President's "Other" China" Washington and Lincoln

Speaking of hot presidents..........
When most people think of china associated with Presidents Washington or Lincoln, they typically think of the two famous china designs shown in the heading of this issue of our newsletter. While each of the two designs shown above are well-known and have intriguing histories, there are also other china patterns which were used by our two most famous presidents.

In the case of Washington, one of the most important chinas was the Sevres china he used for state dinners and for entertaining foreign dignitaries. This simple, gold banded china was purchased in February of 1790 from Comte de Mustier, along with other household furnishings. Washington's diary entry for Feb 3rd of that year stated he "fixed on some furniture of the Ministers," which included mirrors, sideboards, and chairs as well as a large service of white Sevres porcelain with gold dentate -dent-de-loup - borders. Washington later added pieces which his secretary, Tobias Lear, secured from other notable French factories "at a substantial discount" from what the Sevres factory wanted to charge. On some of these additional purchases, Washington added his monogram as shown in the picture.

In the case of Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln's penchant for spending was rather well-known and apparently she decided that she and the President needed new china for his recent election to a second term. Perhaps tired of the bad publicity she received with the purchase of the Selforino purple bordered china (commonly known as "the Lincoln china"), she decided on the second, buff-colored border pattern purchased from the Philadelphia firm of James K. Kerr, whose establishment was known as "China Hall". This service was made up of 511 pieces which arrived on February 13, 1865. An additional 46 pieces arrived several weeks later. Hardly had this china been put into use when President Lincoln was assassinated in April of that year. This service is believed to be of French manufacture, but the actual manufacturer is unknown as the original pieces are unmarked, except for common symbols and numerals that were used on various porcelains made during that time.

For more information on Woodmere's Washington State China, please click on this link:
http://www.woodmerechina.com/amtreasures_items.cfm?item=29

For more information on Woodmere's Lincoln Second Term China, please click on this link:
http://www.woodmerechina.com/amtreasures_items.cfm?item=43