Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Catching Up with the Curator: Watch Meeting--Dec. 31st 1862--Waiting for the Hour

To mark African American History Month, as well as the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, we talked with White House Curator Bill Allman about a painting called Watch Meeting–Dec. 31st 1862–Waiting for the Hour that hangs near the Oval Office in the West Wing.

The painting, completed in 1863 by William Carlton, shows a group of African American men, women and children waiting for the clock to strike midnight — the hour the Emancipation Proclamation would go into effect. 

Check it out, and learn why President Obama chose this painting to hang in the West Wing. 

Related Topics: Inside the White House


White House.gov Blog Feed


Catching Up with the Curator: Watch Meeting--Dec. 31st 1862--Waiting for the Hour

No comments:

Post a Comment