UNDER THE DESK

"SECRET DOOR"

The iconic photograph of John F. Kennedy Jr., affectionately known as "John-John," peeking out from under the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office was taken on October 2, 1963, by photographer Alan Stanley Tretick. The image captures the two-year-old son of President John F. Kennedy emerging from a hidden panel, which he referred to as his "secret door" or "my house". This moment, photographed while First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was out of the country, became a defining image of the Camelot era, symbolizing the personal and familial side of the presidency. The Resolute Desk, a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes, has been used in the Oval Office by every president since, with the panel in question originally added by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to conceal his leg braces. The photograph was one of several taken during a Look magazine assignment and was later removed from the White House on November 23, 1963, following the assassination of President Kennedy. John F. Kennedy Jr. later recalled playing under the desk with his father, noting that his mother disapproved of chewing gum, so they would sneak it under the desk while his father worked. The image has since become a cultural touchstone, inspiring later family photos, such as Ivanka Trump’s 2025 post of her son Theo Kushner playing under the same desk.

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 03:59PM