At Home with the Presidents

In honor of Presidents’ Day, my Monday post will show the trio of homes that I have visited. I have yet to scan the 1971 negatives from my childhood trip to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, so this vintage shot will have to do. Located in Alexandra, Virginia, the Palladian style home began construction in 1734 and went through a number of expansions and remodels over the next 45 years, yielding the present structure that guests can tour today.  

The closest you can get to seeing Washington himself is in Orlando, where his animatronic performs daily in the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World:



I’ve been to Monicello twice; once in 1971 and then returned again (with my own camera!) in 2017.



Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. President, began work on his neoclassic home in 1768, with a number of expansions and revisions that continued on until his death in 1826. 



He is also represented in the Hall of Presidents:



Want to see a panorama of the Hall of Presidents? Here you go:



I’ve never been to the home of our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, but I have visited him at Disneyland’s Opera House:



…and seen his inferior counterpart in Orlando:



I also happened to catch him at the now defunct Tresor Gallery on Royal Street in New Orleans in 2015:



Jumping forward to our thirty-seventh president, Richard Nixon, I visited his birthplace in 2005.



Located on the grounds of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, it is a very modest dwelling, built in 1912 from a mail order construction kit by his father, Frank Nixon.



What better place for the then vice president to celebrate the christening of the Disneyland Monorail in 1959 than at the Carnation Ice Cream Parlour? He is surrounded by his wife Pat, Louise the waitress, and daughter Tricia Nixon. General Manager Mr. Knowles seem to be giving an unspecified direction to the photographer from the background.



Now I’m craving an ice cream sundae.

See more Daveland photos at my main website.

Monticello Monday

If you’ve never been to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, today is your chance to see it in Genuine FauxD©! These 1970’s springtime images give a glimpse at the estate in Charlottesville, Virginia in all its three dimensional glory.



I’ve been fortunate enough to visit the Jefferson home twice; once in 1971 and again in 2017.





Interior views of the estate are hard to find, as tourists are typically not allowed to take photos. Here’s the entry hall:



These interior shots came from a batch of vintage black and white postcards:



Both of these images show the Dining Room:



This 1952 shot shows a young lady perusing the dumb-waiter located on the side of the Dining Room fireplace:



From the vintage publicity blurb:

When Jefferson wanted some refreshment in a hurry from his wine cellar, he sent a servant down to put the desired vintage on this dumb-waiter and got results fast. Another of the president’s inventions, this was the first dumb-waiter in America.



Jefferson also invented the automatic opening doors being displayed by these two lovely ladies. From the vintage publicity blurb:

Jefferson devised these doors in such a way that opening one of them automatically opened the other—an effect similar to modern trolley and bus doors. The exact mechanism is unknown because it has never been necessary to open the woodwork covering its smooth operation.

Back to the set of postcard images, we have the Drawing Room:



Another view of the Entry Hall:



Jefferson’s Bedroom, where there’s no waking up on the wrong side of the bed!



Jefferson’s piano:



Two more color vintage views:



Another view of the dumb-waiter:



See more Monticello photos at my main website.

Graveyard at Monticello

Today marks the final post of my Virginia trip, finishing up business in the Monticello graveyard. I was a little surprised at the ostentatious gold TJ on the front of the gate. The paint gave a tacky look to the insignia. Other than that, it was a beautiful little plot for the family of Thomas Jefferson.



Here is the marker for the third President of the United States.



Surprising to many is that the Presidency was not on the list of what Jefferson wanted to be known for.





Signage can assist you in finding the plot you are looking for.



Even Jefferson's mother is buried here.



I hope you enjoyed my photos from Virginia; it was a wonderful trip and at some point, I do hope to return. Especially to Charlottesville.

See more Monticello photos at my main website.

Return to Monticello

It had been sixteen years since my one and only visit to Monticello, the creation and home of Thomas Jefferson. Although he was the third President of the United States, the three things he wanted to be known for did not include that office. But I digress; all of that will be covered at a later date. It was a bit rainy when I arrived at the visitor center, but that did not deter me from embarking on the tour. Here was my first view of Monticello after all this time:



I didn't really mind the mist and fog, which weren't even noticeable when I zoomed into the bright flowers that surrounded Jefferson's estate.



The back view of the house, which is my favorite side:



Since I arrived early, I walked around the grounds:



Exploring the tunnels underneath the house:



The kitchen where many meals were prepared:



The view from Mulberry Row, known as the principal "street" of Jefferson's 5000 acre plantation.



Photos were not allowed inside the house; it was explained to me that many of the items were on loan and therefore not allowed to be photographed. However, I was told that I could shoot inside the dome of the house. I didn't have to be told twice.



This little secret playroom can be found inside the dome as well:



One last shot of Mulberry Row before ending the post:



Jefferson is buried at Monticello, and I was given the option of taking the bus to the cemetery or walking. Can you guess which one I chose? Come back again to find out.

See more Monticello photos at my main website.

Charlottesville: UVA

While in Charlottesville, I had to stop by the University of Virginia for at least a few photos...even if it was raining. Despite the violence and protests in Charlottesville that had occurred just before my visit, everything seemed business as usual on this lovely campus.



Until I took a closer look at the statue of Thomas Jefferson by Moses Ezekiel. The red paint on the scroll in his hand was chilling.



Founded in 1819 by Jefferson himself, the campus truly is lovely.



Architecturally, it is best known for its rotunda and dome room, which were recently restored.



Another statue of the third President can be found inside of the rotunda:



A look at the inside of the Dome Room:



Jefferson was able to watch the construction of his beloved University from the comfort of his home, Monticello:



Come back for photos of that architectural wonder!

See more UVA photos at my main website.