Okay, this made me chuckle and wonder whether destroying the portraits of out-going presidents from federal buildings is a standard procedure or something new?

Afraid someone might draw horns on them maybe?

I am sure the answer can be discovered with a little research. Maybe I will do it.

Bush and Cheney portraits will come down at noon Tuesday -- and then be destroyed
Posted by Peter Krouse/Plain Dealer Reporter January 19, 2009 17:52PM
Categories: Breaking News, Inauguration, Real Time News

CLEVELAND -- Portraits of President George W. Bush and Vice President **** Cheney that hang in federal buildings across the land will come down about noon Tuesday, which is when the outgoing administration officially comes to an end.

"We're going to try to get it as close to noon as possible," said Kathy Lease, supervisory property manager for the General Services Administration in Cleveland.

Once removed, the portraits will be destroyed.

Meanwhile, replacement pictures of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, who take their oaths of office at noon, have yet to be printed.

"We were told the Government Printing Office will likely have them done the first week in March," said Lease, who handles the Carl B. Stokes and Howard M. Metzenbaum courthouses.

In all, the printing office expects to produce portraits for 9,000 federal installations, including hospitals and military bases. The public can buy prints of the official presidential portraits by going to bookstore.gpo.gov and clicking on Inaugural 2009. An 8-by-10 is $9 and an 11-by-14 is $12.

But don't bother placing dibs on the Bush or Cheney pictures being removed from the federal buildings. That includes people looking for a keepsake to treasure and those who might want to accentuate the portraits with a moustache or goatee, or worse.

All pictures of the president and vice president are to be "respectfully disposed of," Lease said. The government suggests shredding or recycling.

"They don't want them laying around so people can use them for improper things," Lease said.

The frames can be reused.

THERE BEING SENT TO YOUR HOUSE . THEN 30 40 YEARS YOU CAN TAKE THEM TO ANTIQUES ROAD SHOW..............

I never heard of this before, I would think they would go into other offices, if anyone wanted them, or be stored.

It sounds like there is fear they will be abused by vandels.

Changing the Guard has a different meaning in the UK...its a long and noble act of our Queens Safety

I've never heard of it before either. It seems like such a waste.

Sorry no disrespect to the Queen meant.

It was a quickly titled post.

I was lucky enough to be present for that ceremony when I was just a girl maybe 14 or 15. I hope to get back one day to see it again.

Honestly, why would you store these pictures or even send them to a central repository to be stored. It would be quite expensive to do either. These are not hand painted portraits or even expensive prints. Also, there are easily thousands of them.

Reusing the frames to put the pictures of the new administration seems like a logical cost saving measure.

Okay. That makes sense. The storing would be expensive. I would think they could sell some to collectors and make money that way though.