Boston, MA – The Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library will bring in this year’s holiday season with a special exhibit of gifts presented to President John F. Kennedy during his presidency. Handmade and Heartfelt: Folk Art from the Collections of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library will be on display beginning November 25th, 2005. The exhibit will be open to the public until the fall of 2006.
“These extraordinary, hand-crafted items were given to President Kennedy by ordinary citizens from the United States and countries around the world,” said Frank Rigg, curator of the Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. “These wonderful examples of folk art so powerfully and easily relay the feelings of affection and pride with which they were made for the president and first lady.”
Presents to the president and his family, from Americans and from citizens of other lands, are often humble and heartfelt, patriotic and personal. Unlike diplomatic gifts, they are not given out of tradition or obligation; rather they emerge from a desire to directly address the chief executive.
Many of these gifts are unique, created in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. Amateur artisans and accomplished artists offer one-of-a-kind carvings, paintings, and pottery. Each expresses a sentiment, most often of appreciation and affection and the value of these gifts can range from thousands of dollars to whatever worth can be assigned to the time and effort of the giver. Most of the gifts from private citizens carry a very personal message; many are lighthearted. These objects are tokens of respect and affection offered to the nation’s chief executive.
Among the folk art and oddities from the collection are:
- Polish wedding chest, made by Dobieslaw Walknowski of Krakow, Poland;
- Ribbon disc and postage stamp portrait of John F. Kennedy, given by Dora Blackburn of Baltimore, Maryland;
- Leather wallet depicting the Presidential seal and a rocking chair, made by Woody Williams of Waverly, New York;
- Miniature rocking chair, made by Cub Scout Joe Hnath of St. Mary's, Pennsylvania;
- Bowl made of walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and popsicle sticks, sent to President Kennedy by the Girl Scouts of America;
- Egg shell and thread portrait of John F. Kennedy, made by Abraham Greenhouse of Perth Amboy, New Jersey;
- Glass tile mosaic portrait of John F. Kennedy, made by Merritt W. Yearsley of Dallas, Texas;
- Miniature portrait of John F. Kennedy, with the US Capitol depicted in the background, made by Eugene Walsh of New York, New York;
- Carved peach pit depicting an image of John F. Kennedy wearing a veterans hat, made by R. J. McErlean of St. Petersburg, Florida;
- Wooden sculpture depicting President Kennedy at his desk, made by James Rikos of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho;
- Inlaid American flag created with 2,037 individual pieces of wood, made by Joseph Dias of Fall River, Massachusetts;
- Carved and painted chest, decorated with images of animals and flowers, gift of Antonio Bermedez of Mexico City, Mexico;
- Crocheted American flag, made by Anna Schuster of Cincinnati, Ohio;
- Miniature replica of the John F. Kennedy birthplace in Brookline, Massachusetts, gift of Henry Hagestedt of Chicago, Illinois;
- Violin decorated with an American flag, created by Paul Czaporof Cleveland, Ohio;
- Rosary carved from a single piece of pine wood, made by Wilfred Lesperance of Penacook, New Hampshire;
- Model of a sailing ship, made by Navy veteran Maurice Abear of Bay City, Michgan;
- Model of PT 109, the Navy vessel commanded by JFK in World War II, made by Albert Hanson of Woodbridge, New Jersey;
- Crocheted table cover depicting the Project Mercury space capsule, gift of Cecelio Petrosky of Youngstown, Ohio;
- Miniature rocking chairs, gifts of Mrs. Franklin J. McLean of St. Petersburg Florida and Maybelle Greene of Providence, Rhode Island
Handmade and Heartfelt is just one of the many exciting and inspiring exhibits visitors will find in the Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. The Museum’s 25 multimedia exhibits and period settings from the White House offer an exciting “you are there” experience, and create a stirring account of President Kennedy’s thousand days in office. Beginning with a 17-minute film narrated by President Kennedy, visitors step back into the recreated world of the early 1960s and witness the first televised presidential debate; accompany first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy on her televised tour of the White House; sit in on press conferences with the President; relive the thrill of Col. John Glenn’s first orbital mission; stroll through White House corridors; witness Cabinet meetings during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and observe the president’s televised address from the Oval Office on the Civil Rights crisis.
One of Boston’s most popular destinations for visitors from all nations, the architectural masterpiece designed by I.M. Pei sits on a 10-acre waterfront site on Columbia Point offering panoramic views of Boston’s skyline and Harbor Islands.
General admission to the Museum at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library is $10.00. Admission for seniors over the age of 62 and college students with appropriate identification is $8.00, and for children ages 13-17, $7.00. Children ages 12 and under are admitted for free.
The Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the exceptions of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The Library is located in the Dorchester section of Boston, off Morrissey Boulevard, next to the campus of the University of Massachusetts/Boston. Parking is free. There is free shuttle-service from the JFK/UMass T Stop on the Red Line. The Museum is fully handicapped accessible. For more information, call (866) JFK-1960.
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is a presidential library administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and supported, in part, by the Kennedy Library Foundation, a non-profit organization.