Graphics and Calligraphy Office
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The Graphics and Calligraphy Office (GCO) is a unit of the Social Office at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
, the
official residence An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...
of the
president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
. Located in the
East Wing The East Wing of the White House is a two-story structure that serves as office space for the First Lady of the United States, first lady and her staff, including the White House Social Secretary, White House social secretary, White House Graphics ...
, the Graphics and Calligraphy Office coordinates and produces all non-political social invitations, place cards,
presidential proclamations In the United States, a presidential proclamation is a statement issued by the president of the United States on an issue of public policy. It is a type of presidential directive. Details A presidential proclamation is an instrument that: *st ...
,
letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
, military commissions, and official greetings.


Organization

Headed by the White House chief calligrapher, the Graphics and Calligraphy Office officially reports to the White House chief usher, but works more closely with the Social Office, which is headed by the White House social secretary, who is charged with the planning and coordination of official entertainment at the White House.


Official invitations

The design of White House invitations has evolved over time. Dinner invitations going back to the administration of
John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...
, the first president to live in the White House, are archived and have inspired the current invitations. In President Adams' day invitations were letterpress printed with the passage reading "The President of the United States, requests the Pleasure of ______'s Company to Dine, on_____next at ___ o'Clock." Space allowed for the hand-penned insertion of "& Mrs. Adams" if the First Lady was to attend, as well as individual guests' names, and the date and time. A flowing
round hand Round hand (also roundhand) is a type of handwriting and calligraphy originating in England in the 1660s primarily by the writing masters John Ayres and William Banson. Characterised by an open flowing hand (style) and subtle contrast of thick a ...
type of penmanship was used. This style of writing was found in writing manuals in the 18th century. The custom of including a representation of the arms of the United States, by way of an eagle clutching an olive branch and arrows in its talons and a striped shield with stars, became standard on invitations in the early 19th century. By the mid-19th century, the more formal
Great Seal of the United States The Great Seal is the seal of the United States. The phrase is used both for the Seal (emblem), impression device itself, which is kept by the United States secretary of state, and more generally for the impression it produces. The Obverse and r ...
was placed at the head of invitations. The text was engraved in black script, allowing space for the guest's name to be added individually. The Great Seal was engraved in burnished gold. In 1880, President
Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was the 19th president of the United States, serving from 1877 to 1881. Hayes served as Cincinnati's city solicitor from 1858 to 1861. He was a staunch Abolitionism in the Un ...
had a new seal created for the presidency. The new
seal of the president of the United States The seal of the president of the United States is used to mark correspondence from the president of the United States to the United States Congress, U.S. Congress, and is also used as a symbol of the presidency itself. The central design, based ...
shared similarities with the nation's Great Seal. Initially, the new presidential seal was applied to seal documents and the presidential flag. In 1902, President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
had the presidential seal applied to stationery and invitations in lieu of the Great Seal. The style of invitations became codified with few changes to the present.


Official greetings, proclamations and commissions

While much of the work of the Graphics and Calligraphy Office is centered on social events, the office also engrosses official documents including military commissions, presidential awards, appointments, and proclamations.


References


Further reading

* Clinton, Hillary Rodham. ''An Invite to the White House: At Home with History.'' Simon & Schuster: 2000. . * Garrett, Wendell. ''Our Changing White House.'' Northeastern University Press: 1995. .


External links


Official White House website

The White House Historical Association, with historical photos, online tours and exhibits, timelines, and facts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graphics and Calligraphy Office, White House White House White House Executive Residence Operations Social events Ceremonies in the United States State ritual and ceremonies American calligraphers