After assuming the presidency in April 1789, George Washington quickly began acquiring wares appropriate to the type of entertaining he wished to establish. He supplemented the furnishings Congress provided for him with private purchases, such as two Neoclassical "Silver waiters" and "Tea Trays" he paid New York silversmith Ephraim Brasher for on September 6, 1790. As their name suggests, the oblong trays held tea wares, while the smaller waiters were probably used to serve wine and other beverages in stemmed glasses.