Dr. Lori Verderame
by Dr. Lori Verderame
Chief calligrapher, Pat Blair, was busy hand-writing place cards for President Donald J. Trump’s first State Dinner. She wasn’t the only one.
President Trump invited President Emmanuel Macron, France’s youngest President at age 39, and approximately 150 guests to the White House for the first State Dinner of the Trump administration on April 24.
Previous administrations hosted large numbers of guests on the White House grounds, sometimes beneath a tent. When it comes to the President and Mrs. Trump, a couple who know a thing or two about hospitality, tents were not discussed. The Trumps decided that this State Dinner would be an elegant, understated, and small affair. The Washington National Opera was the featured entertainment along with a delicious menu prepared by White House Executive Chef, Cristeta Pasia Comerford, a Filipino-American who has been in that position since 2005. Wines, a popular collecting niche today, recall the historic relationship between the United States and France dating back to the American Revolution. One of the wines served at the State Dinner was Domaine Serene Chardonnay Evenstad Reserve 2015 ($68/bottle) made from Dijon’s plants grown in Oregon’s rich soil.
While President Trump likes chocolate cake and President Macron is a discerning eater, the setting for the dinner was the State Dining Room. First Lady Melania Trump, who is so very well-known for her impeccable style, good taste, and fashion sense, organized the event and decided on its many details ushering in both style and grandeur. The decisions of the First Lady in concert with her social secretary, Rickie Niceta and staff ranged from the dinner menu and seating chart to the décor’s color scheme and table linens. The antiques on display for the event included late 19th Century gold and wooden chairs, seasonal centerpieces, Presidential china drawn from two previous administrations, vermeil flatware, gold rimmed etched drinking glasses, and other decorative accessories.
As guests entered the State Dining Room, they walked through Cross Hall. The hall was lined with oversized classical urns hosting Washington’s famous cherry blossoms, an annual sign of spring in our nation’s capital. Visitors flock to Washington each year to see the lovely buds, for the State Dinner, the interior was filled with more than 1,200 cherry blossom branches. The scene was reminiscent of Europe’s promenades as the White House decorations highlighted grand classicism in Western culture.
The State Dinner’s color scheme was cream and gold which should come as no surprise to those who have been watching President Trump working from the Oval Office over the last year or so. Like the gold décor found throughout the grand palaces of Europe and in the Oval Office’s curtains, gold is the color of choice for the Trump White House.
The table settings for the State Dinner included use of the Clinton Presidential china for the baseplate, and pieces from both the President William J. Clinton and President George W. Bush china services for the dinner service. First Lady Melania Trump chose the Bush china which has a green border to highlight each table’s floral centerpieces. China from both the Clinton and Bush services offer a quiet yet elegant feel.
Other pieces on display were from the White House’s famous vermeil collection. The White House’s vermeil collection numbers more than 1,000 pieces of gilt objects including flatware, pitchers, salvers, plates, chalices, and tureens. Gilt silver objects, known as vermeil, have a 1/1000th of an inch of gold overlay atop a base of silver. The White House vermeil collection was bequeathed by Margaret Thompson Biddle during the Eisenhower administration with an undisclosed estimated value. The collection includes works by artisans Paul Storr (1771-1844) and Jean Baptiste Claude Odiot (1763-1850).
Other accessory objects in use during the State Dinner and on display in the State Dining Room were by Tiffany & Company and S. Kirk & Sons of Baltimore, MD adding to the overall ambiance of the event. The floral centerpieces were made of white sweet peas and white lilacs. The table centerpieces were sweet smelling and low to the table top yet grounded by a central candelabra. The arms of the candelabra were positioned above eye level so that as to not disrupt conversations between guests seated at the room’s round tables.
The historic event demonstrated America’s history, position, and style on the world stage. It is certainly also a fine opportunity to view some of our country’s most coveted antiques and collectibles.
Dr. Lori Verderame is the author, Ph.D. antiques appraiser, and award-winning TV personality on the History channel. With a doctorate from Penn State University, vast museum and appraisal experience, Dr. Lori provides expert appraisals and consulting services for art/antiques. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010.