The 2012 Official White House Christmas Ornament pays homage to President William Howard Taft, who, in 1909, pioneered the integration of automobiles into the White House transport, ending the age-old reliance on horse-drawn carriages; it showcases Taft’s penchant for innovation, manufacturing, and forward-thinking embrace of modernity. Beautifully crafted in the United States, the ornament depicts President Taft and First Lady Helen Herron Taft, stylishly seated in the White Motor Company’s Model M – a trailblazing seven-passenger steam-powered touring car, driven by their esteemed chauffeur, George H. Robinson, and adorned with the Great Seal of the United States on the doors, painted in “a harmonious blend of subdued greens” as was contemporaneously described. The ornament is meticulously made from lustrous brass with a nickel coating and a sumptuous 24-karat gold finish, encapsulating not only a pivotal transition in transportation but also the enduring spirit of innovation and progress that President Taft exemplified.