White House Chief Floral Designer

Last updated
White House chief florist Nancy Clarke completes an arrangement of white lilies, white roses, hydrangeas, and limes before a dinner in the State Dining Room. NancyClarkeWHcfd.jpg
White House chief florist Nancy Clarke completes an arrangement of white lilies, white roses, hydrangeas, and limes before a dinner in the State Dining Room.
Assistant White House floral designer Wendy Elsasser adds final touches to a holiday cranberry topiary in the Red Room of the White House. The cranberry topiary is now a 20-year-plus tradition and is placed on the room's gueridon designed by cabinetmaker Charles-Honore Lannuier c. 1810. Wendy ElsasserWH.jpg
Assistant White House floral designer Wendy Elsasser adds final touches to a holiday cranberry topiary in the Red Room of the White House. The cranberry topiary is now a 20-year-plus tradition and is placed on the room's guéridon designed by cabinetmaker Charles-Honoré Lannuier c. 1810.
Conservatories covered the West Colonnade and site of the current West Wing in the 19th century. Westwingconservatoriesc1900.jpg
Conservatories covered the West Colonnade and site of the current West Wing in the 19th century.

The White House chief floral designer is responsible for the planning, design, arrangement, and placement of all floral decorations for the first family, their private entertaining, and official state functions at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. The current chief floral designer is Hedieh Ghaffarian. [1]

Contents

Overview

The chief floral designer heads the White House Flower Shop in the White House basement. The chief floral designer leads a staff of four assistant designers and works with the first lady, chief usher, and White House social secretary to plan arrangements and decorations for state dinners, receptions, and day-to-day placement throughout the ceremonial rooms and Executive Residence. The chief floral designer serves at the president's pleasure and may be appointed, or reappointed, by each administration. [2] The first chief floral designer was Nancy Clarke, who began working at the White House in 1978 during the administration of President Jimmy Carter, first as a part-time volunteer, and eventually becoming full-time permanent staff in 1981 during the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Nancy Clarke served six first families during her 31 years at the White House. She retired on May 31, 2009, and was an author and lecturer until her death in January 2012. [3]

History

During the early republic, the White House used flowers sparingly, initially only in the summer months when in season. Wax fruit and wax, silk and paste porcelain flowers were displayed in the French porcelain and gilt bronze vases purchased by President James Monroe for the White House in 1815. By the mid-1830s, a series of greenhouses were begun on the west side of the White House above the West Colonnade; they continued to be added to on the west, occupying much of the space of the present West Wing. The greenhouses allowed year-round use of potted plants and cut flowers in the White House. At their zenith, the White House greenhouses supplied thousands of potted plants to the White House.

The 1902 renovations of the White House removed the greenhouses and constructed the West Wing and East Wing. Flowers were brought from nearby government greenhouses. With the advent of plane transportation, flowers began to arrive from distant destinations: Florida, Colorado for First Lady Mamie Eisenhower's favored pink carnations, and southern California.

Until the administration of John F. Kennedy, floral arrangements at the White House had been extremely formal in style. Guided by advice from her horticulturalist friend Rachel Lambert Mellon, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy began to use looser and more informal arrangements, many based upon 16th-century Flemish floral and fruit still lifes. China dishes from previous administrations were used as vases, including two 18th-century dessert coolers used by the Madisons. The White House collection of vermeil tableware, previously only on display in the Vermeil Room, was also utilized for arrangements. The position of Chief Floral Designer was established, and Rusty Young was the first to occupy the position, continuing to work into the Johnson and Nixon administrations.

In addition to the ongoing production of fresh-cut floral displays for the White House, the chief floral designer oversees the annual holiday decoration of the house.

White House chief floral designers

NameStart dateEnd date
Nancy Clarke1978/19812009
Laura Dowling 20092015
Hedieh Ghaffarian 2015Present

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Émile Gallé</span> French glass artist and cabinetmaker

Émile Gallé was a French artist and designer who worked in glass, and is considered to be one of the major innovators in the French Art Nouveau movement. He was noted for his designs of Art Nouveau glass art and Art Nouveau furniture, and was a founder of the École de Nancy or Nancy School, a movement of design in the city of Nancy, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floristry</span> Production, commerce and trade in flowers

Floristry is the production, commerce, and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design and arrangement, merchandising, production, display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related supplies to professionals in the trade. Retail florists offer fresh flowers and related products and services to consumers. The first flower shop in the United States opened prior to 1851.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constance Spry</span> British florist and educator

Constance Spry was a British educator, florist and author in the mid-20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floral design</span> Artistic design of flowers and plants for decoration

Floral design or flower arrangement is the art of using plant material and flowers to create an eye-catching and balanced composition or display. Evidence of refined floral design is found as far back as the culture of ancient Egypt. Floral designs, called arrangements, incorporate the five elements and seven principles of floral design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasperware</span> Type of pottery

Jasperware, or jasper ware, is a type of pottery first developed by Josiah Wedgwood in the 1770s. Usually described as stoneware, it has an unglazed matte "biscuit" finish and is produced in a number of different colours, of which the most common and best known is a pale blue that has become known as "Wedgwood blue". Relief decorations in contrasting colours are characteristic of jasperware, giving a cameo effect. The reliefs are produced in moulds and applied to the ware as sprigs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocaille</span> French style of exuberant decoration

Rocaille was a French style of exuberant decoration, with an abundance of curves, counter-curves, undulations and elements modeled on nature, that appeared in furniture and interior decoration during the early reign of Louis XV of France. It was a reaction against the heaviness and formality of the Louis XIV style. It began in about 1710, reached its peak in the 1730s, and came to an end in the late 1750s, replaced by Neoclassicism. It was the beginning of the French Baroque movement in furniture and design, and also marked the beginning of the Rococo movement, which spread to Italy, Bavaria and Austria by the mid-18th century.

Flower delivery is a service in floristry. In many cases it is conducted through websites which allow consumers to browse online catalogues of flowers. They are often delivered to a third party, the recipient of the gift. Historically, these were coordinated through telegraphs and later telephones before the advent of the World Wide Web.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Dining Room of the White House</span>

The State Dining Room is the larger of two dining rooms on the State Floor of the Executive Residence of the White House, the home of the president of the United States in Washington, D.C. It is used for receptions, luncheons, larger formal dinners, and state dinners for visiting heads of state on state visits. The room seats 140 and measures approximately 48 by 36 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermeil Room</span>

The Vermeil Room is located on the ground floor of the White House, the official residence of the president of the United States. The room houses a collection of silver-gilt or vermeil tableware, a 1956 bequest to the White House by Margaret Thompson Biddle. Portraits of American First Ladies hang in the room.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State banquet</span> Banquet hosted by a head of state in their official residence for important guests

A state banquet is an official banquet hosted by the head of state in his or her official residence for another head of state, or sometimes head of government, and other guests. Usually as part of a state visit or diplomatic conference, it is held to celebrate diplomatic ties between the host and guest countries. Depending on time of the day, it may be referred to as a state dinner or state lunch. The size varies, but the numbers of diners may run into the hundreds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floral industry</span>

The floral industry is focused on the production, distribution and sale of flowers for human enjoyment. The floral industry began in the Golden Century of the Netherlands, where flowers were grown on a large scale on vast estates. The industry continues to diversify from the production of cut flowers to the production and sale of plants and flowers in many different forms. The global floral industry market size is estimated to be worth US$ 50040 million in 2022 and is forecast to increase to US$ 58030 million by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate of 2.5% during the review period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Office of the First Lady of the United States</span> Staff accountable to the First Lady of the United States

The Office of the First Lady (OFL) is the staff accountable to the first lady of the United States. The office and its responsibilities, while not constitutionally mandated, have grown as the role of the first lady has grown and formalized through the history of the United States. The Office of the First Lady is an entity of the White House Office, part of the Executive Office of the President. It is located in the East Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White House china</span> Patterns of china for serving and eating food in the White House

The White House china refers to the various patterns of china (porcelain) used for serving and eating food in the White House, home of the president of the United States. Different china services have been ordered and used by different presidential administrations. The White House collection of china is housed in the White House China Room. Not every administration created its own service, but portions of all china services created for the White House are now in the China Room collection. Some of the older china services are used for small private dinners in the President's Dining Room on the Second Floor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of flower arrangement</span>

The history of flower arrangement dates back to ancient Egyptian times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas State Florists Association</span>

The Texas State Florists' Association (TSFA) was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Since its inception, the TSFA has grown into a professional trade association that covers many branches of the floral industry. Its membership base includes a diverse assortment of people in the floral industry, and it is involved in professional services and marketing in support of floral interests, state legislation, and the provision of educational opportunities. It represents the Texas floral industry, and has members in ten additional states. The organization hosts an annual convention, the first of which occurred in 1914. The TSFA sponsors the Texas Certified Florists Program, and publishes a monthly magazine named TEXAS in Bloom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cut flowers</span> Flowers or buds harvested for decoration

Cut flowers are flowers and flower buds that have been cut from the plant bearing it. It is removed from the plant for decorative use. Cut greens are leaves with or without stems added to the cut flowers for contrast and design purposes. These displays improve the quality of the human environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">École de Nancy</span> Art movement based in Nancy, France (1890–1914)

École de Nancy, or the Nancy School, was a group of Art Nouveau artisans and designers working in Nancy, France between 1890 and 1914. Major figures included the furniture designer Louis Majorelle, ebonist and glass artist Jacques Grüber, the glass and furniture designer Émile Gallé, and the crystal manufactory of Daum. Their work was largely inspired by floral and vegetal forms found in the region. The goal of the group was to produce in series ordinary objects, such as furniture, glassware, and pottery, with fine craftsmanship and in original forms, making art objects available for people's homes.

"The Carnation Gold Rush" is a term used by Denver locals, historians and preservationists to represent the period between the 1880s and 1930s when the floriculture industry developed and thrived in Colorado.

Patricia Easterbrook Roberts was an Australian-born floral designer, author, and landscape designer who worked in Australia, England and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiplash (decorative art)</span> Curved linear motif

The whiplash or whiplash line is a motif of decorative art and design that was particularly popular in Art Nouveau. It is an asymmetrical, sinuous line, often in an ornamental S curve, usually inspired by natural forms such as plants and flowers, which suggests dynamism and movement. It took its name from a woven fabric panel called "Coup de Fouet" ("Whiplash") by the German artist Hermann Obrist (1895) which depicted the stems and roots of the cyclamen flower. The panel was later reproduced by the textile workshop of the Darmstadt Artists Colony.

References