Lorraine Waxman Pearce, sometimes known as Lorraine Pearce, (April 14, 1934 – March 14, 2017) was a decorative arts scholar and the inaugural White House art curator, key to the Kennedy restoration of the White House. ^{[1] [2]}

Subsequent to her hiring by Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961, ^[3] Pearce wrote the first guide that covered the White House's historic furnishings, which included George Washington's mirror, a chair from Lincoln's bedroom, a sofa attributed to Dolley Madison and items from John Tyler. ^{[1] [4]}

Pearce was a 1955 graduate of City College of New York and received her master's in early American culture from the Winterthur Program, a partnership between the Winterthur Museum and the University of Delaware. ^{[5] [6]} While at Winterthur where she worked as a registrar, ^[7] she became known for her scholarship on the French impact on American arts. ^[8] Henry Francis du Pont, the museum founder and chairman of the White House Fine Arts Committee, recommended Pearce for the curator role. ^[1]

Pearce resigned as curator in 1962 and spent much of the rest of her life in arts education. ^{[3] [1] [5]}

References