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Does every president and first lady create an official state service?

Though many presidential administrations have commissioned official state services, some have not due to timing, cost, and other factors. For those that did not order an official state service, these administrations are represented in the White House Collection with pieces from their personal services.

President James Monroe ordered the first dinner service created specifically for official use by an American president. Russell & La Farge of Le Havre, France, shipped a dinner and dessert service to the President’s House in fall 1817. While the dinner service received by Monroe in 1817 has not been identified, pieces of the dessert service remain in the permanent collection and it is considered the first surviving official state service for the White House.

Learn more about the history of the White House China here.

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