White House china facts for kids
The White House china is the special collection of plates, cups, and dishes used for meals at the White House. This is where the president of the United States lives and works. Different presidents and their families have chosen their own unique sets of china over the years. These special dishes are kept in a room called the China Room at the White House. While not every president ordered a new set, pieces from all the past services are now part of this collection. Some of the older china sets are still used today for smaller, private dinners.
Contents
- White House China Collections
- Monroe's Special China
- Polk's Simple Style
- Lincoln's "Royal Purple" China
- Hayes' Nature-Inspired China
- Harrison's Patriotic Design
- Theodore Roosevelt's Enlarged Set
- Wilson's American-Made China
- Franklin Roosevelt's State Stars
- Truman's Peace Symbol
- Eisenhower's Service Plates
- Johnson's Wildflower China
- Reagan's Bold Red China
- Clinton's White House Views
- Bush's Green and Gold China
- Obama's Modern Tureen
- Trump Service
White House China Collections
Monroe's Special China
In 1817, President James Monroe ordered the very first china set made just for an American president. It was created in Paris, France. This set included dishes for dinner and dessert. It cost about $1,167, which was a lot of money back then!
The plates had a large eagle in the middle, which was a popular design in both France and America. The eagle held a banner that said "E Pluribus Unum", which means "Out of many, one" – America's motto. The dark red border of the plates showed five small pictures representing things like farming, strength, and science. Some people criticized the china because it was made in another country. Even though a law was passed to make White House furniture in America, it took almost 100 years for American companies to make china as fine as that from England and France.
Polk's Simple Style
By 1845, when James K. Polk became president, the White House needed new china. The Polks ordered their set from the same French company that made Monroe's china. This new set, bought in 1846, had 400 pieces and cost about $979.
The dinner plates were simple, with a plain white design and gold edges. This simple look made them very popular with later presidents. They could easily be mixed with other china sets if some pieces were missing. The dessert plates, however, were more colorful. They had a soft green border and pretty flowers.
Lincoln's "Royal Purple" China
The Lincoln china was the first set chosen entirely by a First Lady. Mary Todd Lincoln felt it was important for the White House to look grand, especially during the American Civil War. She wanted to show that America was strong and her husband's government was in charge.
In 1861, Mrs. Lincoln personally picked a china set with a deep purple-red border. It was later called the "Royal Purple" set. It was made in France but bought from a store in New York City. The design featured the American bald eagle above a shield, with the national motto floating in clouds. The main design in the center was the Coat of Arms of the United States. This set was used often during the Civil War years.
Hayes' Nature-Inspired China
The Hayes china set came about by chance. First Lady Lucy Hayes met an artist named Theodore R. Davis. He suggested that the china should feature North American plants and animals. Davis created 130 unique designs for Mrs. Hayes. The order cost $3,120. This beautiful set was first used for a dinner welcoming the new president, James A. Garfield, and his family. Many people liked the design, and it was even copied for others to buy.
Harrison's Patriotic Design
First Lady Caroline Harrison wanted new china that would be "symbolic and meaningful to Americans." She was an artist herself. She placed the Great Seal of the United States in the center of the plates. Around a wide blue band, she designed a pattern of goldenrod and corn, etched in gold. The corn represented her home state of Indiana. The inner border had 44 stars, one for each state in the country at that time.
Mrs. Harrison also oversaw a big renovation of the White House. She added a special china closet to display all the past presidential china sets. Sadly, Caroline Harrison passed away before her new china was delivered in December 1892.
Theodore Roosevelt's Enlarged Set
In the early 1900s, the White House went through a major renovation. The State Dining Room was made much larger to fit over 100 guests. Because of this, a new, bigger set of china was needed. First Lady Edith Roosevelt ordered 1,320 pieces of Wedgwood china. This china was white and featured the Great Seal of the United States. Mrs. Roosevelt also continued Mrs. Harrison's work of collecting and displaying china from earlier presidents.
Wilson's American-Made China
When the Wilsons moved into the White House in 1913, the newest china was from Theodore Roosevelt's time, over ten years old. By 1918, new china was needed. First Lady Edith Wilson wanted to order china made in America. She chose Lenox, an American company.
The Wilson china was designed by Lenox's main designer, Frank Holmes. It had a deep ivory border around a brighter ivory center. It also had two bands of gold with stars, stripes, and other patterns. The dinner plates had deep blue borders. Each of the 1,700 pieces had the Seal of the President of the United States in raised gold. This was the first presidential china to use the presidential seal instead of the Great Seal of the United States. When the china arrived in 1918, a New York newspaper proudly wrote that the White House dining service was now "designed by an American artist, made at an American pottery... and decorated by American workmen." This china was used by several presidents who followed.
Franklin Roosevelt's State Stars
By 1933, many pieces of the Wilson china set were missing or broken. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wanted to order new china to help American workers during tough economic times. The Roosevelts ordered their Lenox china in October 1934.
The design featured a border of 48 gold stars, one for every state at the time. These stars were set against a band of marine blue, a color special to the Roosevelts because the president loved the sea. An inner band of golden roses and feathers, similar to the Roosevelt family crest, completed the look. Lenox worked extra hard to finish all 1,722 pieces in time for a big state dinner in January 1935. For the first time ever, every guest at a White House dinner ate from the same china set.
Truman's Peace Symbol
After a big renovation of the White House from 1948 to 1952, the State Dining Room walls were painted a soft green. The Trumans wanted new china to match this color. In 1951, they ordered 1,572 pieces of Lenox china.
The design had a celadon green border with a gold band and a 24-karat gold rim. It featured a raised gold presidential seal, surrounded by 48 gold stars. After World War II, President Harry Truman had changed the presidential seal. He ordered the eagle's head to turn towards the olive branch (representing peace) instead of the arrows (representing war). The new china followed Truman's updated seal. This set was first used on April 3, 1952, for a lunch with the Dutch royal family.
Eisenhower's Service Plates
During the Eisenhower years, there was still plenty of Truman china. To add to the Truman dinner plates, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower ordered 120 special service plates. These plates were made by Castleton China, Inc., and cost about $3,606. The plates were white, with pure gold medallions on the rims. These gold designs needed eight separate firings in a hot oven to be made perfectly.
Johnson's Wildflower China
By 1966, three years into President Johnson's time, it was decided that new china was needed. On November 8, 1967, the new china order was announced. It would serve 140 guests and cost over $80,000. This was the first china set not bought with government money; an anonymous donor paid for it through the White House Historical Association.
First Lady Lady Bird Johnson worked closely with the designers, Tiffany and Company. Mrs. Johnson was very passionate about making America more beautiful, and she included this idea in the china's design. The china pieces featured the eagle design first used on the Monroe china. The borders of the plates were decorated with over forty different wildflowers found across the United States. The dessert plates even showed the state flower of each of the fifty U.S. states. These flowers were hand-painted, which meant the china wasn't finished until the summer of 1972, during the Nixon presidency.
Reagan's Bold Red China
By the time the Reagans were in office, state dinners had become so large that none of the existing china sets could serve all the guests. First Lady Nancy Reagan ordered a massive set of 4,370 pieces of Lenox china. This was enough for 220 people, nearly twice as many as other recent sets.
The Reagans wanted a design that would stand out in the State Dining Room, which was now painted white. Nancy Reagan worked closely with Lenox designers to create a pattern with striking scarlet red bands, which was her favorite color. The red bands were bordered on each side with etched gold, creating a sparkling contrast with the soft ivory china. The Seal of the President of the United States was in raised gold in the center, partly overlapping the red border. On some pieces, like the service and dessert plates, fine gold crosshatching was added over the red.
The cost of the china, over $209,000, was sometimes criticized. However, it was not paid for by taxpayers but by a donation from a private foundation.
Clinton's White House Views
To celebrate 200 years of the White House, the Clintons ordered 300 place settings in 2000. Each setting had 12 pieces. Unlike earlier sets, the Clinton china had a pale, creamy yellow border instead of a bright main color. Instead of the presidential seal, the center of the plates showed images of the White House itself. Each piece in a place setting had a different picture, showing important parts of the White House, like the East Room or the State Dining Room. This set was first used at a dinner attended by several former presidents and first ladies.
Bush's Green and Gold China
The George W. Bush White House china has a gold rim with a green basket-weave pattern. It also features a gold eagle inspired by history. This set was made by Lenox.
The Bush china was introduced on January 7, 2009, just two weeks before President George W. Bush left office. Two different sets were introduced. The larger set, made by Lenox, had about 4,500 pieces, enough for 320 guests. First Lady Laura Bush chose the soft green pattern because it was versatile and matched well with flowers. The design was inspired by a coffee set that belonged to President James Madison and Dolley Madison.
A smaller set, called the White House Magnolia Pattern, was made by Pickard China in Illinois. It had 75 place settings and was bought for use in the private living areas of the White House.
Obama's Modern Tureen
The Obama state china service, with 3,520 pieces, was introduced on April 27, 2015. It was used the very next day for a state dinner with the Prime Minister of Japan. The edge of most pieces is decorated with textured gold. Inside the rim is a band of "Kailua Blue," a bright blue color inspired by the ocean in President Barack Obama's home state of Hawaii. A thin gold line finishes the decoration.
The dinner and serving plates have a simpler design. Each dinner plate has a narrow gold band on the edge and a wide, undecorated design of pinwheels and fronds on the rim. This raised design was taken from an old china set bought by James Madison in 1806. This raised design is unique to White House china. The service plates have a wide, textured gold rim and the presidential coat of arms in gold in the center.
This set has 320 place settings, with 11 pieces each. For the first time in White House china history, each setting also includes an individual tureen. A tureen is a small bowl that can be used for soups, small main dishes, or desserts, showing a more modern way of dining. Workers spent over a year creating this tureen. The teacup and dessert plate also feature the presidential coat of arms.
First Lady Michelle Obama worked with designer Michael S. Smith to create the china pattern. Planning started in 2011, and White House chefs and staff were consulted. The set was made by Pickard China in Illinois and cost about $367,258. The White House Historical Association, a private group, paid for the purchase.
Trump Service
Melania Trump also worked on a design for a new china set. However, the project was put on hold due to how much it would cost and the time it would take to create.
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