The ''Resolute'' desk, also known as the Hayes desk, is a nineteenth-century
partners desk
A partners desk, partner's desk or partners' desk (also double desk) is a mostly historical form of desk, a large pedestal desk designed and constructed for two users working while facing each other. The defining features of a partner's desk are ...
used by several
presidents
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
as the
Oval Office desk
Since the construction of the Oval Office in 1909, there have been six different desks used in the office by the president of the United States. The desk usually sits in front of the south wall of the Oval Office, which is composed of three larg ...
, including the five most recent presidents. The desk was a gift from
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
to President
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor ...
in 1880 and was built from the
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
timbers of the British Arctic exploration ship . The desk was created by William Evenden, a skilled joiner at
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century, ...
in
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, probably from a design by Morant, Boyd, & Blanford.
HMS ''Resolute'' was abandoned in the Arctic waterway
Tariyunnuaq in 1854 while searching for Sir
John Franklin
Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through ...
and his
lost expedition. It was found in 1855 floating in
Davis Strait
Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Atlantic Ocean that lies north of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. To the north is Baffin Bay. The strait was named for the English explorer Jo ...
by ''George Henry'', an American
whaling ship
A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales.
Terminology
The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japa ...
. ''Resolute'' was repaired and returned to the United Kingdom as a gesture of goodwill from the United States. The ship was decommissioned in 1879, broken up, and a competition was held to design and build a piece of furniture from its timbers that Queen Victoria could give to the American president. Morant, Boyd, & Blanford won this contest, and this desk was constructed shortly after. Two other furniture pieces were created from the timbers of the ''Resolute'': the Grinnell desk, made for the widow of
Henry Grinnell
Henry Grinnell (February 18, 1799 – June 30, 1874) was an American merchant and philanthropist.
Early life
Grinnell was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on February 18, 1799. He was the son of Cornelius Grinnell (1758–1850) and Sylvia ( ...
, who spent significant sums of money trying to find Sir John Franklin and his ships; and a table made for Queen Victoria's steam-powered yacht .
The ''Resolute'' desk was received at the White House on November 23, 1880, and shortly thereafter was moved to the second floor. It stayed in the President's Office and President's Study until the
White House Reconstruction
The White House Reconstruction, also known as the Truman Reconstruction, was a comprehensive dismantling and rebuilding of the interior of the White House from 1949 to 1952. A century and a half of wartime destruction and rebuilding, hurried reno ...
from 1948 to 1952. After the reconstruction, it was placed in the Broadcast Room where
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
used it during both radio and television broadcasts.
Jackie Kennedy
Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...
rediscovered the desk and had it brought to the Oval Office in 1961. The desk was removed from the White House after the
assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
of President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
, and went on a traveling exhibition with artifacts of the
Kennedy Presidential Library. It was then put on display in the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
. President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
brought the desk back to the Oval Office in 1977, where it has remained since, save that
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
used the
C&O desk
The C&O desk is one of six desks ever used in the Oval Office by a sitting President of the United States. The C&O Desk was used in the executive office by only George H. W. Bush, making it one of two Oval Office desks to be used by only on ...
in the Oval Office but kept the ''Resolute'' desk in the White House.
The desk has been modified twice.
Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
requested the addition of a door with the presidential seal to conceal his
leg braces
Orthotics ( el, Ορθός, translit=ortho, lit=to straighten, to align) is a medical specialty that focuses on the design and application of orthoses, or braces. An is "an externally applied device used to influence the structural and functio ...
and a safe, but it was not installed until 1945, after his death. A
plinth
A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In c ...
was added to the desk in 1961 and replaced in 1986. Many replicas have been made of the ''Resolute'' desk. The first was commissioned in 1978 for a permanent display at the
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighbor ...
in
Boston, Massachusetts, and since then five other
presidential libraries
A presidential library, presidential center, or presidential museum is a facility either created in honor of a former president and containing their papers, or affiliated with a country's presidency.
In the United States
* The presidential libr ...
and many museums, libraries, tourist attractions, and private homes and offices have acquired copies of the desk.
Design and markings
![Resolute desk in Taft study](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Resolute_desk_in_Taft_study.jpg)
The ''Resolute'' desk is built from
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
timbers that were once part of the ship .
The double
pedestal
A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ci ...
,
partners desk
A partners desk, partner's desk or partners' desk (also double desk) is a mostly historical form of desk, a large pedestal desk designed and constructed for two users working while facing each other. The defining features of a partner's desk are ...
is high with a workspace measuring wide and deep.
It weighs .
The desk was created in 1880 by William Evenden, a skilled joiner at
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century, ...
in
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, probably from a design by Morant, Boyd, & Blanford. The desk is decorated with carved moldings and carved floral
swag designs.
There are sets of drawers behind the cabinet doors on each side of the desk pedestals,
and the desktop is covered with red
leather
Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...
. Built at the same time as the Grinnell desk, the two desks together cost 380 pounds ().
A plaque, mounted on the front center drawer, explains the history of the ''Resolute'' and the meaning behind the desk.
This plaque was originally on the back of the desk but from
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
's presidency onwards it has been photographed as being on the front. The underside of all the exterior drawer fronts are stamped "MORANT BOYD & BLANFORD / 91 NEW BOND STREET" and the lock plates are stamped "BY ROYAL / LETTERS PATENT / FOUR LEVERS / SAFETY LOCK / COMYN CHINC & Co."
[Monkman. p. 294.]
Modifications
President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
requested that a panel be installed in the rear kneehole during his presidency.
Roosevelt wore leg braces and was in a wheelchair most of the time due to
polio
Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...
, so wanted the panel added to hide his legs from his visitors, and to conceal a safe placed in the kneehole.
The panel was designed by White House architect
Lorenzo Winslow and constructed out of hard oak by Rudolph Bauss in 1945.
The kneehole panel is hinged, opens up, and features a carving of the
presidential seal. The carved seal depicts the eagle's head facing left, turned towards the
arrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
s in the eagle's
talon
Talon or talons may refer to:
Science and technology
* Talon (anatomy), the claw of a bird of prey
* Brodifacoum, a rodenticide, also known as the brand Talon
* TALON (database), a database maintained by the US Air Force
* Talon, an anti-vehicle- ...
. In 1945 the design of the presidential seal was changed by
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
to have the eagle turned towards the
olive branch
The olive branch is a symbol of peace and victory associated with customs of ancient Greece and connected with supplication to gods and persons in power. It is found in most cultures of the Mediterranean basin and became associated with peace ...
in the right talon instead. This was to have the bird turn away from the symbol of war and towards the symbol of peace. However, the carving on the desk was not changed, making the carving on the desk no longer match the official design.
In 1961, during the
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
administration, a two-inch-tall
plinth
A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In c ...
was installed under the desk to elevate the kneehole and allow the president to sit more comfortably.
This plinth was replaced in 1986 during
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
's administration.
[Sandler. pp. 215-219.] The plinth fits the shape of the desk, sitting flush with the molding above it.
Moving the desk
The Resolute'' desk is constructed as multiple parts and can be broken down for ease of movement. This is evident in a photo taken on January 20, 1993, by
David Hume Kennerly
David Hume Kennerly (born March 9, 1947) is an American photographer. He won the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for his portfolio of photographs of the Vietnam War, Cambodia, East Pakistani refugees near Calcutta, and the Ali-Fraz ...
for
Getty Images
Getty Images Holdings, Inc. is an American visual media company and is a supplier of stock images, editorial photography, video and music for business and consumers, with a library of over 477 million assets. It targets three markets— creative ...
where the tabletop and the two pedestals are visible as separate pieces during the redesign of the Oval Office for
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's presidency.
While the ''Resolute'' desk has resided in the Oval Office since it was returned in 1993 by president Clinton, it has been occasionally disassembled and moved out of the room. Moving the desk out mostly happens during renovations and updates to the space. It was removed in 2005, during the
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
presidency, for a renovation where the flooring of the Oval Office was replaced. It was again removed in 2017 for improvements to the
HVAC system and a general redesign for
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
's presidency.
History
HMS ''Resolute''
In May 1845
Sir John Franklin
Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through t ...
, a British explorer, launched an expedition to find the
Northwest Passage
The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arct ...
. Using two of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
's best ships, and , stocked with enough provisions to last three years, he charted a course through
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay ( Inuktitut: ''Saknirutiak Imanga''; kl, Avannaata Imaa; french: Baie de Baffin), located between Baffin Island and the west coast of Greenland, is defined by the International Hydrographic Organization as a marginal sea of the Arct ...
, located between
Baffin Island
Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadia ...
and the west coast of
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
. The expedition and all 129 crew members
vanished.
["From the Arctic to the Oval Office — the story of HMS Resolute"](_blank)
. Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
. Retrieved December 23, 2020
The fate of the ship was frequently brought up in British press and grew into a cause célèbre. At least one folk ballad was written about the expedition and
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
published an article in
Household Words
''Household Words'' was an English weekly magazine edited by Charles Dickens in the 1850s. It took its name from the line in Shakespeare's ''Henry V'': "Familiar in his mouth as household words."
History
During the planning stages, titles origi ...
down playing scandalous, unfounded reports that were circulating claiming the crew had resorted to cannibalism. Due to the public desire to know what happened a five-ship squadron under
Edward Belcher
Admiral Sir Edward Belcher (27 February 1799 – 18 March 1877) was a British naval officer, hydrographer, and explorer. Born in Nova Scotia, he was the great-grandson of Jonathan Belcher, who served as a colonial governor of Massachuse ...
set out from Britain in 1852 to search for the missing ships and explorer.
["Decorative Arts in the White House"](_blank)
. White House Historical Association
The White House Historical Association, founded in 1961 through efforts of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, is a private, non-profit organization that works to preserve the history of the White House and make that history more accessible to the pub ...
. Retrieved December 21, 2020 , captained by
Henry Kellett
Vice Admiral Sir Henry Kellett, (2 November 1806 – 1 March 1875) was a British naval officer and explorer.
Career
Born at Clonacody in Tipperary County, Ireland, on 2 November 1806, Kellett joined the Royal Navy in 1822. He spent three yea ...
, was joined by , , , and , all under Belcher's command, on the expedition. The ''North Star'' stayed at a supply base on
Beechey Island
Beechey Island ( iu, Iluvialuit, script=Latn) is an island located in the Arctic Archipelago of Nunavut, Canada, in Wellington Channel. It is separated from the southwest corner of Devon Island by Barrow Strait. Other features include Wellington C ...
, while the other four ships split up to search for Franklin.
The ''Resolute'' was constructed expressly as an arctic vessel with a
bow covered in iron to cut through ice. It nevertheless became trapped in ice in April 1854, and the other three ships became stuck soon after. Belcher decided to abandon the four ships, and on May 15, 1854, ''Resolute'' was abandoned in
Tariyunnuaq (what was then called Melville Sound).
The ships' crews marched across the ice to the ''North Star'' back at Beechey Island and later sailed back to England on it and two auxiliary vessels. Belcher was
court-martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
ed for the loss of his ships and the danger he put his crew through during the expedition. He never again received a naval command.
When the ice thawed in the spring, the unmanned ''Resolute'' began drifting south, traveling more than and roughly 7 degrees latitude, where it was spotted in September 1855 in
Davis Strait
Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Atlantic Ocean that lies north of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. To the north is Baffin Bay. The strait was named for the English explorer Jo ...
, off the shores of
Baffin Island
Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadia ...
, by the crew of ''George Henry'', an American
whaling ship
A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales.
Terminology
The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japa ...
captained by James Buddington.
["What is the Resolute Desk and Where did it Come From?"](_blank)
. White House Historical Association
The White House Historical Association, founded in 1961 through efforts of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, is a private, non-profit organization that works to preserve the history of the White House and make that history more accessible to the pub ...
. Retrieved December 21, 2020 The whalers tried to signal the ship, and after it failed to respond four sailors boarded it. They found the ship uninhabited but still stocked.
The ship was listing badly to its
port side
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
and missing its
topmast
The masts of traditional sailing ships were not single spars, but were constructed of separate sections or masts, each with its own rigging. The topmast is one of these.
The topmast is semi-permanently attached to the upper front of the lower ...
. It took several weeks to pump out the water from the ship and get it back to an even keel, but Buddington knew the ship's story and knew he could likely sell it for a large sum when he returned it to dock.
Buddington claimed the right to salvage for HMS ''Resolute'', and sailed it to
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...
, arriving on
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
1855.
This all happened during an especially tense time in
United Kingdom–United States relations
Relations between the United Kingdom and the United States have ranged from close allies to military opponents since the latter declared independence from the former in the late 18th century. The Thirteen British Colonies that seceded from the Ki ...
. Then-President
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
was prepared to go to war with Britain for what would be a third time.
[Serratore, Angela]
"The presidential desk: A brief history"
. ''Curbed
''Curbed'' is an American real estate and urban design website founded as a blog by Lockhart Steele in 2006. The full website, founded in 2010, featured sub-pages dedicated to specific real estate markets and metropolitan areas across the Unit ...
''. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2020. In his third annual message, in 1855, Pierce discussed disputes over fishing rights and the border between
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
and
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...
as well as Britain's territorial claims in South America, which the United States claimed violated the
Clayton–Bulwer Treaty
The Clayton–Bulwer Treaty was a treaty signed in 1850 between the United States and the United Kingdom. The treaty was negotiated by John M. Clayton and Sir Henry Bulwer, amidst growing tensions between the two nations over Central America, a ...
. Regarding the disagreement about Britain's foothold in South America, Britain's then
First Lord of the Admiralty
The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...
stated that "We are fast drifting into war with the United States."
Wealthy American philanthropist
Henry Grinnell
Henry Grinnell (February 18, 1799 – June 30, 1874) was an American merchant and philanthropist.
Early life
Grinnell was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on February 18, 1799. He was the son of Cornelius Grinnell (1758–1850) and Sylvia ( ...
, who had financed an earlier expedition to find Franklin's lost ships to no avail, suggested to the US government that the ''Resolute'' should be refit and sent back to England as a token of goodwill. As a way to help calm tensions between the two countries, a bill was introduced to Congress on June 24, 1856, to authorize the purchase and restoration of the ''Resolute''.
The United States Government bought the ship from Buddington for $40,000 () with plans to return it to the United Kingdom as a gift to Queen Victoria.
On September 12, 1856, the ''Resolute'' was towed to the
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...
, where it underwent a complete refit, repaint, and restock.
[Sandler. pp. 156-157.] The ship set sail on November 13, 1856, out of
New York Harbor
New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...
and arrived in
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
on December 12 of the same year, captained by
Henry Hartstene.
Hartstene, a member of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, had previously taken part in the
Wilkes Expedition
The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...
to study the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...
, and captained a voyage to the arctic to successfully save Dr.
Elisha Kent Kane
Elisha Kent Kane (February 3, 1820 – February 16, 1857) was a United States Navy medical officer and Arctic explorer. He served as assistant surgeon during Caleb Cushing's journey to China to negotiate the Treaty of Wangxia and in the Af ...
who had gone missing on his own search for Franklin. After arriving in England the ''Resolute'' was later brought to
Cowes
Cowes () is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floa ...
Harbour on the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
where Queen Victoria and
Prince Albert boarded the ship and accepted it on behalf of all of Great Britain.
Hartstene, as part of comments about the ship in a speech, expressed his hope "that long after every timber in her sturdy frame shall have perished, the remembrance of the old ''Resolute'' will be cherished."
The ''Resolute'' continued serving in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
for twenty-three years as a supply vessel, but never again left British waters.
[Taylor, Michael]
''Docent Moments. Episode 2: Grinnell Resolute Desk with Michael Taylor''
. New Bedford Whaling Museum
The New Bedford Whaling Museum is a museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States that focuses on the history, science, art, and culture of the international whaling industry, and the "Old Dartmouth" region (now the city of New Bedford and ...
. June 2, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2021.["Will Joe Biden Choose the Resolute Desk?"](_blank)
. Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust. January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021. The ship was decommissioned in 1879 and subsequently broken up in
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham (at its most extensive, in the early 20th century, ...
in
Chatham, England
Chatham ( ) is a town located within the Medway unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Kent, England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Gillingham, Rochester, Strood and Rainham.
The town developed around Chatham ...
in 1880.
Design and construction
![ChathamHDJoiners0070](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/ChathamHDJoiners0070.JPG)
On June 11, 1879, the
British Admiralty
The Admiralty was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy until 1964, historically under its titular head, the Lord High Admiral – one of the Great Officers of State. For much of it ...
launched a competition to design a piece of furniture made from the timbers of the ''Resolute'' which Queen Victoria could gift to the American president.
["International Amenities: Design for a Bookcase and Chimneypiece"](_blank)
. ''The Builder
''Building'' is one of the United Kingdom's oldest business-to-business magazines, launched as ''The Builder'' in 1843 by Joseph Aloysius Hansom – architect of Birmingham Town Hall and designer of the Hansom Cab. The journal was renamed ''Bu ...
''. April 16, 1881. p. 472. Retrieved January 9, 2021.["Design proposal for a secretaire from the timbers of Resolute (1850)"](_blank)
. Royal Museums Greenwich
Royal Museums Greenwich is an organisation comprising four museums in Greenwich, east London, illustrated below. The Royal Museums Greenwich Foundation is a Private Limited Company by guarantee without share capital use of 'Limited' exemption, co ...
. Retrieved January 9, 2021. A January 3, 1880 article in ''
The Builder
''Building'' is one of the United Kingdom's oldest business-to-business magazines, launched as ''The Builder'' in 1843 by Joseph Aloysius Hansom – architect of Birmingham Town Hall and designer of the Hansom Cab. The journal was renamed ''Bu ...
'' described the desired furniture piece as "a magnificent article of furniture, combining writing table, bookshelves &c., ... made out of the ship's timber and sent as a present to the President of the United States."
["A Piece of Furniture for the American President"](_blank)
. ''The Builder
''Building'' is one of the United Kingdom's oldest business-to-business magazines, launched as ''The Builder'' in 1843 by Joseph Aloysius Hansom – architect of Birmingham Town Hall and designer of the Hansom Cab. The journal was renamed ''Bu ...
''. January 3, 1880. Retrieved January 26, 2021. Six firms, including Morant, Boyd, & Blanford and Jackson & Graham, submitted competing designs. Morant, Boyd, & Blanford was chosen to complete the furniture piece.
According to Kelly's London Post Office Directory of 1871, Morant, Boyd, & Blanford were "interior decorators, painters, upholsterers, estate and housing managers, carvers, gilders and cabinet makers" with two locations, one at 91 New Bond Street and the other at 4–7 Woodstock Street. The company was founded by
George Morant and had supplied work for
Thomas Lawrence
Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper at t ...
,
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) was a British Conservative statesman who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835 and 1841–1846) simultaneously serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer ...
, and the Dukes of
Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
,
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
, and
Sutherland
Sutherland ( gd, Cataibh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Its county town is Dornoch. Sutherland borders Caithness and Moray Firth to the east, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire (later ...
. The company also exhibited at the
Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...
, the
Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations
The Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations was a World's Fair held in 1853 in what is now Bryant Park in New York City, in the wake of the highly successful 1851 Great Exhibition in London. It aimed to showcase the new industrial achievements ...
, and the
1862 International Exhibition
The International Exhibition of 1862, or Great London Exposition, was a world's fair. It was held from 1 May to 1 November 1862, beside the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, London, England, on a site that now houses ...
. Queen Victoria granted the company a
Royal Warrant of Appointment
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The royal warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the issuer of ...
in 1840. For the rest of the century, they were seen as one of the preeminent cabinet makers in England.
Morant, Boyd, & Blanford had sent in multiple design drawings for the competition late in 1879 for various furniture pieces that could be constructed, including a large combination bookcase and chimneypiece. This design was created to symbolize the circumstances surrounding the gift of the ''Resolute'' back to England. A bust of
Minerva
Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...
, the first
shipwright
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
in Roman lore, sat in the central
broken pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedime ...
, and reclining figures representing
navigation
Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...
and
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
flanked the bust.
Niche
Niche may refer to:
Science
*Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development
*Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species
*Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...
s on either side of the central columns held busts of Edward Belcher and Henry Grinnell, and directly about the fireplace a carving of a personified "America" hands "
Britannia
Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...
" the ship ''Resolute''.
The
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the United ...
holds the plans for two other proposed designs; a
secretaire and a library table.
["President's Desk"](_blank)
.Royal Museums Greenwich
Royal Museums Greenwich is an organisation comprising four museums in Greenwich, east London, illustrated below. The Royal Museums Greenwich Foundation is a Private Limited Company by guarantee without share capital use of 'Limited' exemption, co ...
. Retrieved January 9, 2021. This library table design was not built, but a December 11, 1880 issue of ''
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper
''Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper'', later renamed ''Leslie's Weekly'', was an American illustrated literary and news magazine founded in 1855 and published until 1922. It was one of several magazines started by publisher and illustrator Frank ...
'' incorrectly presented an engraving of this design as the actual desk presented to the president.
The engraving was made from drawings by H. Biscoe for an earlier ''
Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...
'' article about the proposed design. This early, ornate design for the desk was created on September 9, 1879. It included portraits of both Queen Victoria and then-President
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor ...
.
These portraits were paired with side panels displaying scenes of the arctic and British and American flags along with other highly ornate details and a
Moroccan leather top.
Queen Victoria ordered that three desks be made from the timbers of ''Resolute''. The one that is now known as the ''Resolute'' desk was announced as "recently manufactured" on November 18, 1880.
Built under orders of the
Lords Commissioners of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the ...
, William Evenden was tasked with creating the desk at Chatham Dockyard.
Evenden was a skilled
joiner
A joiner is an artisan and tradesperson who builds things by joining pieces of wood, particularly lighter and more ornamental work than that done by a carpenter, including furniture and the "fittings" of a house, ship, etc. Joiners may work in ...
working in the dockyard's Joiner's Shop,
but very little is known about him. June Drake, Evenden's great-great-granddaughter, wrote in a 2012 letter to the Friends of
Medway Archives that he was born in 1828 in
Rochester, Kent
Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about from London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rainham, Strood and Gillin ...
and worked as a
Freeman
Freeman, free men, or variant, may refer to:
* a member of the Third Estate in medieval society (commoners), see estates of the realm
* Freeman, an apprentice who has been granted freedom of the company, was a rank within Livery companies
* Free ...
of Rochester at Chatham Dockyard. Drake said she believed Evenden to be well educated, as his mother was a schoolmistress and his two brothers had gainful employment; his younger brother was a master shipwright and naval architect in
Devonport, Plymouth
Devonport ( ), formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889. Devonport was originally one o ...
, while the other became a mining pioneer and Magistrate in
Thornborough, Queensland
Thornborough is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Thornborough had a population of 9 people.
It rose to prominence in the 1870s as a gold mining town in the Hodgkinson Minerals Are ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Drake said she was unsure why Evenden was chosen to build the ''Resolute'' desk, but suggested that his brother in Devonport may have suggested Evenden for the job. According to Drake, Evenden committed suicide in 1896 after "being distraught at the thought of being unemployed and maybe entering the
workhouse
In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...
."
[Drake, Jun]
"William Evenden and the Resolute Desk"
. ''The Clock Tower''. Issue Number 25. Friends of Medway Archives. February 2012. pp. 11-12. Retrieved January 17, 2021. She surmised that is likely the reason there is not much information about him. He was buried at Chatham Cemetery, but his grave can no longer be found.
Arrival in America
On August 26, 1880, Victor Drummond, the British ambassador to Washington, wrote a letter to
William M. Evarts
William Maxwell Evarts (February 6, 1818February 28, 1901) was an American lawyer and statesman from New York who served as U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Senator from New York. He was renowned for his skills as a li ...
,
Secretary of State for the US, informing him of Queen Victoria's upcoming gift of the new writing table as well as its history. The crate containing the desk arrived in New York on November 15, 1880, by steamship and arrived at the White House on November 23.
The first note written on the desk was by Hayes on the day the desk arrived at the White House to
George Bancroft
George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts and at the national and internati ...
where he noted, "It gives me great pleasure to say that I do it in the first note written on the desk made from the timbers of the Resolute sent by Queen Victoria for the President."
The desk has since been referred to by the name of the ship it was crafted from, the ''Resolute'' desk, or by the name of the president that accepted the gift, the Hayes desk.
The December 11, 1880, issue of ''Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper'' praised the desk's beauty (albeit with the previous design pictured) and declared how it represented a major step forward in
British–American relations.
Use as a presidential desk
![Jules Cambon signs Treaty of Paris, 1899](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Jules_Cambon_signs_Treaty_of_Paris%2C_1899.JPG)
After receiving the desk, President Hayes placed it in the
Green Room
In show business, the green room is the space in a theatre or similar venue that functions as a waiting room and lounge for performers before, during, and after a performance or show when they are not engaged on stage. Green rooms typically have ...
, one of the three state parlors on the first floor of the White House. It was on view here as an exhibition for tourists and visitors until Hayes ordered the desk be taken upstairs to his office on the second floor.
[Seale. pp. 494, 1111.] At this time, the second floor of the White House acted both as the
first family
First Family is an unofficial title for the family of a republic's head of state. A first family usually consists of: the head of state, the first spouse and their children.
Related terms
The term ''second family'' is often used to refer to t ...
's living quarters and as the President's Office.
What are now the
Lincoln Bedroom
The Lincoln Bedroom is a bedroom which is part of a guest suite located in the southeast corner of the second floor of the White House in Washington, D.C. The Lincoln Sitting Room makes up the other part of the suite. The room is named for Presi ...
,
Lincoln Sitting Room
The Lincoln Sitting Room is a small sitting room located next to the Lincoln Bedroom on the second floor of the White House. It was used as the White House telegraph room from 1865 to 1902 (until the West Wing was built). It is furnished in Vi ...
, and
Treaty Room
The Treaty Room is located on the second floor of the White House, the official residence of the president of the United States. The room is a part of the first family's private apartments and is used as a study by the president.
History
Befor ...
were the president's main working spaces with the
Yellow Oval Room
The Yellow Oval Room is an oval room located on the south side of the second floor in the White House, the official residence of the president of the United States. First used as a drawing room in the John Adams administration, it has been used ...
used as the president's library or a family parlor.
[Seale. p. 690.] After the desk was moved to these offices by Hayes in 1880, it traveled from room to room, based on presidents' needs, for the next twenty-two years.
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
used it in his office and library in what is now the Yellow Oval Room for both of his non-consecutive terms,
William McKinley
William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...
used the desk often in the Presidential Office and had a bouquet of flowers placed upon it every day, and Theodore Roosevelt used it in the President's Room, today's Lincoln Bedroom.
The desk stayed in the President's Office until the office was moved to the newly built
West Wing
The West Wing of the White House houses the offices of the president of the United States. The West Wing contains the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, the Situation Room, and the Roosevelt Room.
The West Wing's four floors contain offices for ...
in 1902, during
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
's presidency.
After the
McKim, Mead, & White renovations to the White House,
Edith Roosevelt
Edith Kermit Roosevelt ( née Carow; August 6, 1861 – September 30, 1948) was the second wife of President Theodore Roosevelt and the First Lady of the United States from 1901 to 1909. She also was the Second Lady of the United States in 1901 ...
moved the ''Resolute'' desk to the former cabinet room, now the Treaty Room, to create a Den, or President's Study, for her husband.
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
also used the ''Resolute'' desk in this room. Wilson and his wife called the center drawer on one side of the desk "The Drawer" as it was where important communications and papers were placed if something happened between the closing time the day before and that morning.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
turned the Yellow Oval Room into his Oval Study, where both he and
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
used the ''Resolute'' desk.
Roosevelt kept the desk covered in personal mementos and, when entertaining visitors, would show off his bartending skills, which he was proud of, by personally mixing drinks atop the desk. His specialty was a
dry martini
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. A popular variation, the vodka martini, uses vodka in ...
. While the desk was in use in the Oval Study, President Roosevelt requested that a panel be installed in the rear kneehole, but it was not installed until 1945 after Roosevelt had died.
![Broadcast Room on Ground Floor of White House-03-1952](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Broadcast_Room_on_Ground_Floor_of_White_House-03-1952.jpg)
The White House saw a
major reconstruction under Harry S. Truman between 1948 and 1952 where the entire interior of the building was rebuilt.
The president moved his family to
Blair House
Blair House, also known as The President's Guest House, is an official residence in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The President's Guest House has been called "the world's most exclusive hotel" because it is primarily used ...
during this reconstruction. The move out began on November 9, when the president left for a trip to
Key West
Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...
, with staff being given only two weeks to completely empty the building of furnishings. Blair House was already furnished but some White House elements were installed in the next door Lee House which was connected to Blair house during this move. The rest of the items had to be stored. The
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
stored some books, the
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...
housed some of the art, and the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
stored a few additional pieces. Most objects though were shipped up to New York to be stored in the climate controlled vaults owned by
B. Altman and Company.
Charles T. Haight, who ran the interior design department at Altman, charged the government only the at-cost rate for storage, $85 a month ().
Charles T. Haight was awarded for storing the furnishings at such a low cost by being invited to do the interior design for the newly constructed White House rooms.
On June 19, 1951, Haight presented a color drawing of his design for the old kitchen, later known as the Broadcast Room and now the
Office of the Curator, to Congress'
Commission on Renovation of the Executive Mansion. These plans included heavy traverse draperies in dull gold, a
chenille rug, a pine table and cabinet removed from the White House after the 1814
Burning of Washington
The Burning of Washington was a British invasion of Washington City (now Washington, D.C.), the capital of the United States, during the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812. It is the only time since the American Revolutionary War that a ...
, black leather sofas and chairs, small tables, two new end tables, two new coffee tables and "The large desk which was originally in the President's Study" per minutes from a meeting of the Commission. Here, in the Broadcast Room, the ''Resolute'' desk was used during both radio and television broadcasts by
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
.
![Stanley Tretick photo of John F](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Stanley_Tretick_photo_of_John_F._Kennedy_Jr._in_desk.jpg)
In 1961
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
was the first president to use the desk in the Oval Office.
The
Theodore Roosevelt desk was used briefly by Kennedy in the presidential office, but
Jacqueline Kennedy
Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A po ...
had it replaced by the ''Resolute.'' She was disappointed by the interior design of the White House when she moved in, stating that it "looked like it's been furnished by discount stores", and called it "that dreary Maison Blanche."
Her desire to update the interior, however, was not immediately embraced by politicians. This changed with the forming of the Fine Arts Committee for the White House, later replaced by the
Committee for the Preservation of the White House
The Committee for the Preservation of the White House is an advisory committee charged with the preservation of the White House, the official home and principal workplace of the president of the United States. The committee is largely made up of c ...
, in February 1961 with a stated goal of finding "authentic furniture of the date of the building of the White House and the raising of funds to purchase this furniture as gifts for the White House."
Jacqueline Kennedy worked with the committee, including its chair
Henry Francis du Pont
Henry Francis du Pont (May 27, 1880 – April 11, 1969) was an American horticulturist, collector of early American furniture and decorative arts, breeder of Holstein Friesian cattle, and scion of the powerful du Pont family. Converted into ...
, first
White House Curator
The White House Office of the Curator is charged with the conservation and study of the collection of fine art, furniture and decorative objects used to furnish both the public and private rooms of the White House as an official residence and a ...
Lorraine Waxman Pearce, and interior designer
Sister Parish
Sister Parish (born Dorothy May Kinnicutt; July 15, 1910 – September 8, 1994) was an American interior decorator and socialite. She was the first practitioner brought in to decorate the Kennedy White House, a position soon entrusted to French i ...
, to find objects that were suitable for the historic building, and physically searched the White House for valuable items hidden away. She discovered that four
Cézanne paintings originally intended for the White House were instead on display in the
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...
; she found 100-year-old busts in a downstairs men's bathroom; and after moving aside electrical equipment in the Broadcast Room, she uncovered the ''Resolute'' desk.
When Jacqueline Kennedy discovered the desk, it was covered and obscured by green
baize
Baize is a coarse woollen (or in cheaper variants cotton) cloth, similar in texture to felt, but more durable.
History
A mid-17th-century English ditty—much quoted in histories of ale and beer brewing in England—refers to 1525:
Hops, her ...
attached to it with
Scotch Tape. The desk was being used to prop up camera equipment when films were shown in the Broadcast Room, and the baize was apparently there to protect it from the equipment. The discovery of the desk was announced in a White House press release titled "Discovery of the Table Desk from H.M.S. ''Resolute''" on February 6, 1961, and led to a front-page article about the desk in the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' the next day.
The article explained the choice to move the desk to the Oval Office as, "Feeling that the desk, with its connection with the sea, would perfectly complement the naval battle scenes and the model of the ''Constitution'' which she already had secured at her husband's suggestion, Mrs. Kennedy has given the desk to the president and it was placed in his office on Saturday, Feb. 4."
Kennedy also wanted the ornate desk to be the most visible of the desks used by her husband.
President Kennedy was said to be "delighted" by the return of the desk to "a place of honor in the White House."
It was moved into the Oval Office and, according to the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
, the desk "gained national prominence when President Kennedy's son, John, was photographed crawling through its trap door."
["Historic Desk Loaned to President Carter"](_blank)
. Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
. 1977. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
President Kennedy had a taping system installed in the Oval Office which was designed and installed by Robert Bouck, a
Secret Service
A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For ...
agent, in July 1962.
["The President's Secret Tapes"](_blank)
. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighb ...
. Retrieved January 3, 2021. A microphone was located in the kneehole of the ''Resolute'' desk, and a button was installed under the desk for Kennedy to turn it on and off at will. A second microphone was disguised on the coffee table in the same room. Kennedy was the first president to make extensive use of recording as a means to document meetings, selectively recording over 238 hours of conversation between recording systems in both the Oval Office and Cabinet Room. This system was unknown to most of Kennedy's top aides until it was revealed during the
Watergate hearings
The Senate Watergate Committee, known officially as the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, was a special committee established by the United States Senate, , in 1973, to investigate the Watergate scandal, with the power to inve ...
in 1973.
![SIA-OPA-1121 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/SIA-OPA-1121_%28cropped%29.jpg)
After Kennedy's
assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...
,
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
did not move into the Oval Office for several days, possibly at the request of
Robert Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...
. He finally did begin using the room on November 26, 1963, and had the ''Resolute'' desk replaced with the
Johnson desk, the desk that he had used throughout his time in the Senate and as vice president.
["Artifacts in the Oval Office"](_blank)
. Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, also known as the LBJ Presidential Library, is the presidential library and museum of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president of the United States (1963–1969). It is located on the grounds of t ...
. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
On February 12, 1964, the ''Resolute'' desk was transferred, on loan, to the Smithsonian Institution.
Under a law passed in 1961, the White House is considered a museum. Any donated items are property of the White House but cared for by the Smithsonian when not in use.
After being placed on loan the desk went on tour around the country between 1964 and 1965 to help raise funds for the
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917–1963), the 35th president of the United States (1961–1963). It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighb ...
.
This traveling exhibit visited 27 American cities and 15 European ones including
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
and
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, both
Communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
capital cities. On the American leg of the exhibit, it visited
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
during the
1964 Democratic National Convention. When it traveled to
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, 45,000 visitors were estimated to have viewed the desk in a single day. After this tour, the desk was put on view at the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
beginning in 1966.
The desk was originally displayed as an exhibit in its own right at the National Museum of History and Technology, now the
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...
, with the independent exhibit opening on November 16, 1967, but it was later displayed as part of one of the five major
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...
exhibits the museum curated.
[''Smithsonian year: 1975''](_blank)
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
. 1975. pp. 195-197. Retrieved December 22, 2020. The "We the People" exhibition, which the desk was displayed in, opened on June 4, 1975, and focused on the American people and American government.
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
returned the ''Resolute'' desk to the Oval Office in 1977.
On the afternoon of his
January 20 inauguration, Carter made his first visit as president to the Oval Office. He later said he "...sat down at the President's desk and looked it over. It was a surprise to see that it was not the same one which had been photographed when John Kennedy was there, with his little son peeping out from the door underneath. My first decision: to replace this desk with the one I remembered." The next morning over breakfast he chose the ''Resolute'' desk from a set of images of desk options.
Besides moving the ''Resolute'' desk back into the Oval Office, the Carters also established a trust fund to purchase American Art for a permanent collection in the White House. White House Curator
Clement Conger noted that "The Carters really were surprisingly interested in American art and antiques... They were better informed than any president and first lady that I've known in this half century." The ''Resolute'' desk has been used by every president since in this room except for
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
who used it for five months in the Oval Office before moving it to his Residence Office in the
Treaty Room
The Treaty Room is located on the second floor of the White House, the official residence of the president of the United States. The room is a part of the first family's private apartments and is used as a study by the president.
History
Befor ...
of the White House.
Bush used the
C&O desk
The C&O desk is one of six desks ever used in the Oval Office by a sitting President of the United States. The C&O Desk was used in the executive office by only George H. W. Bush, making it one of two Oval Office desks to be used by only on ...
in the Oval Office instead.
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
returned the ''Resolute'' desk to the Oval Office on his first day as president on January 20, 1993.
In 2009, British Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chance ...
visited President Barack Obama and gave him the original framed commissioning papers for and an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the anti-slavery ship . ''Gannet'' began its service the same year that ''Resolute'' was broken up and the pen holder was made in the same Joiners Shop as the ''Resolute'' desk.
Obama also found himself in a minor controversy when in 2013 photographs were released showing him with his foot resting on the ''Resolute'' desk. Multiple other presidents have also been photographed with their feet up on the desk.
A failed attempt to switch out the ''Resolute'' desk with the
Hoover desk was made during the transition to
Joe Biden's presidency.
Valerie Biden Owens
Valerie Biden Owens (November 5, 1945) is an American political strategist, campaign manager and former educator. She is the younger sister of Joe Biden, the 46th and current President of the United States. In 2016, president Barack Obama nom ...
, the sister of president
Joe Biden and a member of the team tasked with redecorating the Oval Office for Biden's tenure, wrote in her memoir, "We tried to get FDR's Oval Office desk — I wanted everything Trump had touched out of there — but to this day, the desk resides at FDR's family home in Hyde Park. ... Thus, the desk Trump had sat behind remained."
A
button to call aides was noted as being on the ''Resolute'' desk since at least the George W. Bush presidency. This button sits in an approximately long by wide wooden box marked with a golden presidential seal.
[Sims, Cliff]
''Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House''
. St. Martin's Publishing Group
Bedford/St. Martin's is an American publishing company specializing in humanities college textbooks. Bedford/St. Martin's is part of the Bedford, Freeman, and Worth Publishing group owned by the Macmillan Publishers, which is in turn owned by t ...
. 2019. . p. 78. Donald Trump stated to one reporter that "everyone thinks it is
he_nuclear_button.html"_;"title="nuclear_button.html"_;"title="he_nuclear_button">he_nuclear_button">nuclear_button.html"_;"title="he_nuclear_button">he_nuclear_button.
_Timeline
Below_is_a_table_with_the_location_of_the_desk_from_1880,_when_it_arrived_in_America,_to_the_present_day._Each_tenant_of_the_desk_is_noted_as_well.
_Other_items_made_from_HMS_''Resolute''
Queen_Victoria_had_a_total_of_three_tables_built_from_the_timbers_of_HMS_''Resolute'',_of_which_the_desk_given_to_President_Hayes_was_one._According_to_letters_listed_in_Volume_40_of_the_Parliamentary_Papers,_two_"memorial_tables"_made_out_of_timbers_from_the_''Resolute''_were_announced_as_"recently_manufactured"_by_Robert_Hall_to_the_Lords_Commissioners_of_the_Treasury_on_November_18,_1880._Hall_said_that_both_tables_were_to_be_presented_by_the_Queen,_with_one_going_to_the_president_of_the_United_States_and_the_other_given_to_the_widow_of_Henry_Grinnell_
Henry_Grinnell_(February_18,_1799_–_June_30,_1874)_was_an_American__merchant_and__philanthropist.
_Early_life
Grinnell_was_born_in__New_Bedford,_Massachusetts_on_February_18,_1799.__He_was_the_son_of_Cornelius_Grinnell_(1758–1850)_and_Sylvia_(_...
._Four_days_later,_on_November_22,_a_second_letter_described_how_the_Queen_has_"expressed_a_desire_to_have_a_table_manufactured_out_of_the_same_timbers"_and_that_it_was_subsequently_made_by_Morant,_Boyd,_&_Blanford_for_a_cost_of_62_pounds_().