Rusty Young, floral designer, 1966. White House floral designer Rusty Young uses a variety of colors, patterns, and designs to create a striking arrangement in the Green Room.

White House Historical Association

John Scarfone, calligrapher, 1992. Invitations, menus, place cards, programs, and more are carefully designed and written by the White House calligrapher. Here, John Scarfone prepares the menu for the 1992 state dinner in honor of President Patricio Aylwin of Chile.

George Bush Presidential Library

Calligraphy pen, c. 2004. The tools of a White House calligrapher include 28 pen holders, eight brushes, and so many nibs (special points for the ends of the pens) that one cannot even begin to count them all. The brushes are used for large lettering; changing the nibs allows for a range of lettering styles. Lent by The White House

Menus, 1996, 2001, 2006. Calligraphers often begin a project by making numerous pencil lines on the paper to center the text from top to bottom. They use tracing paper to practice, but then a steady hand must flow gracefully across the page to produce an impeccable work of calligraphic art. Lent by The White House Historical Association