PHOTOS: The Exact Replica of the Oval Office in the Reagan Library and Museum
I wanted to post these photos of the exact replica of the Oval Office that’s displayed at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California — because they are an excellent resource for anyone who enjoys photoshopping and would like to use them for political cartoons in the upcoming election.
It’s hard to find photos of the Oval Office without people in them, so on a recent trip to the Reagan Library I took shots of the replica from every angle imaginable so that I’d have access to whatever possible image I’d ever need of an Oval Office in the future.
This replica is how the Oval Office looked on the last day of Ronald Reagan’s presidency in 1989, immediately before the movers packed everything up in preparation for George H.W. Bush’s arrival later that day. This packing and moving takes place while the new President is being inaugurated, and apparently begins as soon as the new President takes the Oath of Office. So, in January of 2013 when you watch a Republican (hopefully Newt Gingrich or Rick Perry) taking the oath as his wife holds the Bible for him and Justice Roberts presides over the ceremony, all the clutter and eyesores crammed into the current Obama Oval Office will be packed up in crates bound for Honolulu while the new President’s personal effects and furniture choices are installed.
Obviously, the Resolute Desk in this presidential library shot is a replica — the real one is currently being used by Obama in the real White House. Some things don’t change on Inauguration Day, like the carpeting,wallpaper, and the drapes. Laura Bush personally designed a gorgeous presidential-seal rug for her husband’s Oval Office, which was removed and will be installed in the Oval replica at the George W. Bush presidential library in the future. Obama has a hideous rug with improperly-written historical quotes on it, as well as furniture that looks like it was borrowed from The Jeffersons living room exhibit at the Smithsonian.
[ Click above to embiggen: style guide identifying the pieces of The Jeffersons' living room set currently being used in the Obama Oval Office ]
Somehow, I don’t think very many people are going to fly all the way out to Honolulu, Hawaii just to take dozens of pictures of the gaudy and poorly-decorated Obama Oval Office in the future.
Here’s one last shot — my favorite — which showcases the presidential seal in the rug. The room is nowhere near as large as it appears in the photos you normally see. I’m struck by how well the Reagans decorated it, so the style had remained timeless through all these years. There’s nothing in it that screams “1980s” to me, and it’s not painful to look at like pictures of the Carter Oval Office that seem so tacky and 70s…in the same way that the Obama Oval Office will be hideous to gaze upon in the future long after he’s out of office too.
In all of the photos above, see if you can find the small items that clearly identify this as Ronald Reagan’s Oval Office. Hint: look for the jars of red, white, and blue Jelly Belly jellybeans, which Reagan loved and used to send to friends and admirers as little gifts while he was President.
© 2011, Kevin DuJan. All rights reserved.
Also Recommended:
- FUN PROJECT: Gather up good photos of Governor Palin sitting at a desk to be photoshopped into Oval Office pictures
- President Palin's Oval Office
- QUESTION: What's going to happen to the gorgeous Oval Office rug that Laura Bush personally designed and had made for the White House?
- PHOTOSHOP PROJECT: The Palin Oval Office
- Great Merciful Zeus (with a side of Oh No They Didn't): Obama brings The Jeffersons' living room set out of the Smithsonian and installs it in the Oval Office
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I'm planning on heading to the Reagan Library on Saturday. Do you have any requests for photos or memorabilia or such?
You know what I did not get any good pictures of?
* the collection of Menorahs they have on display near the gift shop
* the various items on sale in the gift shop
Those are the only two areas I didn’t cover well. Justin got tired of picture taking at that point and wanted to go, so I didn’t get to photograph those two things.
I LOVE gift shop pictures. I almost never buy anything (except for a magnet) but I love taking pictures of souvenir things…..and years later it’s so fun to see all the things that were on sale back in the year whatever.
If you could snap some pics of the menorahs at the Reagan library, I would be really grateful as I’m very sorry I didn’t get good shots of them. They were menorahs presented to Reagan while he was president.
Next time you're in town, we should have a local Hillybuzzy Meetup or something! What's the best way to get the photos to you? (Menorahs and gift shop – checklist in my mind)
Send them to: HillBuzz@gmail.com
In the heading, just put in CAPS — Reagan Library pics so that I see it.
THANKS!
You got it!
For anyone interested, there's also a fabulous replica of the West Wing in Corona, CA. http://www.inlandempirefamily.com/t-FamilyFavorit… http://www.qualitywestwing.org/