PRESS RELEASE from Lenox, Inc.
Contacts:
Bethany Bullard
Shana
Claudio
Lenox, Inc.
Fleishman-Hillard
THE NATION UNITES TO
HONOR
THE
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
One-of-a-Kind
Crystal Hurricane Lamps from Lenox
Will
Be the Official Inaugural Gifts from the American People
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J.,
January
18, 2005
– On January
20th, 2005,
Senator Trent Lott and the
members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
(JCCIC)
will present to the President and Vice President the American people’s
official
gift in honor of their Inauguration. The
gifts, a set of priceless, one-of-a-kind cut crystal hurricane lamps,
were
commissioned by the JCCIC and will be presented on behalf of the nation
to the
President and Vice President at the Inaugural Luncheon following the
swearing
in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
For
the fifth consecutive inauguration, Lenox, Inc., the oldest
and most prestigious maker of crystal and fine china in the United
States, has
had the distinguished honor
of creating the Inaugural gift. From
1989, for President George H. W. Bush through 2001, Lenox created a cut
crystal
bowl for the occasion. For 2005, it was
decided to create a piece that was entirely different.
Working
closely with the JCCIC and Mrs. Trent Lott, Lenox’s
team of craftsmen, including Timothy Carder, Lenox vice president of
design,
and Peter O’Rourke, master glass cutter, created a pair of 18-inch,
full-lead
crystal hurricane lamps, etched with a frieze of the White House, and
featuring
a silver-plated base engraved with the president’s name and the
Inauguration
date. A similar set, featuring the
Capitol building etched in the body of the hurricane, will be presented
to Vice
President Cheney.
“The
Presidential Inauguration is a celebration of our rich
history and our hope for a bright and prosperous future,” stated
Mississippi
Senator Trent Lott (R-MS), Chairman of the
Joint
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. “In
crafting these unique lamps, the
designers at Lenox have again done a wonderful job of capturing that
spirit.”
The
official Inaugural gift was delivered to Senator Lott in Washington
on January
6, 2005. After
working on this project for nearly 1,000 hours, Mr. Carder handed over
the
stunning pieces of craftsmanship at an intimate ceremony held
on Capitol Hill.
For
more than 80 years, Lenox has created fine china
dinnerware for the White House, the vice president’s official
residence, over
300 U.S. Embassies, and more than half of the governor’s mansions. Lenox became the first American china to be
used in the White House in 1918 when President Wilson commissioned the
company
to create a 1,700 piece service bearing the presidential seal in raised
gold. Over the years, Lenox has created
new state services for four additional presidents, Roosevelt, Truman,
Reagan and Clinton that
reflect not only the style of the day but the timeless beauty of
Lenox's
renowned ivory china.
“We
at Lenox have been privileged to serve our country
through the years by creating dinnerware and giftware for our leaders,”
said
Jay Hanauer, chief executive officer, Lenox, Inc. “We take special care
and
pride to create Inaugural gifts befitting the President of the United
States,
and these detailed crystal hurricane lamps are a true testament to
quality and
craftsmanship that have been part of the Lenox tradition for more than
115
years."
Lenox, America’s
tabletop and giftware leader,
based in Lawrenceville, N.J., is
the only full-line American
tabletop and giftware marketer. In
addition to Lenox, Lenox, Inc. also markets Dansk®,
Gorham®
and Lenox Kirk Stieff Collection™.
Together, the brands represent over 450 years of tabletop and
giftware
experience. Visit Lenox at their website
at www.Lenox.com or call
1-800-63-LENOX.
For
media inquiries about the 2005 swearing in ceremonies
and other official proceedings, please contact Thomas J. Basile, Press Secretary, Joint Congressional Committee on
Inaugural Ceremonies.
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