The Arctic Voyage of HMS Resolute
In 1852, the British navy sent HMS Resolute into the Arctic to search for the missing Franklin Expedition. The icy seas, however, proved unforgiving. Trapped by heavy pack ice, the crew had no choice but to abandon the vessel in 1854. For two long years, the ship drifted silently across frozen waters — a lost ghost ship swallowed by the Arctic wilderness.
In 1855, an American whaling ship discovered the abandoned Resolute. Instead of claiming her as salvage, the U.S. government restored the vessel and returned her to Britain. This unexpected act of goodwill forged a new bond between two nations that had once faced each other in war.
Queen Victoria’s Gift to America
When HMS Resolute was finally retired, Queen Victoria chose to preserve her memory. Skilled craftsmen in Britain transformed the ship’s timbers into magnificent desks. The largest of these — rich with carvings and presence — was presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880.
From that moment forward, the Resolute Desk was no longer just furniture. It became a living emblem of diplomacy, a gesture that reminded the world that peace could be stronger than conflict.
The Resolute Desk in the White House
The original Resolute Desk has remained in the White House ever since, used by nearly every American president. Each leader left a mark on its story:
- Franklin D. Roosevelt added a modest front panel to conceal his leg braces.
- John F. Kennedy’s children were famously photographed playing beneath that same panel, forever tying the desk to a more personal side of history.
- Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and beyond — all signed documents, addressed the nation, and made decisions of global importance from behind its surface.
Today, the Resolute Desk sits proudly in the Oval Office, a fixture recognized around the world in photographs and broadcasts.
Symbol of Legacy and Craftsmanship
The story of the Resolute Desk is not simply political — it is human. Born from a ship once lost in the ice, carved from wood that endured hardship and survival, it embodies resilience, endurance, and transformation.
It is also a testament to craftsmanship. Every carving, every detail, carries the spirit of master artisans who gave new life to the timbers of a ship that once braved the Arctic.
Resolute Desks by Glenn Furniture
At Glenn Furniture, we continue this legacy with handcrafted Resolute Desk reproductions and custom variations. Our desks:
- Use only premium Teak or Mahogany hardwoods.
- Include a replica of the solid brass plate that adorns the Oval Office desk.
- Can be customized in size, finish, carvings, and even hidden compartments.
- Are supported with CAD drawings and 3D renderings for clients who wish to adapt the design before production.
By blending tradition with customization, we make it possible for you to own a desk that carries the weight of history while reflecting your personal vision.
A Desk That Tells a Story
Owning a Resolute Desk is about more than having a workspace. It means becoming part of a story that began on the icy seas of the Arctic, passed through the hands of British craftsmen, and became the centerpiece of American leadership.
When you sit at your own desk, you are not only writing the next chapter of your life — you are continuing a story over 140 years in the making.
The Day the Resolute Desk Met Its Match
The Oval Office had seen wars declared, peace treaties signed, and even Elvis shaking Richard Nixon’s hand. But it had never faced anything quite like Elon Musk’s four-year-old son.
Trump had invited Musk over to discuss “space stuff—really terrific space stuff.” Musk, distracted by a new idea for a Tesla that also doubled as a toaster, brought young X Æ A-Xii along. The boy wandered freely while the adults talked, orbiting around the Resolute Desk like a mischievous moon.
At first, the desk seemed proud to have such distinguished visitors. But then it noticed the child’s finger. The finger rose, hovered, and—without hesitation—took a cosmic dive straight into his nose.
Trump paused mid-sentence.
“Uh, Elon… is your kid… mining?”
Musk shrugged. “He’s exploring resources, Donald. He’s a natural innovator.”
But before anyone could react, the boy triumphantly withdrew his discovery and wiped it across the polished mahogany surface of the historic desk once gifted by Queen Victoria. The Resolute Desk, after surviving over a century of dignified use, now bore the first presidential booger.
Trump gasped as if the boy had just signed an executive order.
“That’s it. I’m getting a new desk. We can’t have—believe me, we can’t have—SpaceX debris on the Resolute Desk.”
Within hours, staffers wheeled in a temporary replacement: the lesser-known C&O Desk, which Trump praised as “a beautiful, fantastic desk—maybe even better than the original, a lot of people are saying so.”
Meanwhile, Musk’s son clapped happily, unaware he had changed White House furniture history with a single flick of his finger.
And so it came to be remembered: the day when the might of tradition was no match for a child’s curiosity… and the Oval Office learned what it meant to be truly resolute.