www.WoodmereMilitaryCollection.com

Be sure to check out Woodmere's new website for military dinnerware and giftware - www.WoodmereMilitaryCollection.com

Dinnerware and giftware for all branches of the military! Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard.....dinnerware and giftware galore!

NEW WOODMERE ONLINE MAGAZINE - www.AnAmericanSource.com

Please click on the link below to be taken to our new online magazine - An American Source:

www.AnAmericanSource.com

President James Garfield - Our Newest Additon to Woodmere's White House Collection

We are excited to announce our newest presidential addition - President James Garfield - to Woodmere's White House Collection! Developed in collaboration with the Western Reserve Historical Society in Ohio - owners of the original china - this beautiful scroll pattern contains the Garfield family monogram. Since Garfield was actually only president for a few months, this family china is the only china associated with the Garfield administration.

The employees of Woodmere are pleased to bring you this newest addition to Woodmere's White House Collection to you and hope that you will consider adding it to your collection.

Happy Flag Day!

Long May It Wave!

Department of State Collection

I know it seems like all we ever talk about is Presidential china, but we do some pretty cool things for other high levels of our government, too. This is just one plate that we do for the Department of State. We actually have done a wide variety of items for the State Department over the years. Perhaps, we'll showcase more of them here from time to time.

After all....Thomas Jefferson was our very first Secretary of State.....right?

Smithsonian Catalog

Speaking of catalogs, did you see the Smithsonian Catalog that has been out for the past month or so? The folks at The Smithsonian have been working hard and it shows. I don't remember a Smithsonian catalog being so well organized and beautiful, loaded with such great treasures! We really loved the section on art glass and the Gel Bracelets on the back cover are really terrific.

Then....there seems to be a few pieces of china from a certain President Lincoln fellow. VERY nice. And, the book shown just to the right of our Lincoln china is the Barry Landau book "The President's Table" which we have talked about in this column before. It's a great (and fun) read and if you haven't seen this book....why not go to http://www.smithsoniancatalog.com/ and order one now.

Might be a good time to pick up a Lincoln dessert plate - or twelve, as well!

New Woodmere Catalog on It's Way

Here's a 'work-in-progress' version of the new catalog we are working on. This will be our first catalog that will have all our collections in one place. We have wanted to do one of these for some time now, but, it is simply a huge undertaking. However, work is underway and - ideally - you will see this before too long or at least sometime during the summer.

We also are working on a few new products which you will hear about soon. Lots to do to keep us busy these days.

White House Table Service from old book

Here's a photo from an item offered on eBay. It's a page from an old book called "Brown Book of Boston" and this single page (with music printed on the reverse) is being sold online. Truly amazing.

I love that there is this type of interest in a subject so near and dear to us. It's really hard to think of any other type of historical memorabilia that has such a high level of interest. And, let's face it....if you took the presidential component away, many of these patterns would not gain any interest at all. They'd just be old dishes.

Touched By The Hands of The Famous

Heritage Auctions will be auctioning off a special piece in their upcoming May 3rd auction. This beautiful and unusual shaped piece from the china of President James Madison has a handpainted inscription indicating the piece's provenance. From Marie Antoinette to James Monroe to the Madison's....this piece was touched by more than a few famous hands. I have published a copy of the auction house's listing text below.

Bidding is to open at $20,000.

Here's a link to the listing in case you'd like to bid:

http://historical.ha.com/common/view_item.php?SaleNo=6035&LotIdNo=46001&txtSearch=monroe&hdnSearch=true

Originally owned by Marie Antoinette.

James Madison: Perhaps the Most Provenanced Piece of White House China Ever Offered on the Auction Market. This beautiful Paris porcelain pattern is a familiar one to students of White House China. The service was purchased for Madison by James Monroe while he served in Paris as the American Ambassador. Several sources confirm that the original owner was the deposed French Queen Marie Antoinette. The china was originally used by Madison at his Virginia home, Montpelier. But it was brought to Washington in the last years of his presidency, when the White House was being refurbished after being burned by the British in 1814. Nothing seems to have been documented as to the history of this china following Madison's White House years. However, the 1853-dated inscription on the present example states that it was purchased by the wife of yet another American president, John Quincy Adams, upon the death of Dolley Madison. Mrs. Adams subsequently presented it to Mrs. Samuel Wetmore, a prominent New England matron. So here we have a serving dish owned in turn by the famous French queen and three of America's first six presidents!
The inscription appears to be slightly inaccurate, although this is understandable: when it was applied in 1853, both Mrs. Adams and Mrs. Wetmore were deceased, so the story undoubtedly had morphed a little in the telling. Mrs. Adams could not have purchased this piece after Dolly Madison's death, since Mrs. Wetmore predeceased Dolley by several months in 1849. It seems much more likely that the china was sold by the Madisons earlier, as financial difficulties had necessitated the sale of many household furnishings and valuable personal effects. Quite aside from its presidential associations, a fine Paris porcelain set of this quality would have been a valuable asset, probably too much so for Dolley to have been able to retain it till the end. It is more likely that Mrs. Adams obtained this piece directly or from a third party earlier.
We cannot resist the temptation to speculate that Mrs. Adams may have felt a certain smug satisfaction in the acquisition. She might well have first been exposed to the china at White House state dinners between 1815 and 1817, when her husband served as the American Ambassador to Great Britain. John Quincy Adams went on to serve a single term as president from 1825 to 1829, but was defeated for reelection by Andrew Jackson in a bitter campaign. Jackson was, of course, the candidate of Madison's Democrat Party, in whose affairs Madison continued to play an active role at that time. It may have given Mrs. Adams a sense of justice served when Dolley Madison's prized china ultimately came to her.
The present example, an unusual 12" diamond shaped serving dish, has been in the family of the consignor for generations, although there is no record of a connection to the Wetmore family. The consignor's elderly mother remembers it being housed in the same display case which presently accompanies it when she was a little girl, and it was then in the possession of her grandfather (please see this lot listing on our website for additional images). Fears founded in its fragile nature have motivated the family to seek an appropriate new custodian for this historic heirloom.
It is in beautiful condition. A similar, but less provenance, example was sold by Heritage in the March 1, 2008 auction of the Edward C. Gillette Collection, where it fetched nearly $18,000. Because of its unique character we will not set an estimate on this specimen, but will merely open the bidding at $20,000. This lot requires 3rd party shipping.

We're always impressed....

....when others find history - particularly pertaining to Presidential china - interesting and write about it. Someone forwarded a great blog which describes a visit to McCullugh Hall in Morris County, NJ. Some very fascinating pictures and even this beautiful corner cabinet with some Presidential china pieces inside! You can see them just above the drawer.

Here's a link to this very interesting pictorial on the visit to what appears to be a truly beautiful home:

http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/visit-to-macculloch-hall.html

Lincoln China from his Second Term

If you are interested in owning actual Lincoln China, this may be your chance. A click on the link below takes you to a site someone forwarded to us:

http://www.horsesoldier.com/catalog/lchina.html

This is the china that Mary Todd Lincoln purchased from the Philadelphia firm of James Kerr just prior to President Lincoln being assassinated at Ford's Theater. Rather simple in it's design, Mrs. Lincoln may have been looking for something a little less controversial than her celebrated "Solferino" china that is more widely known as the Lincoln china.

The above listing has some very interesting notes on the provenance of these pieces, as well.

However.....if you are interested in spending a little less, then maybe you might take a look at our reproductions of this china. For a link to these, click here:

http://woodmerechina.com/amtreasures_items.cfm?item=43

New American Maxims - President Kennedy

We are thinking about adding these two pieces to our American Maxims collection. What do you think?

President Lincoln's Cottage Blog

Someone emailed us a link to this terrific blog on President Lincoln's Cottage. We always love to find new sources of great information on our presidents and this blog seems especially helpful. Can't wait to go back through some of the earlier posts. And, of course, we always enjoy it when they are speaking about Presidential china!

Great post on Mrs. Lincoln and her penchant for fine dinnerware.

Here's a link to post on Lincoln china and we have added a link to their blog to our list at the right of this page:

http://lincolncottage.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/abraham-lincoln-presidential-china/

Great Seal of The United States of America

I am always impressed when reminded that one of our most popular items is our plate from our

Great Seal of The United States of America collection.

Here's a link to the entire range on our website:

http://www.woodmerechina.com/heritage_items.cfm?item=25

Woodmere Custom China for USS Barry

While not exactly White House china, we did custom china for the U.S. Navy vessel USS Barry recently. This is one more example of government china that our custom decoration department is so terrific at. Woodmere has been doing custom china since its earliest days over 30 years ago.

DID YOU KNOW:  That the U.S. Navy runs the White House 'mess hall' dining room?

The Nation's House: A Day in The Life

Here's link to an interesting article from The Washington Post detailing the comings and goings at The White House in a single day last fall. Making things run smoothly and on time has to be one of the toughest parts to it all.

Take a read:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/20/AR2010022003719.html

White House China Collector Extraordinare: Set Momjian

A great shot of the world's foremost collector of White House china, Mr. Set Momjian. This photo is courtesy of the Deseret News newspaper in Salt Lake City.

Here's a link to the article that has a number of outstanding photos. Check it out:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700009771/Presidential-china-display-in-Salt-Lake-City-offers-an-intimate-view-of-the-White-House.html?linkTrack=rss-32

Utah Honors with Presidential China Exhibit

Old our friend Set Momjian has again taken his terrific display on the road. This time it is an exhibition in Salt Lake City retailer O.C. Tanner that is 'must see'. Momjian's collection is truly a gem and if you ever get the chance, be sure to see it. We've seen no other collection that is as complete and as thorough as the Presidential china collection of Joan and Set Momjian.

Here is a link to the article in the Salt Lake City newspaper:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700009771/Presidential-china-display-in-Salt-Lake-City-offers-an-intimate-view-of-the-White-House.html?linkTrack=rss-30

A Perfect Breakfast

Someone forwarded this picture from the blog of a bed-and-breakfast in Richmond, MAURY PLACE at MONUMENT. What a great idea and I am sure their guests were very impressed! What a memorable way to differentiate this bed-and-breakfast.

They've got some great photos and posts on their blog. Be sure to take a look.

When I am overnighting in Richmond, I know where I am going to stay....I suggest you do the same.

Here's the link to their blog:
http://blog.mauryplace.com/

Happy 110th Birthday, Mr. Lincoln

What a festive night it must have been last night at Delmonico's as the Republican Club of New York celebrated Mr. Lincoln's 110 birthday. Here's link to Taste With The Eyes and see for yourself! Warning, these great photographs are likely to make you hungry!

http://www.tastewiththeeyes.com/2010/02/lincoln-dinner-at-delmonicos-february-12-1900/