The People’s House? The Reality of Personal Taste in the White House

A talk with Ulysses Grant Dietz at the Woodland Parlor, 60 Woodland Road, Maplewood

Sunday, October 11, 2 pm, followed by a reception at Durand-Hedden

MAPLEWOOD, NJ – October 2026 – Join Durand-Hedden for The People’s House? The Reality of Personal Taste in the White House, a talk with Ulysses Grant Dietz. Dietz will survey how the interiors at the White House have changed from the 1817 rebuilding after the 1814 burning, to the sixty-six years since the Kennedy renovations of 1960. Historical images will underscore the reality that no administration has ever left the White House alone, all making changes to represent their vision of home, and how the president and his family would be represented in the world. 

Dietz worked with the Newark Museum for 37 years, much of that time as the curator of decorative arts. He is the author of books on Victorian furniture, art pottery, studio ceramics, jewelry, and the White House. He is the great-great-grandson of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.

Doors will open at 1:30 pm on Sunday, October 11, and the talk will begin at 2 pm at The Woodland Parlor, 60 Woodland Road in Maplewood. Pre-registration is requested and available at DurandHedden.org. The talk will be followed by a reception with light refreshments at Durand Hedden House, 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood.

Durand-Hedden House & Garden Members should choose Member tickets, with additional event-specific donations always welcome. The event is free for all, but non-members are asked to consider making a donation when getting tickets to support the House, grounds, and our programming. Information on Membership is available on our website. Membership starts at just $25 a year.

Parking for Durand-Hedden House is available on nearby streets.

About Durand-Hedden House and Garden

The Durand-Hedden House and Garden Association is Maplewood’s historic house museum, dedicated to creating engaging and informative educational programs and materials about the local history of Maplewood and surrounding communities, natural history, and other related topics. The House, at 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, is open once a month between September and June. For more information, visit our website at durandhedden.org. To arrange group tours, write to info@durandhedden.org. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Visit our event page and register here.

Flyer (download here).

Upcoming submission due date for "My MAPSO: A Curated Photography Exhibition" at Durand-Hedden House

Submissions due October 16; entries due October 28

The Durand-Hedden House Historic House Museum invites both professional and amateur photographers to submit photographs of sites that are part of the histories of Maplewood and South Orange. Entries must use pre-digital formats, and we encourage the use of nineteenth-century photographic processes. These may include, but are not limited to, pinhole cameras, salt prints, and cyanotypes. Artists may submit up to 3 pieces. Submissions may include prints on paper or fabric, flipbooks, panoramas, or other traditional print formats. There is no entry fee. 

Please send the following to dhhphoto26@gmail.com no later than Friday, October 16, at 5 pm:

·         JPEGS of the photographs

·         a 50-word bio

·         a short note about the photographic process you chose

Please reach out to dhhphoto26@gmail.com with any questions.

Upcoming dates and deadlines:

• Submissions due: Friday, October 16, by 5 pm

• Artwork drop-off: Wednesday, October 28, 4 pm to 7 pm at the Carriage House at Durand-Hedden House (523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood)

• Opening reception: Friday, November 6, 6 pm to 8 pm at Durand-Hedden House

• Exhibition at Durand-Hedden House: Saturday & Sunday, November 7 and 8, 12 noon to 5 pm

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My MAPSO: A Curated Photography Exhibition at Durand-Hedden House, November 7 and 8

Professional and amateur photographers welcome; submissions due October 16; entries due October 28

October 2026 – The Durand-Hedden House Historic House Museum invites both professional and amateur photographers to submit photographs of sites that are part of the histories of Maplewood and South Orange. Entries must use pre-digital formats, and we encourage the use of nineteenth-century photographic processes. These may include, but are not limited to, pinhole cameras, salt prints, and cyanotypes. Artists may submit up to 3 pieces. Submissions may include prints on paper or fabric, flipbooks, panoramas, or other traditional print formats. There is no entry fee. 

Please send the following to dhhphoto26@gmail.com:

·         JPEGS of the photographs

·         a 50-word bio

·         a short note about the photographic process you chose. 

Please reach out to dhhphoto26@gmail.com with any questions.

• Submissions due: Friday, October 16, by 5 pm

• Artwork drop-off: Wednesday, October 28, 4 pm to 7 pm at the Carriage House at Durand-Hedden House (523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood)

• Opening reception: Friday, November 6, 6 pm to 8 pm at Durand-Hedden House

• Exhibition at Durand-Hedden House: Saturday & Sunday, November 7 and 8, 12 noon to 5 pm

Tickets for the Exhibition on November 7 and 8 are available at DurandHedden.org. Durand-Hedden House & Garden Members should choose Member tickets, with additional event-specific donations always welcome. The event is free for all, but non-members are asked to consider making a donation to support the House, grounds, and our programming. Information on Membership is available on our website. Membership starts at just $25 a year.

Parking for Durand-Hedden House is available on nearby streets.

About Durand-Hedden House and GardenThe Durand-Hedden House and Garden Association is Maplewood’s historic house museum, dedicated to creating engaging and informative educational programs about the local history of Maplewood and surrounding communities, natural history, and other related topics. The House, at 523 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, is open once a month between September and June. For more information, visit our website at durandhedden.org. To arrange group tours, write to info@durandhedden.org. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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