas tree in toy trimmings from the Nutcracker Suite ballet by Tchaikovsky.

Today, the First Lady selects a theme and taps the talents of American artisans, who give life to the idea. Laura Bush chose "Home for the Holidays" for the 2001 theme, which features replicas of the family homes of the nation's Presidents.

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Christmas Santa Claus Sign

Item Title: Ted Scarbrough's yard art. [Photo) Author/Creator Photographer: Eiler, Lyntha Scott Created/Published December 5, 1996 Medium, 35 mm Color Slide, Language English Call Number, CRF-LE-C200-14. Part of The Coal River Folklife Collection (AFC 1999/008) Repository Library of Congress, Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center, Washington, D.C. 20540

Larger reference image (JPEG - 131K bytes) Digital ID: afccmns lec20014 hdl.loc.gov/loc.afc/

Copyright and Restrictions:The Library of Congress is not aware of any U.S. copyright protection (see Title 17, U.S.C.) or any other restrictions in the material in this collection, See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" from the U.S. Copyright Office.

The special character of collections that result from ethnographic field research is outlined in What is an Ethnographic Field Collection? The American Folklife Center and the professional fieldworkers who carry out these projects feel a strong ethical responsibility to the people they have visited and who have consented to have their lives documented for the historical record. The Center asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: Tending the Commons: Folklife and Landscape in Southern West Virginia. American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

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