Vulbus Incognita Magazine

In the late 1940s, then-President Harry S. Truman called for a massive renovation of the White House, which, at 150-years-old, was in dire need of an upgrade.

The result was a comprehensive overhaul, as workers completely gutted the interior, leaving only the mansion's exterior intact.

 National Journal has compiled some of the most stunning photographs from the project, providing a rare glimpse at one of America's most iconic buildings in a state of ghostly upheaval.