Margaret Browfi Klapthor 



WHITE HOUSE CHINA 

 OF THE 



LINCOLN ADMINISTRATION 



In the M.useum of History and Technology 



This article on the china of the iidniinistrcition of President 

 Ahraham Lincoln is intended to be the first of a series of articles 

 on Presidential china based on the collection tn the Smithsonian 

 Institution. From contemporary records in National Archives, 

 newspaper articles and family records it is our hope to assemble 

 material tihich tall ultimately present the story of White House 

 and Presidential china of every administration. Myths and 

 facts surrounding this interesting topic will be examined and 

 presented to assist the many collectors of this porcelain as ivell 

 as others who admire and appreciate its historical interest . 



In this first article, the author describes the efforts of Airs. 

 Abraham Lincoln to acquire porcelain suitable for official enter- 

 taining in the White House. 



The Author: Margaret Brown Klapthor is associate curator 

 of political history in the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of 

 History and Technology. 



WHEN MRS. LINCOLN ARRIVED at the VVhitc Housc Thcodoic R. l)a\ is, who designed the State cliina 



in 1861 she found the pantry sadly deficient in purchased during the administration of President 



elegant tableware to set a State dinner. The last Rutherford B. Hayes, wrote an article, published in 



official State service had been purchased by the the May 1899 issue of the Ladies Home Journal, on 



White House during the administration of President the "Presidential Porcelain of a Century." He 



Franklin Pierce (it is the china known popularly as records that in 1860 he saw the State Dining Room of 



the "red edge" set), and not enough of that was the White House .set up for the formal dinner given 



left to serve a large dinner party. for the visiting Prince of Wales, and that "the dishes 



PAPER 62: WHITE HOUSE CHINA OF THE LINCOLN ADMINISTRATION 111 



