CHEF MESNIER MADE SILICONE MOLD AND BIG BEN CLOCK MODEL, HANDCRAFTED FOR BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR, FOR PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON'S STATE DINNER FOR BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR

CHEF MESNIER MADE SILICONE MOLD AND BIG BEN CLOCK MODEL, HANDCRAFTED FOR BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR, FOR PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON'S STATE DINNER FOR BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR This original two-part Big Ben mold was handcrafted in the White House by hand for President Bill Clintonâ s 800-guest State Dinner in 1998 that celebrated Prime Minister Tony Blair's visit to the United States. The mold was formed by pressing a souvenir model of the famous London clock tower in pate sucree (2) - h:8 w:2.75 in.

Provenance: Private collection of Former White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. First Lady Rosalynn Carter hired Mesnier, who served 26 years under five presidents: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. According to Creating the Sweet World of White House Desserts: A Pastry Chef's Secrets, Mesnier created stunning desserts for more than 40 queens, kings, princes, princesses and heads of state.

Literature: Roland Mesnier and Mark Ramsdell, Creating the Sweet World of White House Desserts: A Pastry Chef's Secrets (Washington, D.C.: The White House Historical Association, 2019), pp. 112-113.