This gilt bronze, cut glass, and glass Argand lamp was reportedly given to First Lady Dolley Madison by one of Napoleon Bonaparte's brothers. English Argand lamps became popular in America after their invention in the 1780s because they produced brighter lighting with less smoke. This lamp was possibly manufactured by Messinger & Son of Birmingham, England. This lamp was a gift of Mrs. Edward W.C. Russell in 1976.

This dinner plate was purchased during the McKinley administration and features a blue-green border and gilt scrolls. The plate was made by Wedgwood of Etruria, England. In 1901, Abby Gunn Baker, a Washington journalist and author, was asked by the commissioner of public buildings and grounds, Colonel Theodore A. Bingham, to study the White House china and write about its history. She identified several plates as having been acquired during McKinley's presidency.

This dessert plate decorated with paintings of sparrows and a bright blue border was not part of an official state service, but was likely used by President Chester A. Arthur. Rather than purchasing a new state service, President Arthur used the Hayes china for state dinners and family meals. However, special china services, such as this plate, may have been used for receptions and afternoon teas or were just ornamental or cabinet pieces for display. The printed mark on the plate’s reverse shows it was most likely part of the 1882 purchase from Tiffany & Co.

This is an English transfer-printed plate. The blue-rimmed porcelain is decorated with an emblem similar to the presidential coat of arms. Other examples of this design were made in brown, green, and black. Such English earthenware plates decorated with views of American places were made for the American market. This plate was not associated with the White House until it was donated to the collection in 1982.

This photograph shows President Jimmy Carter among the world leaders attending a dinner at Buckingham Palace following the third G7 meeting in London in May 1977. The other dignitaries in the photograph include, from left to right, Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau, Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister of Japan Takeo Fukuda, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom James Callaghan, French President Giscard d'Estaing, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Prince Philip of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother of the United Kingdom, President Carter, Prime Minister of Italy Giulio Andreotti, and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Helmut Schmidt.

The Resolute Desk, made by William Evenden, Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham, England, was constructed from white oak and mahogany timbers taken from the HMS Resolute and was presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880. In 1852, the HMS Resolute was part of a British arctic expedition to search for Sir John Franklin, who disappeared while trying to discover the Northwest Passage. The HMS Resolute had been abandoned after being trapped in ice. The American whaler George Henry recovered the ship in 1855, and Congress appropriated the funds to refit it and send it to England as a gift in friendship to Queen Victoria. The Queen reaffirmed that friendship with the construction of this desk after the HMS Resolute was decommissioned. Original designs for the desk featured portraits of Queen Victoria and President Hayes along with side panels featuring arctic scenes and British and American flags. The center panel with the Presidential Coat-of-Arms was added in August 1945. Although similar to the Great Seal of the United States, the Presidential Coat-of-Arms has slight differences in design. This version, designed prior to President Truman’s October 25, 1945 redesign of the Coat-of-Arms, Presidential Seal, and Presidential Flag, depicts the eagle facing to the left.