Name/Title
2012 White House Historical AssociationEntry/Object ID
2015.4.86Description
This ornament is part of the White House Historical Association's series of collectible ornaments. It is the twenty-eighth in the series. The ornament commemorates the administration of William Howard Taft. According to the insert, "A distinguished jurist and effective administrator, President Taft focused on executing the law rather than setting an ambitious legislative agenda during his term. Newsworthy for his large size in his own time and remembered today as our heaviest President, he was 6 feet tall and weighed up to 335 pounds. Stories of his famous bathtub, which could hold four men of ordinary size, and his giant 17-hand saddle horse have become White House lore. William Howard Taft introduced the automobile to White House transportation in 1909, breaking a long Presidential tradition of reliance on horse-drawn vehicles. The 2012. White House ornament celebrates President Taft's adoption of the automobile, his love of manufacture and invention, and his ready acceptance of modernity. The ornament depicts President and Mrs. Taft enroute to deliver Christmas presents. They are seated behind chauffeur George H. Robinson in the White Motor Company's Model M, a seven passenger steam-powered touring car embellished with Great Seal of the United States on the doors. The color, as described at the time, is 'a harmonious blend of subdued greens.' The ornament is made in the United States of highly-polished brass with a coating of nickel finished in 24K gold." The original ornament was on the tree in the Blue Room of the White House during the 2012 Christmas season. A gold cord for hanging the ornament is attached.
The ornament includes an informational insert telling about the ornament and the White House Historical Association.
The ornament is in a green box and has a red velveteen liner. The lid of the box was designed to look like a Christmas gift, with olive green wrapping paper of a diamond design, a red bow in the center, and red ribbon tied in a cross design, with a gold gift tag all printed on the lid. "The White House Historical Association Christmas Ornament 2012" in white lettering appear above and below the bow. The bottom of the box is red with a sketch of the White House in a white oval near the top, and a small white bar code near the bottom and the words "Visit www.whitehousehistory.org or call 1-800-555-2451 Made in the USA" in white between the sketch and the bar code.Collection
ScarmuzziAcquisition
Accession
2015.4.0Source or Donor
Patricia A. ScarmuzziAcquisition Method
Gift