[Porter, John Addison]:

$500 · Offered by William Reese Company

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CHIEF USHER AND STAFF. A very rare and interesting employment manual for White House staff written by John Addison Porter in 1898, the first person to hold the newly created office of "Secretary to the President." As Secretary to the President, Porter was in charge of the entire public-facing staff of the Executive Mansion and its surroundings, holding a position analogous to a combination of today's White House Chief of Staff and White House Chief Usher. The present booklet outlines the procedures and regulations for ushers and policemen attending to the White House, detailing how many men should be on duty for each shift, how and where they should patrol, and what their other duties might entail. Rules for decorum are also quite strict: in the course of their duty, "Reading and the use of tobacco by ushers or policemen while on duty are prohibited," "tan shoes will not be worn between November 1 and May 1," "Placing of feet on window sills, chairs, heaters, or wainscoting will not be permitted," "Expectoration is prohibited inside the Mansion or outside in close proximity to it," and "House Servants must never be visible in their short sleeves, nor appear otherwise than neatly and completely dressed," among other injunctions. Alongside their other duties, the staff are also asked to "keep a sharp lookout and open the doors of carriages of public men or prominent visitors who come in carriages without footmen," "suppress loud or boisterous talking

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.