Latest news with #H.M.S.Resolute
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump and grandson Theo recreate John F. Kennedy's historic photo in Oval Office
Ivanka Trump recently offered a glimpse into her family's private moments by sharing a series of photos from the past month, including one that sparked nostalgia and drew attention online. One photo featured her eight-year-old son Theo playfully poking his head out from the door at the front of the famed Resolute desk inside the Oval Office. Sitting behind the desk is US President Donald Trump, 78, smiling and wearing his signature 'Make America Great Again' cap. Also read: Grandpa Donald Trump enjoys Theo's original composition at White House in Ivanka Trump's touching video The image was a clear nod to an iconic photograph of President John F. Kennedy and his son, John F. Kennedy Jr., who was once pictured playing under the same desk. That original moment, captured by Look magazine photojournalist Alan Stanley Tretick, remains one of the most endearing and widely recognised White House family portraits. The picture session was held in October 1963 when President Kennedy invited Tretick into the Oval Office for a family shoot while he was mourning the loss of his prematurely born child. The desk, known as the Resolute desk, has a rich history of its own. Crafted from the oak timbers of the British ship H.M.S. Resolute, it was presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880, according to The White House Historical Association. Despite its popularity today, the desk wasn't always housed in the Oval Office. It was initially placed in the President's Office on the Second Floor of the Residence from 1880 to 1902. A major alteration came in 1945 when a rear kneehole panel featuring the Presidential Coat-of-Arms was added, a version first used by President Harry S. Truman. It was President Kennedy who later requested the desk be moved to the Oval Office. Not every leader, however, chose to use it; Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Ford all opted for different desks during their terms. The desk also features a brass plaque detailing the journey of its creation, from the breaking of the ship to its gifting to President Hayes. Ivanka shared another touching moment from the White House, a video of young Theo debuting his first original piano composition. Dressed in an off-white suit, Theo sat confidently at the keys of a historic Steinway grand piano as his grandfather, Donald Trump, watched on with pride. ''Theo debuting his first original composition for Grandpa last night at The White House,'' Ivanka captioned the video. The piano, presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 by Theodore Steinway, is also steeped in American history. As per The White House Historical Association, it features gold leaf designs depicting five traditional American musical scenes, including a New England barn dance, a cowboy strumming his guitar, the Virginia reel, two Black field workers clapping and dancing, and an Indigenous ceremonial dance. Its three mahogany legs are shaped like American eagles. The piano has been placed in the White House entrance hall since 1989 and is frequently used by members of the Marine Band during official gatherings. Also read: '110-hour weeks, hospitalised, then fired': Junior bankers at US firm say brutal work culture led to organ failure
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ivanka and son Theo recreate iconic Kennedy White House photo... with some help from President Trump
As April came to a close, Ivanka Trump shared a few snaps of family fun throughout the past month. In one picture, her eight-year-old son Theo had climbed beneath President Donald Trump 's desk to poke his head out through a door at the front. The cheeky black-and-white photo also featured a smiling Trump, 78, who sat behind the desk in the Oval Office wearing his signature Make America Great Again cap. Ivanka's picture was a recreation of an iconic, historic picture of President John F. Kennedy and his son, John. F. Kennedy Jr., who was also playing beneath the desk. The original picture was taken by Alan Stanley Tretick who was a Look magazine photojournalist that often captured moments of Kennedy and his family. Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was not a fan of having pictures of her children taken for the sake of politics, but she wasn't at the White House at the time, per Irish Star. In October 1963, JFK invited Tretick into the Oval Office for a family session while grieving the loss of a prematurely born child. The desk in the picture is known as the 'Resolute desk' and it is made from the oak timbers of the British ship H.M.S. Resolute and was given as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from Queen Victoria in 1880, per The White House Historical Association. Every president has used the desk except Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Ford. It wasn't always in the Oval Office either - it was first used in the President's Office on the Second Floor of the Residence from 1880 to 1902. In 1945, the desk's rear kneehole was fitted with a panel carved with the Presidential Coat-of-Arms, and President Harry S. Truman was the first to sit at the new version. It was first used in the Oval Office after JFK requested it. There is a brass plaque on the desk that explains the history of its creation from the breaking of the ship to it being gifted to President Hayes. In another recent post, Ivanka shared a heartwarming video of Theo as he sat perched behind a piano. Theo, who was dressed in a smart off-white suit, masterfully played an original song on the historic instrument as grandfather Donald Trump affectionately watched on. 'Theo debuting his first original composition for Grandpa last night at The White House,' Ivanka wrote to caption the performance. He was playing a Steinway grand piano that was presented to FDR in 1938 by Theodore Steinway, per The White House Historical Association. It has gold leaf decorations representing 'five musical forms indigenous of America,' including a New England barn dance, a cowboy playing his guitar, the Virginia reel, two black field hands - one clapping and one dancing - and an Indian ceremonial dance. The grand piano also has three mahogany legs carved as American eagles. It has stood in the entrance hall to the White House since 1989 and is often played by members of the Marine Band during social functions.
