1949-1952: Gutting the White House
By 1945, the White House was on the brink of collapse - to the extent that President Truman’s daughter’s piano fell through the floorboards. Beginning in 1949, the entire inside of the White House was removed, leaving only the external facades. The bulldozer and truck shown were dismantled into their component parts, carried into the White House, and then reassembled.
Images: US National Archives
