PRESS RELEASE from the Lenox Group Inc.
Contact:
Marianne
McGovern
Elizabeth Taggart
Lenox, Inc.
Fleishman-Hillard
(267)
525-5278
(212)
453-2129
marianne_mcgovern@lenox.com
elizabeth.taggart@fleishman.com
For
Immediate Release:
The Nation Unites to
Honor the New President and Vice
President
One-of-a-Kind Crystal
Bowls from Lenox will be the
Official
Inaugural
Gifts from the American People
Bristol, PA, January 12, 2009 –
For the sixth
consecutive inauguration, Lenox Group Inc., has created the official
Inaugural
gifts from the American people, given to the President-elect and Vice
President-elect of the United States. On January 20, 2009,
President-elect Barack
Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will be presented
with priceless,
custom-made, one-of-a-kind engraved crystal bowls at the Inaugural
Luncheon
following the swearing in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. These stunning
gifts were
offered to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
(JCCIC),
by Lenox, and the design was approved by the committee.
Lenox Group Inc., the
oldest and most prestigious maker of crystal and fine china in the
United
States, has designed and created the Inaugural gift for the incoming
President
since George H. W. Bush in 1989. For each Inauguration, the Lenox team
of
experts works for more than a hundred hours to create a gift that
encapsulates
the spirit of the American people and the new presidency. Unique gifts
have
been created for George H. W. Bush Senior in 1989, Bill Clinton in 1993
and
1997, and for George W. Bush in 2001 and 2005.
"The
inauguration of a new president is one of the most solemn and
ceremonial
moments in our nation's history,” said Senator Feinstein (D-Calif.),
Chairman
of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
“Lenox, a great American china company, has
once again created a beautiful gift that captures the beauty and
dignity of
this truly special occasion.”
After working on
this project for more than 100 hours with master glass-cutter Peter
O’Rourke,
Timothy
Carder, Lenox Vice President of Design, handed over the stunning pieces
of
craftsmanship at an intimate ceremony held on Capitol Hill. The
official
Inaugural gifts were delivered to Senator Dianne Feinstein in
Washington on
January 12, 2009.
“We knew six months ago that no matter how
people voted on November 4, this was going to be a historic new
administration,”
said Timothy Carder. “It was a conscious decision to return to the
original
design of the crystal bowl. We wanted to welcome the newly elected
President
and Vice President into office with a classic and beautiful piece that
truly embodies
the energy and excitement felt by the American people.”
The Presidential
crystal bowl shows a stunning image of the White House, flanked by
cherry trees
on either side. The Vice Presidential crystal bowl depicts the Capitol
building, also flanked with blooming cherry trees on either side.
Rotating the
bowls 360 degrees provides dreamlike panoramic views of both American
landmarks
from different angles through the trees. The two bowls were created
using a
combination of etching and hand cutting. Each bowl rests on a hand-cut
crystal
plinth with faceted cuts, made of optical crystal and is engraved. The
President’s bowl is engraved with President Obama’s name, “The
Presidential Inauguration”
and “January 20, 2009.” A similar bowl
will be presented to Vice President Biden.
“It is a great privilege to create the
Inaugural gift from the American people for the incoming President and
Vice
President,” said Marc Pfefferle, Chief Executive Officer of Lenox, Inc.
“For 20
years, we have been honored with this responsibility and our revered
design and
glass cutting artists always respond with a unique and meaningful
creation.”
For 90 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 five additional
presidents
– Roosevelt, Truman, Reagan, Clinton
and George W. Bush – that reflect not only the style of the day, but
the
timeless beauty of Lenox's renowned ivory china.
About Lenox Group Inc.
Lenox Group Inc. is a market leader in quality tabletop, giftware and
collectibles. The company markets its
products primarily under the Lenox®, Dansk®, Gorham®,
and Department 56 brands. Together,
these brands represent more than 480 years of tabletop and giftware
experience.
Visit Lenox at their website at www.Lenox.com
or call 1-800-63-LENOX.
# # #
