Text and photos from LIFE.com, where you can check out more odd social pairings at state dinners. The state dinner dates back to 1874, when Ulysses Grant invited King David Kalakaua of the Kingdom of Hawaii to break bread with him.
Washington - Guests at US President Barack Obama's first state dinner Tuesday night in honour of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were to be treated to a meal that blended both Indian and American elements, flavoured with herbs from the White Hou...
MORRISTOWN -- As far as the folks in Morristown are concerned, there is just as much reason to visit Jockey Hollow as there is to go to Bunker Hill in Boston. There is in fact enough reason to visit all...
It's fascinating to see how presentation and palates have evolved over the years, and how historical context and presidential personality all influence this facet of American showmanship. The Kennedys tout the virtues of aspic, the Franklin Roosevelts scandalized the polite world with an entrée, and George Washington gave new meaning to the phrase "no frills."
"U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth" (The University of North Carolina Press, 383 pages, $30), by Joan Waugh: Anybody remember that gag question Groucho Marx used on his quiz show? Who's buried in Grant's tomb?
One of the historical and cultural treasures owned by the library is our collection of Rogers Groups sculptures. John Rogers created these clay and plaster statues from 1859 to 1892. Known as the “People’s Sculptor,” Rogers’ works were highly prized in his day and have become increasing valuable over time. Each year serious art lovers and collectors of Americana visit the library specifically to ...
The 19th-century American writer Henry Adams said the descent of American presidents from George Washington to Ulysses S. Grant was enough to discredit the theory of evolution. The same could be said of the pantheon of conservative political heroes, which in the last half-century has gone from Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan to Sarah Palin. That refutation may be agreeable to Palin, who doesn ...
