Art at the Table: The Lotos Club State Dinner Tradition

"Founded in New York City in 1870, the Lotos Club is one of the oldest literary and arts clubs in the United States. Lotos became known for its tradition of honoring outstanding men and women from all walks of life with testimonial State Dinners, especially after it began to commemorate these occasions with unique souvenir menus designed by artists and illustrators of the day. Art at the Table is a retrospective of this one hundred fifty-year-old tradition, featuring the art of the menus and the stories behind them. American culture and history are chronicled in these faetes - from the 1879 dinner for Gilbert and Sullivan held during their first American tour, to festivities for Mark Twain, explorer Robert Peary and composer Richard Strauss; from aviator Amelia Earhart and musical theater legends Rodgers and Hammerstein to author Tom Wolfe and entertainers Tony Bennett and Carol Burnett"--