Symbols of the Presidency

Along with a bust of George Bush, here you'll find a long list of titles George Herbert Walker Bush had over the course of his life.

Here you can see a portrait of George Bush, painted by Ron Sherr; a large crystal Presidential Seal; and a portrait of Barbara Bush, painted by Chas Fagan.

A detailed look at the Presidential Seal. The modern Presidential Seal was authorized by President Harry S. Truman on October 25, 1945, and revised by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1960 after the additions of states Alaska and Hawaii. On the seal, the eagle holds an olive branch with 13 olives and 13 leaves to represent peace, and 13 arrows to represent war. The ribbon in the eagle’s mouth bears the motto of the U.S., “E Pluribus Unum,” which means, “out of many, one.” The circle of 50 stars celebrates each of the 50 states, while the repeated use of the quantity of 13 pays homage to the original colonies.

Much about the Presidential Limo is classified, but we do know that the bullet proof windows are several inches thick, the tires contain wheel inserts that will keep the car moving even if there’s a flat, the remote starter has a bomb-detector, the fuel tank is self-healing, and there are layers of Kevlar under the car’s sheet metal from top to bottom. “The Beast,” as it is known, also has supplemental oxygen. All work on the car is supervised by the United States Secret Service and all ground services are coordinated by the U.S. Army.