Behind the Resolute Desk.

The iconic president’s desk in the Oval Office was made from the timbers of the arctic explorer ship HMS Resolute, which was trapped in ice and abandoned in 1854. Two years later, it was rescued by an American ship and returned to Britain. The Resolute was retired in 1879 and the desk was made from timbers salvaged from the ship, given to President Rutherford B Hayes in 1880 as a gift from Queen Victoria.

Whenever a new president enters the White House, big changes follow.  Each president refashions the Oval Office to reflect his taste and values.  The furnishings of the Oval Office can represent the personality of a president, their political role models, and the ambitions of their time in office.  A chair behind the Resolute Desk is a symbol of authority, comfort, and style.  A president gets to pick a chair that he’s comfortable with. After all, it’s where he works.  

As President-elect Kennedy planned to move into the White House in 1961, skilled craftsmen worked with his personal physician, Dr. Janet Travell, to develop an executive chair that combined ergonomics and aesthetics.  She had treated Kennedy for chronic back pain, and insisted that his working chair have the maximum in comfort and support, while reflecting executive style and refinement.