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Thread: President's Resolute Desk

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    President's Resolute Desk

    The President's Resolute Desk in the Oval Office of the White House has a fascinating origin and history - and is a beautiful piece of furniture. I have searched high and low for plans for the deak so I can build a replica. I have been to the National Archives, the Smithsonian, the White House Archives, the Royal Navy Museum at Greenwich, UK, the Chatham Yards in Chatham, UK and none can provide plans for the "as built" desk. If you have any idea where I might find plans, or other places I might look, I would be most grateful for any suggestions.

  2. #2
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    I wonder if someone in your local U.S. Representative or Senator's office might be of some help. Maybe tell you where to look anyway.

  3. #3
    John , You are the resolute. They have lots of desks, but the fact that J. Kennedy’s boy used to be photographed crawling around in it has
    made it the only one that gets any use. The President gets to choose. Museums are real funny about letting people copy stuff. May good luck attend you! But it’s not
    a “replica” unless it’s made by the guy who made the original. The word was coined for that specific use. Your desk will be a “dog gone good
    COPY”

  4. #4
    Just looked up the desk. Queen Victoria had the thing made for USA from pieces of the Resolute ship. Even though WH has a lot of desks
    EVERY President since Rutherford B. Hayes ( he’s the guy on the cough-drop box) except Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.

  5. #5
    The President Seal is not original. Rosevelt had it made up to keep the wheel chair out of view.

  6. #6
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    It seems that there are a lot of copies of the desk being made, so the plans must be kicking around. I found this link.

    https://www.behance.net/gallery/2721827/The-Resolute-Desk-Blueprints

  7. #7
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    I remember seeing in some obviously accurate movie that the desk has a bunch of secret compartments. So that must be why there is no drawings available.

  8. #8
    Mark ,good work on finding the plans . It is strange that we never see the other desks. Can’t help wondering now if the curators are actually
    pushing the Resolute. Some places do have curators who use the better stuff in their offices and make it difficult for anyone to to have any
    access. Instead of bragging on TV about how many desks they have, they should do a book on the entire collection.
    Last edited by Mel Fulks; 03-29-2021 at 10:52 PM.

  9. #9
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    Dec 2006
    Location
    Louisville, KY
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    Mark, thanks very much for trying to give me a hand. I agree that plans exist somewhere because copies of the desk are being sold for $9,000 bucks. But I have placed an order for Mr. Perez's plans from the website you provided, and what I received was totally unsatisfactory. What I got back was a copy of an illegible plan I had received previously - one that is very incomplete and has un-readable measurements. When I complained to the seller, he offered to return the purchase price, but offered no apology or solution to my problem. The offer appears to me to be a scam of some sort. What they sent are certainly not blueprints. I really do appreciate your efforts to help.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Inkerman, Ontario, Canada
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    Quote Originally Posted by John McCall View Post
    Mark, thanks very much for trying to give me a hand. I agree that plans exist somewhere because copies of the desk are being sold for $9,000 bucks. But I have placed an order for Mr. Perez's plans from the website you provided, and what I received was totally unsatisfactory. What I got back was a copy of an illegible plan I had received previously - one that is very incomplete and has un-readable measurements. When I complained to the seller, he offered to return the purchase price, but offered no apology or solution to my problem. The offer appears to me to be a scam of some sort. What they sent are certainly not blueprints. I really do appreciate your efforts to help.
    Hi John,
    sorry that it was a dead end for you.

    Robertc, C. whitley built one a few years back. I think that it was mentioned in fine woodworking magazine way back. Robert recently passed away, but is well known and respected in the woodworking community, maybe someone can help you find out where he got the plans.
    There was an article in woodcraft about him. see the link.

    https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entri...bert-c-whitley


    e72955a03ed9ea93413927c1d5e01e6f[1].jpg

  11. #11
    John, An outrage that they will not help you. Sometimes when places let you copy old stuff ,they ask you to sign a paper saying you can
    make a copy...but not make and sell copies for profit. Now it looks like they are selling franchises ! We all have a right to know why some
    have been favored and others excluded. I hope that this outrage is the work of one of those who think it’s okay to decorate their office with
    things we own and that the evil doer is fired and their pockets checked for WH pens.

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