The best place to start your research is with Jane Shadel Spillman's White House Glassware: Two Centuries of Presidential Glass (Washington, DC: The White House Historical Association in cooperation with The National Geographic Society and The Corning Museum of Glass, 1989), which covers glassware in the White House from George Washington to Ronald Reagan.
Spillman used primary source materials from the White House.
"I have relied on three primary resources: the glassware collection belonging to the White House, the purchase records preserved from each presidential administration, and the inventories taken during many administrations."
Spillman's book includes photographs and illustrations, as well as end notes that may be useful in further research.
Additional Resources
Books
- Spillman, Jane Shadel. White House Glassware : Two Centuries of Presidential Entertaining /. White House Historical Association in cooperation with the National Geographic Society and the Corning Museum of Glass, 1989.
Articles
- Schneider, Gary. “Presidential Glassware.” Fostoria Glass, 1992.
- President’s House : a New Elegance for the Young Originals by Morgantown. Morgantown Glassware Guild, 1970.
- Albertson, Karla Klein. “An Interview with Jane Shadel Spillman: New Light on the Presidential Glassware.” Antique Review, 1988
Websites
Video
- Everhart Museum. "Bringing Sparkle to the White House: Dorflinger's Presidential Glass." YouTube. Uploaded by Everhart Museum 20 Oct, 2020.
The Rakow Research Library will lend designated books from its collection -- including Spillman's White House Glassware -- and will send copies of articles requested by other libraries. Your local library can request items through the OCLC WorldShare Interlibrary Loan (ILL) system or by direct request through email at ill@cmog.org. For more information, please see our ILL website.
