• Black Walnut Center Table, White House Collection
    Unknown
    White House Collection
    tables
    furniture
    furnishings
    This black walnut table has an intricate marquetry center. It was originally placed in the Green Room and may have been acquired during the redecoration begun by First Lady Lucretia Garfield and completed by President Chester Arthur.
  • Rosewood, Brass, and Hardwood Armchair and Side Chair, White House Collection
    Unknown
    White House Collection
    seats
    furniture
    furnishings
    This armchair and side chair are among a set made of rosewood, brass, and hardwood that were purchased in 1861 for the guest bedroom. These pieces are attributed to the New York cabinetmaker John Henry Belter.
  • Ebony Sofa, White House Collection
    Unknown
    seats
    White House Collection
    furniture
    furnishings
    This ebony sofa with carved, fan-shaped elements in the Japanese manner was part of a suite purchased for the East Room from a Washington firm in 1882.
  • Mahogany Armchair, White House Collection
    Unknown
    White House Collection
    seats
    furniture
    furnishings
    This Rococo Revival mahogany armchair has carved likenesses of Presidents Zachary Taylor and Martin Van Buren. Furniture with carved presidential likenesses is rare and this may have been part of a set that included images of other presidents. The chair was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Morton D. May, Jr. in 1961.
  • Lincoln Bed, Lincoln Bedroom, White House Collection
    Unknown
    beds
    White House Collection
    Lincoln Bedroom
    furniture
    furnishings
    This bed, famously called the "Lincoln Bed" because it was purchased by First Lady Mary Lincoln in 1861 for the principal guest room, is made of rosewood and has an ornately carved headboard featuring exotic birds and clusters of grapes. Though President Lincoln did not sleep in this bed, other presidents did, including Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. First Lady Grace Coolidge also used this piece.
  • Pint Decanters, White House Collection
    Unknown
    White House Collection
    glassware
    serveware
    State Service
    tableware
    These engraved and cut glass decanters were purchased for the White House in 1837 or later to supplement the service that Andrew Jackson ordered soon after taking office in 1829. The decanter on the left would originally have had a stopper much like the one on the right.
  • Pint Decanter with Eagle Insignia, White House Collection
    Unknown
    tableware
    serveware
    insignia
    White House Collection
    State Service
    This engraved insignia appears on a decanter likely ordered in 1837 to supplement the service that Andrew Jackson ordered soon after taking office in 1829. The insignia features an eagle perching on a shield of stars and stripes, above a banner with the motto E Pluribus Unum, meaning "out of many, one." The image is similar, but not identical, to the Great Seal of the United States. Rather than the arrows and olive branch that the eagle holds on the seal, the eagle here poses with a palm frond and a laurel branch. The chief on the shield also contains stars, which are not found on either the Great Seal or the presidential arms.
  • Decanter and Glasses, Taylor Administration, White House Collection
    Unknown
    White House Collection
    glassware
    tableware
    serveware
    drinking cups
    This glassware set, featuring a decanter and three glasses, was created in the United States between 1830 and 1850. President Zachary Taylor and First Lady Margaret Smith Taylor used the glassware during their time at the White House from 1849 to 1850, and one of their grandsons, Captain John Taylor Wood, donated the set to the White House in 1915.
  • Individual Saltcellars, White House Collection
    Unknown
    glassware
    White House Collection
    tableware
    These cut glass salt cellars were purchased for the White House between 1890 and 1900. Because only a few of them appeared on a 1901 inventory of White House glassware, they were likely intended for family, and not formal, use.
  • Cut-Glass Jar with Silver Top, White House Collection
    Unknown
    glassware
    White House Collection
    State Service
    serveware
    This cut glass jar with a silver top was made for the White House in 1901, when William McKinley and then Theodore Roosevelt held office. The silver top is engraved with the words "President's House 1901."
  • Wineglasses with Etching, White House Collection
    Unknown
    White House Collection
    glassware
    drinking cups
    tableware
    State Service
    This set of wine glasses was likely ordered for the White House in 1873, during Ulysses S. Grant's presidency. The glasses are etched with a grape and grapevine pattern that closely resembles the design selected by Andrew Jackson when he purchased a new glassware service for the White House in 1829.
  • Celery Or Berry Dish, White House Collection
    Unknown
    glassware
    White House Collection
    serveware
    State Service
    This cut glass dish, used to hold either celery or berries, was purchased for the White House around 1900, during William McKinley's administration.
  • Claret, Burgundy, Sherry, and Champagne Glasses, White House Collection
    Unknown
    glassware
    White House Collection
    drinking cups
    This glassware set, including claret, burgundy, sherry, and champagne glasses, was purchased for the White House between 1890 and 1900. The glasses feature an engraved Roman border.
  • Wineglass Insignia, White House Collection
    Unknown
    insignia
    glassware
    State Service
    tableware
    This engraved insignia appears on a wine glass possibly purchased in 1845 to supplement the service that Andrew Jackson may have ordered soon after taking office in 1829. The insignia features an eagle perching on a shield of stars and stripes, above a banner with the motto E Pluribus Unum, meaning "out of many, one." The image is similar, but not identical, to the Great Seal of the United States. Rather than the arrows and olive branch that the eagle holds on the seal, the eagle here poses with a palm frond and a laurel branch. The chief on the shield also contains stars, which are not found on either the Great Seal or the presidential arms.
  • Compote, White House Collection
    Unknown
    glassware
    containers
    White House Collection
    tableware
    This cut glass compote was likely ordered for the White House in the 1870s, either by First Lady Julia Grant or First Lady Lucy Hayes.
  • Claret Glass Insignia from Glass Service, White House Collection
    Unknown
    glassware
    tableware
    insignia
    State Service
    drinking cups
    This insignia appears on a claret glass that was ordered for the White House circa 1849. President Andrew Jackson may have first selected the design in 1829, when he ordered a new glassware service for the White House. The glass features a design inspired by the Great Seal, with an eagle standing atop a shield holding arrows and an olive branch, although the shield in this design contains stars in the chief which are not present in either the Great Seal or the presidential arms.
  • Vase, Arthur Administration, White House Collection
    Tiffany and Company
    vases
    White House Collection
    furnishings
    This Tiffany vase is one of a pair placed on the Red Room mantel by Louis Comfort Tiffany during a major redecoration project during the Arthur Administration. They were modeled after a form made at Sevres in France in the early 19th century. This vase has a hand-painted scene of Cupid being locked away for his mischief.
  • Red Embroidery on White Piecework, White House Collection
    Unknown
    textiles
    White House Collection
    furnishings
    This embroidered cotton counterpane, or bedspread, was handmade in the United States in the late nineteenth century. The embroidered images, sewn with red thread, include likenesses of George and Martha Washington surrounded by flora and fauna motifs.
  • Sconce, White House Collection
    Unknown
    lighting
    sconces
    White House Collection
    furnishings
    This electric wall sconce is made of brass and cut glass. It was installed in the Family Dining Room in 1891 when the White House was wired for electricity.
  • Candlesticks from White House Roofing, White House Collection
    National Lumber Manufacturers Association
    candlesticks
    White House Collection
    furnishings
    These wooden candlesticks were made by the National Lumber Manufacturers Association circa 1927. The candlesticks are made from Longleaf Pine wood used to reconstruct the White House roof in 1815 and removed during renovation that took place in 1927, during Calvin Coolidge's presidency. The informational label on the bottom of the candlesticks describes this history. This photograph of the candlesticks was taken by Jim Allen.
  • Chest of Drawers, White House Collection
    Unknown
    White House Collection
    case goods
    furniture
    furnishings
    This rosewood chest of drawers was purchased for the principal guest room during the Lincoln Administration. The chest was part of suite of furniture that accompanied the massive Lincoln bed. The suite included a handsome marble-topped center table made by the famous New York shop of John Henry Belter, known for using strong, bendable laminated rosewood, and by this chest of drawers and a set of chairs also attributed to Belter.
  • Gavel Made from White House Wood, White House Collection
    Unknown
    White House Collection
    souvenirs
    This wooden gavel was made from wood salvaged during the Truman Renovation. Souvenir kits were made from surplus wood, nails, plaster, and bricks removed from the Executive Mansion were sold to the public, usually in the form of kits, as was the case with this gavel. The plaque on the gavel's head authenticates its White House origins. This photograph was taken by Jim Allen.
  • Bookends Fashioned from State Dining Room Brackets, White House Collection
    Unknown
    White House Collection
    furnishings
    renovations
    These pine and plaster bookends were made in 1950. They are fashioned from brackets removed from the White House State Dining Room during a major renovation that took place during the Truman administration. This photograph was taken by Jim Allen.