• The Flag of the President, White House Collection
    Arthur E. Dubois
    White House Collection
    flags
    This presidential flag was a new design ordered from Arthur E. DuBois and George M. Elsey by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was a sample submitted for President Harry Truman's approval in August 1945. This flag was first publicly flown on October 27, 1945 when the aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt was commissioned at Brooklyn Navy Yard. The flag presently remains the same except for the addition of two stars to represent Alaska and Hawaii. Although this is the flag of the president's arms, since it lacks the words around the edge, the flag is not a representation of the official Seal of the President. This photograph was taken by William Phillips.
  • Gilded Silver Spoons, Van Buren Administration, White House Collection
    Unknown
    vermeil
    flatware
    White House Collection
    tableware
    These gilded silver spoons were made between 1809 and 1819 and used at the White House during Martin Van Buren's administration from 1837 to 1841. Lavish expenditures for White House furnishings came under scrutiny during Van Buren's presidency, when Pennsylvania Congressman Charles Ogle delivered his famous "Gold Spoon Oration" before the House of Representatives. The photograph was taken by William Phillips.
  • Sugar Spoon, Van Buren Administration, White House Collection
    Unknown
    silver
    White House Collection
    tableware
    This silver sugar or sweetmeat spoon was made circa 1840s and used at the White House during Martin Van Buren's administration. Lavish expenditures for White House furnishings came under scrutiny during Van Buren's presidency, when Pennsylvania Congressman Charles Ogle delivered his famous "Gold Spoon Oration" before the House of Representatives. This photograph was taken by William Phillips.