“Dining at the White House: American Presidential China in the McNeil Americana Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art”
Lora Jean Kilroy Center, MFAH 6003 Memorial Drive, HoustonPresented by David Barquist, H. Richard Dietrich Jr. Curator of American Decorative Arts
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Dr. David Barquist, world renowned expert, will chronicle the history of porcelain table wares owned and used by American presidents and their families for public and private dining. As part of the most highly visible household in the nation, the presidential china in the McNeil Americana Collection offers an overview of the changing styles, tastes, and modes of entertaining across four centuries of American history, from George Washington to Ronald Reagan. The lecture will also look at the changes over time in the ceramics available to fashion-conscious Americans, from goods imported from China and Europe to domestically-made products.