Good Housekeeping: White House historians meet Palm Beach supporters
An exhibit of more than 200 years of presidential portraiture was the centerpiece of a reception honoring the White House Historical Association.
The event took place Jan. 12 at the Findlay Galleries and served as a kickoff for the WHHA's annual Winter Benefit Dinner.
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James Borynack and Adolfo Zaralegui, the gallery's chairman and president, respectively, hosted the event.
The evening began with a cocktail reception in the second-floor galleries, where guests circulated among a curated presentation of iconic photographs by Sir Harry Benson - who has photographed every U.S. president since Dwight D. Eisenhower - alongside reproductions of select works from the White House Collection.
After cocktails, the top-tier donors moved to the third floor for one of the gallery's fabled dinners on the terrace with its sweeping view down a moonlit Worth Avenue.
The decor was was inspired by the White House's Gold Room, with silver candelabra, crystal chandeliers, gold drapery, and gold-rimmed crystal and china. The menu, too, was state dinner-worthy, offering a first course of potatoes stuffed with lobster, shrimp and caviar; filled potatoes, a main course of baby lamb chops with cauliflower gratin and asparagus; and a flourless chocolate torte with raspberry coulis for dessert.
Each course was paired with wines from Schramsberg Vineyards. Schramsberg sparkling wines have been served at official White House state functions by every U.S. presidential administration since 1972, when Richard Nixon made it famous by bringing it to China for the "Toast To Peace" dinner with Premier Zhou Enlai.
Dinner included the announcement that Norman Rockwell's celebrated suite "So You Want to See the President!" would make its exclusive first public showing as the centerpiece of the WHHA's 2026 Winter Benefit, which took place Feb. 18 at The Breakers.
The paintings - the artist's only interrelated series of four works - hung in the White House for nearly 40 years and offer a sweeping visual meditation on American democracy and the human dimension of leadership.
Recently acquired by the WHHA, the works underscore its mission to support art acquisitions and educational initiatives that illuminate the history of the Executive Mansion.
Findlay Galleries featured the Rockwell suite at their Worth Avenue galleries for weeks following its debut at the Winter Benefit, offering collectors and the public the opportunity to view the works in an intimate setting.
More than 100 people attended the reception.
Proceeds from the reception and dinner benefit the White House Historical Association, founded in 1961 to preserve and share the history of the Executive Mansion.
Its mission is supported entirely by private resources and includes assisting in the preservation of the State and public rooms, funding acquisitions for the permanent collection, and educating the public on the history of the White House.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Good Housekeeping: White House historians meet Palm Beach supporters
Reporting by Shannon Donnelly, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 5:10 AM.