President and Mrs. Hoover’s personally-owned Nippon porcelain dessert plate. Plate measures 7.75″ in diameter, with hand-painted flowers around the edge and center, separated by two decorative borders. Bottom of the plate is marked, “Hand Painted Nippon.” Accompanied by a 1984 letter of provenance on a White House card, by Lillian Rogers Parks, who was a best selling author as well as housekeeper and seamstress at the White House for over 30 years, from President Hoover through President Eisenhower. Letter reads, “This plate was a gift to my mother ‘Maggie,’ from President Hoover in memory of Mrs. Hoover, four years after her death in 1944.” Also included is Parks’s handwritten copy of Hoover’s presentation letter, which reads, “This is just a note to affirm that the china plate was presented to you by Mrs. Hoover and myself with our kind appreciation of your kind and thoughtful service.” At the conclusion, Parks adds, “This is a copy of the original letter.” The original Hoover letter was donated to his library many years ago. In fine condition. Considering that this attractive plate came directly from President Hoover, following the First Lady’s death, it is notable that he personally reached out to this particularly favored White House servant.
