February 12th is President Abraham Lincoln's birthday and I have set a place for him at my table!
I have always loved the history represented by all the White House China patterns. Several years ago my daughter bought me an ornament at Mary Todd Lincoln's birthplace.
I then discovered that other reproductions were available and started collecting! Unfortunately, the company that manufactured these reproductions closed, so I now rely on eBay and antique shops.
A little about the Lincoln China: it features a band of purple-red called "solferino," which was all the rage in the 1860's. This china was from President Lincoln's first term. There was a different service ordered for his second, but the Lincolns hardly used it because he was assassinated two months after it was delivered.
The color Solferino has an interesting history. It is named after a village in northern Italy where a battle was fought in 1859. The dye for this purplish-red shade was discovered in this village in the same year.
I found the dessert/salad plate on eBay and the dinner plate in a local antique shop. Now to find the cup and saucer at a good price!
Monday is Presidents' Day and I am getting a table ready with several Presidential patterns!
Here is another antique store find - a pitcher with all the Presidents from Washington to Lyndon Johnson.
I will be sharing this post with Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch.
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