San Francisco Ceramic Circle
February 17th, 2000 Meeting
"White House China"
SUSAN GRAY DETWEILER
Author and Independent Art Historian
The February meeting of the San Francisco Ceramic Circle will
be held on Thursday, 17th February in the Florence Gould Theater
at the Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, San Francisco.
Entrance is from the West terrace from 7.30pm. The lecture will
start at 8.00pm.
Our speaker will be Susan Gray Detweiler, an author and independent
art historian specializing in the decorative arts. The title of
her Talk is "White House China"
The mini-exhibit will be of Porcelains made for Presidents,
the Powerful, the Rich and the Famous.
About the lecture:
Since George Washington personally selected French and Chinese
porcelains for presidential entertaining, subsequent presidents
have purchased fine and elaborate china wares for use at state
dinners and to impress distinguished gatherings of royalty, heads
of state, diplomats, politicians and celebrities at the nations
first table. This talk will cover the trends in taste and culture
revealed by presidential china and the choice of these wares as
a reflection of personal and national aspirations.
About our speaker:
Susan Gray Detweiler writes and lectures about the history
of ceramics in America and acts as a independent consultant on
decorative arts to museums, historical agencies, historic houses
and private collectors. Her book George Washington's Chinaware
( New York, Abrahams 1982) won the Montgomery award from the
Decorative Arts Society and the Atheneum of Philadelphia literary
award. She has contributed essays to two books George Washington's
Mount Vernon (Monacelli press, 1999) and the 2nd edition of
Official White House China (Abrams, 1999). Susan has lectured
widely and written magazines articles. She is currently working
on a book Presidential Family China due for publication
this year
Future S.F.C.C. programs:
Thursday, 23rd March 2000. "The Dodge Collection of 18th
C. Vincennes and Sèvres Porcelain" by Tracey Albainy,
Associate Curator, European Sculpture and Decorative Art, The
Detroit Institute of Arts
Thursday, 13th April 2000 Jonathan Horne on Early English
Pottery