Fifty State Flowers Scarf

For her Fifty State Flowers scarf, Welch took inspiration from the White House china ordered by Lady Bird Johnson from Tiffany & Co. in 1967 that features wildflowers from the United States bordering the dinner plates, and dessert plates painted with state flowers. Most of the flowers on the scarf are clustered in bunches, but Welch placed the Cherokee rose, Georgia’s state flower, alone in the center to honor her own heritage. The scarf debuted on May Day in 1970 at Washington National Cathedral’s annual Flower Mart. 

After Nixon's announcement on August 8, 1974, that he intended to resign the presidency at noon the following day, Betty Ford greeted reporters wearing a Fifty State Flowers cotton shirtwaist dress, a thoughtful choice for the soon-to-be First Lady considering that it represented all states, was based on White House china, and was by an American designer.