Presidents and First Ladies Trivia

[Eva Elisabeth]

Whose bathtub was this?
   

[RJNorton]

Eva, when I was teaching I would tell the students about President Taft's bathtub - so I will guess him.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Brilliant, Roger, that is correct! Here's a photo of four White House employees testing Taft's XXL tub - a "test tub(e)", so to speak:
   
Somehow the tub made me think of the yellow submarine, so your prize is a phantastic ride (dive) with (on?) the yellow submarine:
http://vimeo.com/m/86120207

Alternatively (diving is not everyone's cup of tea) you can choose a new bathtub (either a Mott bathtub - I believe Taft's bathtub was a Mott bathtub: http://www.clawfootbathtubwarehouse.com/...stexas.htm , or something more up-to-date:
    )
...in any case with a rubber ducky - and here's the bathing instruction:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B8IfCSnYPYo

[RJNorton]

Thanks, Eva! Love the prize! (will take the submarine one)

Here's a photo of the large President Taft putting (far left).

[Eva Elisabeth]

Cool photo - and (having not seen much golf yet) I get an idea how easily this can cause backache!
BTW - AFAIK the White House has a bowling alley and a movie theater. Wouldn't attract me - but does it have a swimming pool? And what about a sauna (to survive winter)?

[L Verge]

The White House had a swimming pool when President Kennedy lived there, and there are stories about his liking to swim au naturel - much to the consternation of the Secret Service and some visitors. For some reason, I think Nixon may have done away with the pool. however. I'll check. As for a sauna, I have no idea. I know you love them, but I tried one once at a friend's house (her parents were from Sweden) and thought I would die! If Hell is even hotter, I ain't goin...

---

Here's a bit about the indoor pool at the White House: 3. The Mystery of the Swimming Pool Beneath the Press Room
President Franklin D. Roosevelt had an indoor swimming pool built at the White House as therapy for his polio. President Nixon had it covered over to turn it into a press room. In July 2007, the basement that still has the intact pool walls was redesigned, along with the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room above it to accommodate all the wires and cables for the electronic press. A trap door was replaced with a staircase that leads down to the basement.

The tile sides of the FDR pool remain as part of the walls of the basement and have been signed by the press, celebrities, dignitaries and of course, members of the administration. Famous signatures include Bono, Sugar Ray Leonard and former First Lady Laura Bush.

The current pool is outside the White House and was installed by President Gerald Ford. Haven't checked on the sauna yet.

[L Verge]

First, I misspoke - my friend's parents were from Finland, not Sweden. As for a sauna in the White House, it is mentioned in the last sentence of the following, but it does not seem clear as to whether it was a temporary "saunamobile" or a permanent structure:

With the American passion for sports, saunas at the Olympics certainly helped bring saunas into the limelight, but there were other reasons as well. After World War II, Finnish Americans were looked upon with a new respect. Second and third generation Finns returned from the war as proven American citizens, ready to fight and die for the U.S.. Finland was receiving world attention for her heroics against Russia during the Winter War of 1939-4O. Although Finland lost much of her eastern territory to Russia, it was generally recognized that the Finns had fought valiantly for independence against overwhelming odds. World sympathy went out toward Finland. A few years later, tiny Finland again impressed the world when she became the first European country to pay back her war reparations debt.

Thus, Finland's notoriety primed the American public for a Finnish custom. The press reported the President of Finland's longing for a sauna during a visit to America in 1961. A sauna company responded by driving its "saunamobile" demonstrator to New York and placing it at the service of the distinguished guest. Later, President Kennedy and his family enjoyed a sauna in the White House.

[Eva Elisabeth]

GREAT info, thank you, Laurie!!!

[LincolnToddFan]

Laurie,

Didn't President Nixon "nix" the Kennedy swimming pool-scene of JFK's infamous nude pool parties when his wife was away riding in Virginia-in favor of a bowling alley? I remember reading that Nixon excelled at bowling. Anyway JFK's father, former Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, had very expensive murals painted on the walls of the pool area replicating the Cote d'Azur in the South of France.

The things presidents could get away with in those days boggles the mind!

Eva,

Thanks for the photo of the Taft tub. It's more like a child's swimming/splash pool than a bathtub!

[RJNorton]

This is a President's son with a pet dog. Who was the President and what is the son's name?

[Eva Elisabeth]

The doggie looks like a Siberian Husky. The only I found owning a husky was Monroe, but these were unlikely his dog and son (too early...). Wild guess: TR? (No idea which son...)

[RJNorton]

That is sure a good try, Eva, but I am sorry - not correct.

[L Verge]

Child's clothing looks like 1890s?

[RJNorton]

Child's clothing looks like 1890s?

Hint #1: Think earlier.

[L Verge]

A Grant or Garfield child?