• Clinton Anniversary Service
    Lenox China
    china
    State Service
    tableware
    This selection of the 200th anniversary china was made by Lenox China of Trenton, New Jersey. President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton selected a state service with this design to celebrate the White House's 200th anniversary in 2000. Features in the photo from left to right across the back are a dessert plate, dinner plate, service late, fish plate and a salad plate. In front left to right are a cream soup cup and saucer, a teacup and its accompanying saucer.
  • James K. Polk State Service, White House Collection
    Edouard D. Honoré
    china
    State Service
    tableware
    These French porcelain serving pieces, including a dinner dish, vegetable dish, soup plate, dessert stand, fruit basket, and dessert plate, were made for the White House by Edouard D. Honoré of Paris in 1846. President James K. Polk ordered this pattern for the state service. The pieces feature gilded rims molded in a scroll design and light green details, as well as a version of the shield from the Great Seal of the United States, although this one contains stars in the chief which are not present on the Great Seal or Presidential Seal, and the scroll containing the motto "E Pluribus Unum." The dessert plates also included a large, hand-painted flower.
  • Tricia Nixon's Wedding Place Setting
    Byron E. Schumaker
    President's Dining Room
    Second Floor
    tableware
    place settings
    This photograph of a dinner service place setting featuring Tricia Nixon's china pattern was taken by Byron E. Schumaker on May 8, 1971. The place setting is on a table in the President's Dining Room. The room is located on the Second Floor of the Executive Mansion in the northwest corner. The President's Dining Room was originally a bedroom referred to as the Prince of Wales Room after the 1860 visit of Edward Albert, Queen Victoria's son who would later become King Edward VII. It was not until the John F. Kennedy administration that the room became the President's Dining Room and the main eating room for the First Family. The dining room also features sideboards decorated with pieces of silver and a Zuber & Cie wallpaper depicting scenes from the American Revolution and natural landmarks.
  • Curator Lorraine Waxman Pearce with Visitor in the China Room
    Robert L. Knudsen
    tableware
    staff
    serveware
    State Service
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    This photograph of White House curator Lorraine Waxman Pearce was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on September 21, 1961, during the John F. Kennedy. In the photograph, the curator shows a porcelain plate once owned by President John Adams to a visitor in the China Room. The China Room is located on the Ground Floor of the White House and has been used to display ceramics, glass, and other decorative arts since 1917. The pieces on display are a collection of items used in the White House by first families, including state china services commissioned during a presidency.
  • Curator Lorraine Waxman Pearce with Visitor in the China Room
    Robert L. Knudsen
    tableware
    staff
    certerpieces
    State Service
    Residence staff
    Ground Floor
    China Room
    In this photograph taken by Robert L. Knudsen on September 21, 1961, White House curator Lorraine Waxman Pearce shows a fruit basket from the Abraham Lincoln State Service to an unidentified visitor in the China Room. The China Room is located on the Ground Floor of the White House and has been used to display ceramics, glass, and other decorative arts since 1917. The pieces on display are a collection of items used in the White House by first families, including state china services commissioned during a presidency.
  • Table Settings in the Blue Room for a Dinner in Honor of Governor of Puerto Rico
    Robert L. Knudsen
    tableware
    place settings
    meals
    State Service
    State Floor
    Blue Room
    decorations
    This photograph is of the table settings and flower arrangements in the Blue Room for a dinner held in honor of Governor Luis Muñoz of Puerto Rico. Robert L. Knudsen took the photograph on November 13, 1961, during the John F. Kennedy administration. The table settings feature glassware selected by the Kennedys from the Morgantown Glassware Guild and china from the Benjamin Harrison State Service. The Blue Room is located on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion and is famous for its oval shape, central location, and views of the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial through its South Portico windows.
  • Table Settings in the Blue Room for a Dinner in Honor of Governor of Puerto Rico
    Robert L. Knudsen
    tableware
    place settings
    flowers
    State Service
    State Floor
    Blue Room
    meals
    decorations
    The photograph is a close-up of the table settings and flower arrangements in the Blue Room for a dinner held in honor of Governor of Puerto Rico Luis Muñoz Marín. Robert L. Knudsen took the photograph on November 13, 1961, during the John F. Kennedy administration. The table settings feature glassware selected by the Kennedys from the Morgantown Glassware Guild and china from the Benjamin Harrison State Service. The Blue Room is located on the State Floor of the Executive Mansion and is famous for its oval shape, central location, and views of the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial through its South Portico windows.
  • Table Settings in the Old Family Dining Room
    Robert L. Knudsen
    tableware
    place settings
    State Floor
    Family Dining Room
    flowers
    This photograph of the Old Family Dining Room and table settings was taken by Robert L. Knudsen on December 12, 1961, during the John F. Kennedy administration. From around 1825 to 1962, presidents and their families traditionally dined in the Old Family Dining Room. In 1962 with the addition of a new private family dining room on the Second Floor of the White House, the room was re-purposed for small official dinners, working lunches, and a staging area for state dinners. Located on the State Floor of the White House, the room features architectural details such as elegant plaster work and vaulted ceilings. During the Barack Obama administration, the room was opened to public tours for the first time.
  • Wineglasses and Tulip Champagne Glass, Kennedy Administration
    Morgantown Glassware Guild
    tableware
    drinking cups
    State Service
    glassware
    This glassware was part of a set ordered by President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1961 from the Morgantown Glassware Guild of Morgantown, West Virginia. The purchase of the elegant, simple set ended a long tradition of engraved glassware at the White House. The glassware became widely popular as many Americans purchased the same set for their households.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    flowers
    tableware
    place settings
    This photograph of a table set with stemware and tableware was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    place settings
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    menus
    This photograph of a place setting and menu was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    flowers
    tableware
    place settings
    This photograph of a table set with stemware and tableware was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    place settings
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    menus
    This photograph of a place setting and menu was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    tableware
    flowers
    This photograph of candles and other decor on a dining table was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    This photograph of candles and other decor on a dining table was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    This photograph of candles and other decor on a dining table was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    place settings
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    flowers
    This photograph of a table set with stemware and tableware was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor and flowers inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series, including purple irises.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    place settings
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    This photograph of a table set with stemware and tableware was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    place settings
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    flowers
    This photograph of a table set with stemware and tableware was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor and flowers inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series, including purple irises.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    place settings
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    This photograph of a table set with stemware and tableware was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    place settings
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    flowers
    This photograph of a table set with stemware and tableware was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor and flowers inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series, including purple irises.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    place settings
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    This photograph of a table set with stemware and tableware was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Press Preview Ahead of France State Dinner
    Matthew D'Agostino
    tableware
    place settings
    State Visit
    State Floor
    State Dining Room
    menus
    This photograph of a place setting and menu was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on February 10, 2014 in the State Dining Room. A press preview was held that day to showcase the decor and menu ahead of a State Dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for President François Hollande of the French Republic. The State Dinner was held on the South Lawn on February 11, 2014, in a tent with decor inspired by painter Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
  • Fruit Basket, White House Collection
    Unknown
    centerpieces
    furnishings
    tableware
    This gilded fruit basket was made in France between 1820 and 1830 and belonged to John Tyler, who became president after William Henry Harrison's death in 1841. The basket features two bisque winged angels. It is one of the few objects in the White House associated with Tyler, who held office during an economic depression and did not receive funds from Congress to furnish or maintain the White House. The basket was photographed by Bates Littlehales for the National Geographic Service in March 1962 during the John F. Kennedy administration.
  • Fruit Basket, White House Collection
    Unknown
    centerpieces
    furnishings
    tableware
    This gilded fruit basket was made in France between 1820 and 1830 and belonged to John Tyler, who became president after William Henry Harrison's death in 1841. The basket features two bisque winged angels. It is one of the few objects in the White House associated with Tyler, who held office during an economic depression and did not receive funds from Congress to furnish or maintain the White House. The basket was photographed by Bates Littlehales for the National Geographic Service in March 1962 during the John F. Kennedy administration.