This silver flatware was acquired for the White House during James Monroe's administration, from 1817 to 1825. The knives bear an engraving that reads "President's House." The photograph was taken by Bates Littlehales for the National Geographic Service in March 1962 during the John F. Kennedy administration.

This silver flatware was acquired for the White House during James Monroe's administration, from 1817 to 1825. The knives bear an engraving that reads "President's House." The photograph was taken by Bates Littlehales for the National Geographic Service in March 1962 during the John F. Kennedy administration.

This photograph of a table setting was taken in March 1962. The setting includes china from the state service of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and reproductions of flatware purchased during the James Monroe administration. In front of the place setting reserved for President John F. Kennedy is a gilded bronze basket featuring the Three Graces filled with fresh flowers. This piece is attributed to Denière et Matelin of Paris.

These knives were part of a 36-piece flat wear service made for the White House by J. B. Boitin of Paris in 1817, during James Monroe's presidency. The service has since been reproduced for use at state luncheons and dinners. The pearl-handled knives feature a gilded coat of arms.

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.

These spoons were specially made for the White House by Washington, D.C. silversmiths Charles A. Burnett and Jacob Leonard between 1817 and 1830. The mustard spoon on the left was the work of Leonard, while the two salt spoons on the right came from Burnett. Several presidents, including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, patronized these local silversmiths.

These gilded silver forks were made by the William B. Durgin Company of Concord, New Hampshire in 1894. First Lady Frances Cleveland selected the beaded-edge pattern during President Grover Cleveland's second term in office. The Treasury melted down the White House's old, miscellaneous flatware and provided the silver to Durgin to create a new set.

This silver flatware was made by the International Silver Company of Wallingford, Connecticut, between 1926 and 1960. First Lady Grace Coolidge selected the style, known as the "Minuet" pattern, in 1926, and supplements were reordered for fifty years.

This spoon was made by Elizabeth Tookey in London between 1768 and 1769 and originally belonged to Bathurst Skelton, the first husband of Martha Wayles Jefferson. It bears the initials B, M, and S for Bathurst and Martha Skelton. Martha married Thomas Jefferson after Skelton's death, but she died nearly twenty years before Jefferson became president.

This spoon was made by Elizabeth Tookey in London between 1768 and 1769 and originally belonged to Bathurst Skelton, the first husband of Martha Wayles Jefferson. Martha married Thomas Jefferson after Skelton's death, but she died nearly twenty years before Jefferson became president. The engraving on the spoon describes its history.

This silver flatware was used at the White House during James Monroe's administration, from 1817 to 1825. The knives bear an engraving that reads "President's House." The photograph was taken by Bates Littlehales for the National Geographic Service.

This photograph of the place setting for the Attorney General at a state dinner was taken by Ralph Waldo Magee in January 1925, during Calvin Coolidge's administration. The place setting includes a service plate from the Woodrow Wilson state china service, gilded silver flatware, and a Russian-pattern glass goblet and tumbler from the Benjamin Harrison service.

This photograph of a place setting at a dinner in the State Dining Room was taken by Will Brown in January 1998, during Bill Clinton's administration. The setting includes gilded flatware, glassware selected during the John F. Kennedy administration, and a dinner plate from the Dwight D. Eisenhower state service, which featured gilded medallions.

This photograph of the president's place setting at a dinner celebrating the completion of the White House Endowment Fund in the State Dining Room was taken by Will Brown in January 1998, during Bill Clinton's administration. The setting includes gilded flatware, glassware selected during the John F. Kennedy administration, and a dinner plate from the Dwight D. Eisenhower state service, which featured gilded medallions.

This photograph of the president's place setting a state dinner in White House State Dining Room was taken in June 1996, during Bill Clinton's administration. The place setting includes the state dinner service first selected during Woodrow Wilson's administration, gilded flatware, and glassware first purchased during John F. Kennedy's presidency.

This photograph shows a place setting at a dinner celebrating the 200th anniversary of the White House, which took place in the East Room in November 2000. The setting includes glassware from John F. Kennedy's administration, flatware purchased during Grover Cleveland's administration, and the state china service that President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton selected to celebrate the occasion. The service features a depiction of the north view of the White House.