Since President James Polk celebrated his birthday earlier this month - on November 2nd he would have celebrated his 212th birthday - we thought it appropriate to mention his beautiful china and comment on the use it got.First of all, when President and Mrs. Polk arrived at The Executive Mansion, most all entertaining ceased. Being a strict Presbyterian, Sarah Childress Polk determined that the Presidency should be dignified and subdued. In addition, the previous Harrison/Tyler administrations had developed a well-earned reputation for lavish parties and frequent public entertainments. The Polks arrived and set about cleaning up the Mansion - both figuratively and literally. Getting rid of old household items through "decayed furniture sales", the Polks began to re-decorate and ended the practice of weekly and daily levees where the public could simply show up and be entertained.
As they set about refurbishing The Executive Mansion, the ordered new china from Edouard Honore in Paris as was the custom of the time. Honore was well known as a producer of the finest porcelain of the day. Ordering what apparently was a stock gold and white dinner service, the Polks had the shield of the United States applied and then added an additional service with a variety of floral subjects in the center. While Honore was a French company, the scrolled scalloping shape of the Polk china was more typical of English styles of the day. This was probably a result of Honore's primary business being to make products suitable to the American market.
A true testimony to their frugal entertaining ways, the Polks were one a the few early presidents to leave office with money set aside from their days in Washington.
To learn more about Woodmere's beautiful Polk china, click on this link:
To learn more about Woodmere's Polk porcelain breakfast plate, click on this link:
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment