Foto Friday: History of the White House Kitchen

Food and politics, two of my favorite things, come together in the White House kitchen

Here from Time is a look through history at one of the most famous kitchens in the U.S....

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson staffed the White House kitchen with slaves. In later years, following the Civil War, the tradition of African-Americans working in the White House kitchen continued. Dolly Johnson, seen in this 1890 photograph, was recruited to the White House by President Benjamin Harrison. Johnson had previously worked for the Harrison family and the President hired her to replace a French chef whose cooking, he said, was inferior to the "plain dishes" Johnson made.

When Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt arrived at the Executive Mansion in 1933, they and their housekeeper Henrietta Nesbitt found the kitchen far below their standards. According to historian Lydia Barker Tederick's A Look at White House Kitchens, Nesbitt wrote, "Mrs. Roosevelt and I poked around, opening doors and expecting hinges to fall off and things to fly out. It was that sort of place." A substantial renovation funded by the New Deal Public Works Administration produced the largely stainless steel kitchen that welcomed Harry Truman to the presidential residence in 1945 (this photo was taken in 1948).

Not all First Ladies embrace their role as First Hostess with the gusto that Mamie Eisenhower did. She helped plan many state dinners, got involved with menus and even reportedly helped craft grocery lists. In this 1958 photograph, Mrs. Eisenhower, a career homemaker, discusses a menu with Maître d'Hôtel Charles Ficklin in the main kitchen.

White House executive chef and Philippines native Cristeta Comerford was promoted to the position in 2005 after working in the kitchen for ten years. She will stay on to head up the kitchen for the Obamas. Comerford has roots in Chicago, having worked in several hotel kitchens there shortly after moving to the U.S.

To view the entire photo gallery, click here.