China Room
The China Room is one of the rooms on the Ground Floor of the White House, the home of the president of the United States. The White House's collection of state china is displayed there. The collection ranges from George Washington's Chinese export china to Barack Obama's blue and white themed collection. Almost all administrations are represented with a collection; however, a few are not - most recently, the Trump administration did not have a collection created and instead mainly used the china designed by Hillary Clinton during her time as First Lady.[1] The room is primarily used by the first lady for teas, meetings, and smaller receptions.
McKim refinishing
Until late 1902 when the room was refinished as a public entertainment space during renovations directed by Charles Follen McKim, this room, along with most of the ground floor of the residence, was used for household work and general storage. McKim rebuilt the room with details from the late Georgian period, including robust cove moldings.
The china collection begins
After becoming first lady in 1889,
In 1917, First Lady
Truman and Kennedy periods
During the Truman renovation, 1948–1952, the room's walls were paneled in salvaged pine timbers from the house. Architect William Adams Delano detailed the room with bracket molding of mid-Georgian style. (Unfortunately, the architect did not replicate the depth of the removed Wilson-era cabinets, preventing the inclusion of an important standing punchbowl from the Pierce administration—restored by Mrs. Harrison—in the reconstructed interior; the piece was subsequently displayed in the window of the room.) The Truman-era paneling was left unpainted until the Kennedy administration, when, in 1963, French interior designer Stéphane Boudin (1888–1967) of the Paris-based firm Maison Jansen, had it glazed in three shades of gray, with white detailing; corner brackets included in the display cabinet doors were removed at this time. The interiors of the display cabinets were lined with red cotton velvet, and the floor was covered with a similarly hued "Snowflake"-pattern carpet manufactured by Stark Carpet Corporation. At the single window, gray velvet draperies, trimmed in red and white silk fringe, were installed. An early-19th-century classical marble mantel with female supports replaced the Truman Georgian surround.[3]
Nixon redecoration
The room was substantially redecorated in 1970 by First Lady
China collection
The collection is arranged chronologically, beginning to the right of the fireplace on the east wall. While not every administration created a service, at least minimal amounts of all china services created for the White House are now in the collection. Sizable amounts of some services going back to the early nineteenth century exist and are sometimes used for small dinners in the President's Dining Room on the Second Floor. The Carters favored using pieces of the Lincolns' "solferino" (purple-rimmed) china for special occasions. Although famous for their red and gold service, the Reagans also enjoyed using the Lincoln china. The Clintons did not take delivery of their state service until near the end of President Clinton's second term. They used the Reagan and Truman services extensively for state dinners but favored the Hayes china, depicting American flora and fauna, for small family dinners, especially holidays.
Furnishings
The rug is an Indo-Isfahan carpet from the early twentieth century. A
See also
References
- ^ "There will be no Trump china collection due to cost and time". CNN. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
- OCLC 500849758.
- ISBN 0-442-02532-7.
Further reading
- Abbott, James Archer (2007). The Presidential Dish: Mrs. Woodrow Wilson and the White House China Room. Woodrow Wilson House; National Trust for Historic Preservation. OCLC 500849758.
- Abbott, James Archer; Rice, Elaine M (1998). Designing Camelot: The Kennedy White House Restoration. New York City: Van Nostrand Reinhold. ISBN 0-442-02532-7.
- Freidel, Frank Burt; Pencak, William, eds. (1994). The White House: The First Two Hundred Years. Boston: Northeastern University Press. ISBN 1-55553-170-9.
- Garrett, Wendell D (1995). Our Changing White House. Boston: Northeastern University Press. ISBN 1-55553-222-5.
- Klapthor, Margaret Brown (1999). White House China: 1789 to the Present. New York City: Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0-8109-3993-2.
- Leish, Kenneth W (1972). The White House. New York City: Newsweek. ISBN 0-88225-020-5.
- Monkman, Betty C (2000). The White House: Its Historic Furnishing & First Families. Washington, D.C.: White House Historical Association. ISBN 0-7892-0624-2.
- Monkman, Betty C; Sidey, Hugh S (2001). The White House: An Historic Guide. Washington, D.C.: White House Historical Association. ISBN 0-912308-79-6.
- Morris, Edwin Bateman (1952). Report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. OCLC 1386079.
- Seale, William (1986). The President's House. Washington, D.C.: White House Historical Association. ISBN 0-912308-28-1.
- Seale, William (2001). The White House: The History of an American Idea. Washington, D.C.: White House Historical Association. ISBN 0-912308-85-0.