"During his two terms from 1953 to 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower reportedly spent hours tucked away inside the teal-and-gold movie theater in the White House's East Wing, watching more than 200 Western films. Years later, Bill Clinton used the theater-then decked out in a very '90s combination of red and tan-to view Schindler's List and Naked Gun. Even President Trump himself used the theater, now with an art-deco-inspired red-and-gold look, for a screening of Finding Dory back in 2017."
"Since its construction more than 80 years ago, the White House theater has served as a kind of miniature window into the real lives of U.S. presidents, offering the American people a rare glimpse into moments of rest and personal time. According to Matt Lambros, a photographer who's spent years researching historic theaters and written three books on the topic,"
The White House theater was created in 1942 from a cloakroom and seated about 40 guests. Presidents used the small theater privately across administrations, with decor changes reflecting presidential taste and period aesthetics. The theater hosted varied screenings, from Eisenhower's Westerns to Clinton's Schindler's List and Trump's Finding Dory, showing personal leisure activities of residents of the executive mansion. Multiple renovations over decades altered the room's style, providing insight into changing theater design trends. The recent demolition of the East Wing removed the theater and eliminated an architectural and cultural artifact tied to presidential life.
Read at Fast Company
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