Open now, display runs through Jan. 4 on Columbia Point peninsula in Dorchester
Usually, being in “the dog house” is a bad thing, but what if the dog house was also the White House, with its 6 floors, 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 18 acres of roaming space.
Ever since John Adams became the first president to live in the Executive Mansion after George Washington had supervised its construction, animals of all kinds have lived there, and now, the JFK Presidential Library and Museum on Columbia Point in Dorchester is inviting the public to walk, gallop, slither, and fly alongside these pets in a new exhibit entitled “Presidential Pets” that opened on Tuesday of this week and will run though Jan. 4 of next year.
Says Library Director Alan Price: “Throughout White House history, animals have had a unique position in a home where history is made. Over the course of nearly 250 years, these four-legged and feathered residents have contributed as workers, diplomatic ambassadors, public symbols, and cherished companions to our presidential leaders.”
The exhibit, curated by Janice Hodson, traces the history of working animals to modern-day pets of presidents from Washington to Joseph Biden, beginning with Nelson, the chestnut-colored steed of George Washington, and continues with Dick, Thomas Jefferson’s mockingbird and the first pet to take up residence inside the White House.
While Dick made history by spreading his wings and soaring from one wing of the home to the next, it wasn’t until decades later that a presidential pet was photographed and his life documented.
Abraham Lincoln’s dog Fido paved the way for the photos of modern-day pets and pups like Biden’s two German Shepherds, Champ and Major, and Barack Obama’s Portuguese Water Dogs, Bo and Sunny.
Price, who has a Labrador Retriever and Boxer mix named Gaia, described the exhibit as “relatable” and the perfect “family-friendly” display of history, adding, “I’m hoping people bring their families and have a great time. I think it’s fascinating. Just like a good kids’ movie, there’s a track of humor and entertainment for the adults and the kids; this has plenty of both.”
Other artifacts include a Navy peacoat made specially for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Scottie Fala, who travelled with the president during World War II; a dog house in the shape of the White House for President Ronald Reagan’s dog Rex, a White House “Kitty Kondo” made for First Cat Socks Clinton; and a supersized recreation of Obama’s dog Bo made of pipe cleaners.
An exhibit on Caroline Kennedy’s pony, dubbed ‘Macaroni.’
Price’s favorite, however, is the life-size recreation of Caroline Kennedy’s pony, Macaroni, who is decked out in a riding set gifted by King Hassan II of Morocco.
In addition to taking in these photos and artifacts, visitors can hear Lyndon Johnson howl with his beagle dog Yuki, participate in interactive stamping stations, and leave notes about their own pets.
Summing up things in an interview with The Reporter, Price said, “I hope it’s fun and I hope people will sort of, by osmosis, be looking at the pets to learn more about the presidents and American history.” As a by-product, he also hopes the exhibit will inspire more people to adopt pets.
The JFK Presidential Library and Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
