Presidential Glassware

Unique items of presidential history come along now and again. This set of presidential glassware (first and second images) was made by Libbey Glass Co. for the presidential yacht USS Williamsburg in 1945.

Made of clear formed glass, the small cordial glass and the larger dessert dish feature a cut glass coat-of-arms of the president featuring 48 stars in a circle surrounding the presidential eagle as established by Executive Order by President Harry S Truman on October 25, 1945, the first official presidential seal.

Only the Navy Museum in Washington, DC and the Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO (third and fourth photos) have several pieces in their collection, although neither has the dessert dish. According to the Navy Museum, there were only 12 pieces of each made for the USS Williamsburg.

During the time of President Truman, Winston Churchill, Secretary of State George Marshall and other historic luminaries were entertained on trips around the Potomac, Bermuda, the US Virgin Islands and around the Chesapeake.

The USS Williamsburg remained the official presidential yacht from 1945 until it was decommissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 after only one trip.