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WHITE HOUSE CHINA
The proud day has arrived at last when the United States is the possessor
of a White House state dining service which was designed by an American artist,
was made from American clay at an American pottery, burned at American kilns
and decorated by American workmen. From the largest dish to the smallest,
every piece of this new china, which has just been delivered at the White
House, is American made.
It has been no secret that many of our Chief Executives in the past have
wanted to place American made china in the President's house. When President
and Mrs. Grant ordered the state service of their selection they borrowed the
mauve borders of the Monroe china and they added a bunch of American wild
flowers to decorate each piece of the set. Mrs. Hayes went much further with
the French china which she used in selecting the state dining set of her hus-
band's Administration. She gave Theodore Davis the order to decorate each
individual dish with some illustrations of the flora and fauna of the United
States-and the most elaborate and florid set the White House ever possessed
resulted.
Mrs. Harrison made the design of the American corn and the golden rod
for the dishes of the state dining set of her selection. In 1902 when the
White House was restored by President Roosevelt he determined that the china
which
was
to
be purchased then for the new state dining room must be a home
product and for several months he swept the country from Maine to Texas and
from Florida to California to find a pottery which was equipped to take the
Executive order for a state dining set.
At that time it was simply out of the question. There were no American
kilns producing china of the quality required. Eventually President and
Mrs. Roosevelt selected Wedgewood china with Colonial decorations. This
china has been the state dining set from that day to this and has been in
continuous uso all the fifteen intervening years.
When, some two years ago, it was found that a new state dining set would
have to be ordered President and Mrs. Wilson did what several of their pre-
decessors had done under similar circumstances-they began a search for an
American pottery that could produce a set of china of a quality to justify
its acceptance for the White House. To find such a service from an American
pottery was not easy.
As far as can be determined with any degree of certainty less than half
the Presidents of the United States during their term of office have ordered
state dining sets for the Executive Mansion. This ware constitutes a part of
and holds a place of its om in the history of our country. It was this
thought which led Mrs. Roosevelt to establish the White House collection of
Presidential china. The collection was got together by the writer, who, at
Mrs. McKinley's invitation, had made a study of the historical furnishings
of the White House.
In the course of the years the White House collection outgrew the small
black walnut cabinets which Mrs. Roosevelt had placed in the lower corridor
of the mansion and two years ago Mrs. Wilson set aside the large and sunny
room at the foot of the stairway of the main corridor and designated it for
the china used by the Presidents.
The largest of the three cabinets which now display the collection in
this room represents the Administrations from President John Quincy Adams
through that of President Arthur, from 1825 to 1881. The central panel con-
tains the Lincoln china, Haviland make, which is decorated with the well
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Context sent to Scholar
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"ocrText": "WHITE HOUSE CHINA\nThe proud day has arrived at last when the United States is the possessor\nof a White House state dining service which was designed by an American artist,\nwas made from American clay at an American pottery, burned at American kilns\nand decorated by American workmen. From the largest dish to the smallest,\nevery piece of this new china, which has just been delivered at the White\nHouse, is American made.\nIt has been no secret that many of our Chief Executives in the past have\nwanted to place American made china in the President's house. When President\nand Mrs. Grant ordered the state service of their selection they borrowed the\nmauve borders of the Monroe china and they added a bunch of American wild\nflowers to decorate each piece of the set. Mrs. Hayes went much further with\nthe French china which she used in selecting the state dining set of her hus-\nband's Administration. She gave Theodore Davis the order to decorate each\nindividual dish with some illustrations of the flora and fauna of the United\nStates-and the most elaborate and florid set the White House ever possessed\nresulted.\nMrs. Harrison made the design of the American corn and the golden rod\nfor the dishes of the state dining set of her selection. In 1902 when the\nWhite House was restored by President Roosevelt he determined that the china\nwhich\nwas\nto\nbe purchased then for the new state dining room must be a home\nproduct and for several months he swept the country from Maine to Texas and\nfrom Florida to California to find a pottery which was equipped to take the\nExecutive order for a state dining set.\nAt that time it was simply out of the question. There were no American\nkilns producing china of the quality required. Eventually President and\nMrs. Roosevelt selected Wedgewood china with Colonial decorations. This\nchina has been the state dining set from that day to this and has been in\ncontinuous uso all the fifteen intervening years.\nWhen, some two years ago, it was found that a new state dining set would\nhave to be ordered President and Mrs. Wilson did what several of their pre-\ndecessors had done under similar circumstances-they began a search for an\nAmerican pottery that could produce a set of china of a quality to justify\nits acceptance for the White House. To find such a service from an American\npottery was not easy.\nAs far as can be determined with any degree of certainty less than half\nthe Presidents of the United States during their term of office have ordered\nstate dining sets for the Executive Mansion. This ware constitutes a part of\nand holds a place of its om in the history of our country. It was this\nthought which led Mrs. Roosevelt to establish the White House collection of\nPresidential china. The collection was got together by the writer, who, at\nMrs. McKinley's invitation, had made a study of the historical furnishings\nof the White House.\nIn the course of the years the White House collection outgrew the small\nblack walnut cabinets which Mrs. Roosevelt had placed in the lower corridor\nof the mansion and two years ago Mrs. Wilson set aside the large and sunny\nroom at the foot of the stairway of the main corridor and designated it for\nthe china used by the Presidents.\nThe largest of the three cabinets which now display the collection in\nthis room represents the Administrations from President John Quincy Adams\nthrough that of President Arthur, from 1825 to 1881. The central panel con-\ntains the Lincoln china, Haviland make, which is decorated with the well"
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