Favorite Lenox China Patterns
Abigail
Adrienne
Allure
Amethyst
Annual Christmas Ornaments
Antique (Clear)
Aristocrat
Autumn
Autumn, The
Barclay (No #)
Belvidere (S314)
Black Royale
Blue Breeze
Blue Brushstrokes
Blue Mist
Blue Pinstripes
Blue Royale
Blue Tree (New Backstamp)
Blue Tree (Old Backstamp)
Boehm Bird Plates
Brookdale
Buchanan
Caribbee
Carolina (Platinum)
Castle Garden (China)
Castle Garden (Crystal)
Chanson
Charleston
Chesapeake
Christmas Trees Around The World Plates
Cinderella (Gold)
Citation (Gold)
Classic Laurel
Colonial Christmas Wreath Plates
Colonnade (Platinum)
Columbia
Country Holly
Country Romance
Cretan
Desire
Dewdrops
Eclipse
Erica (China)
Erica (Crystal)
Essex (Maroon/Smooth)
Eternal
Eternal (Barclay/Older)
Fair Lady
Fairmount
Fancy Free
Flirtation
Fountain
Fresh Meadow
Fruit Groves
Giftware
Glories On Grey
Golden Wreath
Grey Pinstripes
Hamilton
Hancock (Gold)
Harvest
Hayworth (China)
Hayworth (Crystal)
Holiday
Imperial
Interlude
Intrigue
Iris On Grey
Jefferson
Kingsley
Lacepoint
Laurent
Lenox Rose
Liberty
Liners
Lowell (Gold Mark)
Lowell (Green Mark)
Magic Garden
Mansfield (China)
Mansfield (Crystal)
Maywood (China)
Maywood (Crystal)
McKinley
Merriment
Midnight Blossoms
Ming (P16)
Monroe
Montclair (China)
Montclair (Crystal)
Moonspun (China)
Moonspun (Crystal)
Morning Blossom
Mt. Vernon
Musette
Mystic
Navarre (Crystal/Clear)
Noblesse
Olympia (Platinum)
Orleans (Gold)
Patriot
Pavlova
Percussion (Off Edge)
Pine
Poppies on Blue
Princess
Priscilla
Quakertown
Repertoire
Rhodora
Romance (Smooth)
Rose Garden
Rose Manor
Roselyn
Rutledge
Serenade
Silhouette
Sleighride
Snow Lily
Solitaire (China)
Solitaire (Crystal/Older)
Somerset (Newer)
Springdale
Sprite
Starlight
Temple
Temple Blossom
Tuscany
Tuxedo (Gold Backstamp)
Tuxedo (Green Backstamp)
Versailles
Weatherly (China)
Weatherly (Crystal)
Westchester
Westport
Westwind
Wheat
Windsong
Windswept
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Lenox, china to presidents, president’s daughters and the girl next door, was the first
American company to produce large quantities of high quality porcelain china and has been
the standard bearer for American china for 100 years.
Americans have a long history of looking to Europe and Britain for their luxury items for
various reasons. It can be due to the superior quality of an imported item over a
domestic item, but sometimes it is just a matter of tradition. If a young woman's
mother's and grandmother's best fine china was English made then she too might be
predisposed to select English made china.
In the early years, the Lenox China Company had to convince the American consumer that
they were selling a high quality domestically produced porcelain worthy of consideration
for any table. Their product was both beautiful and durable, and the original porcelain
formula was based on a traditional British formula.
The Lenox Company was originally called the Ceramic Art Company, and their wares were
described as American belleek, a parion type ware. (Irish Belleek is still very well
known and collected.) The Ceramic Art Company was founded in 1889. In 1906 the name
was changed to Lenox, after Walter Scott Lenox, one of the company’s founders.
The majority of Lenox patterns have creamy, ivory colored background as opposed to the
pure white bone china background often associated with English china. Typically, belleek
porcelains are produced in the ivory color. Early Lenox customers (1910-1920), had the
option of white or ivory. However in 1918, Woodrow Wilson ordered the first set of china
that was made in the USA for the White House from Lenox. He chose the ivory color, and
this proved to be a very influential decision. Most customers decided to order ivory,
and in 1920 Lenox discontinued white porcelain altogether.
For the most part, white china would not be available to Lenox customers again until
1963 when the company introduced its Oxford bone china line.
Although the Wilson’s were the first presidential couple to order Lenox, they were
by no means the last. President and Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt, President and Mrs. Truman
and President and Mrs. Reagan all commissioned sets of Lenox for the White House.
President Wilson's selection of Lenox as the official state china certainly elevated
the perceived status of Lenox china to the American public. In addition, during World
War 1, there was virtually no china imported into the U.S. Consequently, if a person
wanted to buy new china during the war then domestically made Lenox was the primary choice.
Lenox "Autumn" is one of the most popular Lenox patterns ever made. It is still in production
today and has been since its inception in 1919!
"Autumn" is a good example of a pattern with hand enameling, a technique that helped Lenox
build its reputation for quality hand workmanship. One can literally feel the raised enamel
paint on this pattern.
In addition to fine china, Lenox has made several everyday lines over the years. Possibly
the most durable of all was Temperware, introduced in 1972. The other important everyday
ceramic body, which is still in production, is Chinastone, introduced in 1985.
Crystal is another component of the Lenox business. In 1965, they acquired Bryce Brothers,
a high quality American crystal manufacturer, and the very successful Lenox Crystal business
was born. Years later, Lenox was able to acquire the rights to make the most popular crystal
pattern, Fostoria Navarre. Lenox continues to make crystal today.
Oddly, the circumstance of war that "forced" people to begin to buy Lenox in large
quantities is what began the long love affair that Americans have had with their
Lenox china. The Lenox commitment to the combination of superior durability and
beauty is undoubtedly what has kept families repeat customers for generations.
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