Andrew Jackson's Cheese Reception Painting
Painting by Peter Waddell
"The Great Cheese. Jacksonian Democracy Enjoys a Special Treat, 1837." President Andrew Jackson was famous for his public receptions, open to all. Some detractors described the crowds as mobs. The receptions were attended by hundreds, from the highest senator to the lowest "rag-a-muffin of the city" climbing in the windows. The centerpiece of this reception was a mammoth round of cheese, weighing 1,400 pounds.