A historic set of Norman Rockwell sketches that hung in the West Wing for over four decades will go on public display for the first time. The White House Historical Association purchased the four 1940s-era sketches for over $7 million at an auction, steping in to prevent the artwork from disappearing into a private collection following a family ownership dispute. Titled “So You Want to See the President!”, the pieces depict a diverse crowd, including U.S. senators, journalists, military members, and even a Miss America contestant, waiting in the West Wing lobby to see President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II.
Every U.S. president from Jimmy Carter to Donald Trump viewed the artwork during its long tenure on the White House walls. Association President Stewart McLaurin stated that because the sketches had been seen by so many world leaders and senior staff, the organization felt it was vital for the American public to see them as well. The pieces had originally been put up for sale by the grandson of a White House official who received them as a personal gift from Rockwell.
To create the illustrations, Rockwell spent hours people-watching from a chair in the West Wing lobby to capture the essence of everyday American life. After an initial set of sketches was destroyed in a fire at his Vermont studio, the famed Saturday Evening Post illustrator returned to the White House to gather fresh material. According to McLaurin, the final artwork combines memories from both visits to reflect the exact types of people who continue to pass through the West Wing reception area today. The public can view the collection through June 2027 at “The People’s House” education center near the White House.
