The 1999 White House Christmas ornament was the one that began collection owner Robin Glawson’s love for these holiday tokens. Featuring an imitation of President Abraham Lincoln’s official portrait by George P.A. Healy, which still hangs above the fireplace in the State Dining Room, this brass bauble has a hinged frame that opens wide. Robin, who is a lover of American history, sought to memorialize one of her early trips to Washington, D.C., with a Yuletide ornament and was delighted to be introduced by White House staff to the historical association’s assemblage of annual designs. She has since collected them all.
Text Leslie Bennett Smith
Photography Stephanie Welbourne Steele
Styling Melissa Sturdivant Smith
To learn more about the personal story behind this prized collection of White House Christmas ornaments, see “Branch of History” in the December 2022 issue, available on newsstands and at victoriamag.com. To purchase your own assemblage of these intricate treasures, visit whitehousehistory.org/collections/ornaments.
