Feb 2, 2009: Resolute Desk

[xoxoxoBruce]

You've seen it, or at least pictures of it.
It's been the President's desk in the oval office since Mrs JFK had it dragged out of the Treaty Room of the White House and decided JFK would use it.
I suspect JFK said, "Yes dear".

Metafilter has the history of the desk and why it's called the "Resolute Desk".



The plaque on the desk reads;

H.M.S. "RESOLUTE" Forming part of the expedition sent in search of SIR JOHN FRANKLIN IN 1852, was abandoned in latitude 75 41' N. Longitude 101"22' W. on 15th May 1854. She was discovered and extricated in September 1855, in latitude 67 N. by Captain Buddington of the United States whaler "George Henry." The ship was purchased, fitted out and sent to England, as a gift to her Majesty Queen Victoria by the President and People of the United States, as a token of goodwill & friendship. This table was made from her timbers when she was broken up, and is presented by the QUEEN of GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, as a memorial of the courtesy and loving Kindness which dictated the offer of the gift of the "RESOLUTE."

In 1845, famed explorer Sir John Franklin set out in the Terror and Erebus to discover the Northwest Passage but got trapped in the ice.
The British Admiralty launched a rescue mission in 1852, led by Captain Belcher, aboard the Resolute, Pioneer, Assistance, North Star and Intrepid, but they didn't fare much better.
Then Buddington, the Connecticut whaler, salvaged the Resolute and brought it home.

At this time America and Britain -- still licking their wounds from the wars -- had an uneasy peace. The British public was outraged that an American whaler could accomplish what their own captain couldn't, and the American public was overjoyed to take a British prize. In order to quell the popular feeling, Queen Victoria released all claim to the Resolute; and in turn, the American Congress purchased it from the whaler, had it refit it to perfection, and returned it to
the Queen as a token of goodwill.

The HMS Resolute never served again, and was broken up in 1878. But that wasn't the end of it.

Queen Victoria had the best timbers of the ship saved, and worked by master naval craftsman William Evenden into three desks -- one for the widow Franklin, one for Captain Buddington, and the largest -- and most famous -- for President Rutherford B. Hayes.

I wonder where the other two are now?