Tracing the Origins of the Resolute Desk

The journey of the desk began with the ill-fated Arctic expedition of the HMS Resolute. After the vessel was abandoned in the ice, it was recovered by American merchant sailors, repaired by the U.S. Congress, and returned to the United Kingdom. In 1879, the ship was decommissioned and dismantled at The Historic Dockyard Chatham. A year later, Queen Victoria gifted the desk crafted from its timber to President Rutherford B. Hayes.

McLaurin visited the Chatham dockyard and the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich to examine the original design documents and artifacts associated with the desk’s construction by William Evenden. Alongside experts like Dr. Claire Warrior, he explored how the Admiralty commissioned the piece, sparking a series of creative proposals for repurposing the ship's remains. The desk, which has served as a fixture for numerous presidents beginning with John F. Kennedy, remains a tangible connection to the diplomatic ties between the United States and Great Britain.