‘Designing Camelot’ book signing set Sept. 8 in Lewes

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy is often thought of as demure, said James Archer Abbott, but her strong direction for the historic interior restoration of the White House in the 1960s enhanced the concept of a presidential stage and created a museum in which all Americans can take pride. 

Abbott, who is executive director of the Lewes Historical Society, said Kennedy’s interest in restoration efforts provided the momentum for the founding of many historical societies.

“She created an appetite for preservation,” said Abbott.

Abbott and co-author Elaine Rice Bachmann have chronicled Kennedy’s efforts with the recent publication of “Designing Camelot: The Kennedy White House Restoration and Its Legacy,” and will hold a book signing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 8, at Jeff West Home, 107 W. Market St., Lewes.

The book includes firsthand observations, personal and public correspondence, photographs and media coverage of Kennedy’s work to return original pieces of artwork and furniture, and bring museum-level national artifacts to the White House. 

The book is the result of a 40-year project which Abbott said began when he was an undergraduate student. He continued his work in a graduate thesis, which he later sent to Caroline Kennedy, who wrote the book’s foreword, and arts patron Jayne Wrightsman, a close friend of Kennedy.

Abbott said he had been in contact with co-author Bachmann since she was writing on the same topic while studying in the University of Delaware’s Winterthur Program. The original incarnation of the book was published in 1997.

“It was a great success, and more people came out of the woodwork,” Abbott said.

Photos were difficult to acquire in the 1990s, Abbott said, but with the book’s publication, many people involved with the White House restoration, or their relatives, reached out with photo archives and additional firsthand recollections. 

The White House Historical Association approached the pair, asking them to revisit the core 1997 volume with new details to create a completely different book.

The interior of the White House has evolved since Kennedy’s restoration efforts, Abbott said, but the goal of Jackie Kennedy’s work was not to ensure it remained unchanged, but rather to establish the house as a permanent repository for American history, art and craftsmanship.

It can be easy for people to dismiss the idea of White House decor, Abbott said, especially in light of news focused on COVID and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, but the White House collection is an important representation of the very best of America.

The book may be purchased at the book signing and is also available online through The White House Historical Association at shop.whitehousehistory.org.