Scrimshaw | The President's Desk

John F. Kennedy's Love of The Sea

The President’s Desk ➤ Scrimshaw

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Explore this map and sail The Victura from port to port to learn more about President Kennedy’s maritime collections and his love for the sea.

A Love of the Sea

President Kennedy's love of the sea, and its ever-changing appearance was a constant throughout his life. From childhood he sailed and swam at his family's home on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He also competed successfully in swimming and sailing during his college years. He found refreshment and inspiration in the sea and the wind, especially at the helm of his own 25-foot sloop, Victura. In the White House, President Kennedy surrounded himself with maritime collections and memorabilia, reminders of America's seafaring history and proud naval traditions.

Even during his toughest moments, like the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Victura was never far from his mind, as evidenced by his many doodles of the sailboat.

The President’s Desk ➤ Scrimshaw

The Victura President Kennedy’s parents gave the Victura to him for his fifteenth birthday. The 25-foot Wianno Senior, made entirely of wood, was built by the Crosby Yacht Yard in Osterville, MA in 1932. He sailed the Victura for 33 years, and is pictured here with his brother, Edward M. Kennedy “Teddy,” rigging her sails.

The back is etched with a woman standing atop a ship’s anchor. She is dressed in 19th-century clothing holding an 1818 American flag.

Whale Tooth This etched whale tooth features a ship under sail.

The scrimshaw artform originated in an era when sperm whales were plentiful. During President Kennedy's lifetime, the sale and purchase of historical scrimshaw was allowed. Today, the sperm whale is considered an endangered species and under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the sale of sperm whale product is prohibited. 19th- and 20th-century scrimshaw crafted before 1973 continues to be permitted for sale.

Whale Tooth This whale tooth pictures the starboard side of a frigate, a three-masted ship, under full sail. Notice its guns running out, ready for action.

Frederich Wilhelm I Frederich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg, Duke of Prussia, is etched here in profile. He was called the “Great Elector” because of his outstanding military and political skills.

A Letter from Greta Garbo Film actress Greta Garbo wrote this letter to Jacqueline Kennedy after attending a private White House dinner with the President and Mrs. Kennedy on November 13, 1963. In the letter, she mentions the President’s “tooth,” referring to the decorated whale’s tooth that President Kennedy gave her from his scrimshaw collection.

Scrimshaw Collection

A woman wearing the costume of a performer, a calf-length dress with full skirt, is etched on the reverse side. Notice the Spanish comb in her hair.

Christian VI Christian VI, King of Norway, is pictured here in profile. This whale tooth, mounted on a wooden base, was also used as a bookend in the Oval Office.

Whale Tooth This whale tooth is engraved with a frigate, a three-masted ship, running before the wind under full sail.

President Kennedy was an avid collector of scrimshaw - whale teeth, whalebone, and animal tusks carved with intricate designs by 18th- and 19th- century sailors.

Whale Tooth This whale tooth features a three-masted frigate with its sails semi-unfurled.

This is the "tooth" that President Kennedy gave to Greta Garbo.

A woman in a full-length dress with a checkered apron is engraved on the back. Notice her decorated hat and delicate hands holding a tiny parasol and a handkerchief. This whale tooth was mounted on a stand and used as a bookend in the Oval Office.

Courtesy of the Estate of Greta Garbo

Polar Bear This polar bear, carved from ivory, has blackened facial features. Notice its bared teeth, rounded ears, and short tail. It was given to President Kennedy by his friend Lem Billings. JFK displayed it in the Oval Office.

On the reverse side, several fishermen in a boat tow a whale. The words, "Haul Line" are etched along the top. There is also a shore scene with a tree, foliage, and a ship sailing up a channel to a fort. Notice the unfurled flag atop the fort indicating strong winds.

“I have been interested in the sea from my earliest boyhood…My earliest recollections of the United States Navy go back to the days when, as a small boy, I used to be taken to the USS Constitution in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The sight of that historic frigate, with its tall spars and black guns, stirred my imagination and made American history come alive for me.” – John F. Kennedy

Official US Navy photo. Courtesy USS Constitution Museum.

Photograph by Morris Rosenfeld

35 Sailing Vessels Because of the president's love of maritime history, the first lady gave him this print of 18th-century ships. It features 35 types of sailing vessels with a description of each ship in Italian.

Ranger This photograph of the J class sloop Ranger under full sail, heeled over, rail to water was taken during the New York Yacht Club annual cruise in 1937 in Buzzards Bay. The photograph hung in President Kennedy's Oval Office.

Nefertiti This photograph features the 12-meter yacht Nefertiti, in starboard view with its full tri-colored spinnaker sail.ﾠThe Nefertiti defended the America’s Cup in 1962, but was defeated by the Weatherly. The yacht was built by Ted Hood from the Boston Yacht Club. The photograph was displayed in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

Speed Run This watercolor of the USS Rochester depicts the naval ship in battle during the Korean War under a stormy sky with very rough seas. This painting hung in the ante-room of the White House Oval Office during the Kennedy administration.

Dressing Down The Gully This is an oil painting of the schooner Fairmorse, pictured off the coast of Nova Scotia. It hung in the office of Kenneth O’Donnell, the president’s aide, just outside of the Oval Office.

Zio and Nightwind This photograph of the 12-meter yachts, Zio and Nightwind, was taken on a cruise from Glen Cove, NY to New London, CT in 1939. It hung in President Kennedy's Oval Office.

Maritime Art

The Victura President Kennedy’s parents gave the Victura to him for his fifteenth birthday. The 26-foot Wianno Senior, made entirely of wood, was built by the Crosby Yacht Yard in Osterville, MA in 1932. He sailed the Victura for 33 years, and is pictured here with his brother, Edward M. Kennedy, “Teddy”, rigging her sails.

Explore this map & sail The Victura from port to port to learn more about President Kennedy’s maritime collections and his love for the sea.

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Sailing & Swimming Awards

Wianno Yacht Club Swimming Champion Trophy This silver trophy was presented to sixteen-year-old John F. Kennedy in 1933 at Wianno Yacht Club in Osterville, MA. The front of the trophy is engraved: "W.Y.C. / 1933 / Swimming Champion / Boys / won by Jack Kennedy." A red, white and blue enamel pennant with a "W" for Wianno is featured above the inscription.

Throughout his boyhood and into his college years, President Kennedy competed in sailing and swimming. In college, he was part of the Harvard sailing crew that won the Eastern Collegiate Championship. He also won a number of individual sailing competitions.

Mile Swim Boy Scouts of America Certificate Paperweight In 1961, the Boy Scouts of America presented President Kennedy with this lucite paperweight featuring a swim certificate – stating that "John F. Kennedy swam a full mile under safe conditions and has qualified for the MILE SWIM BSA" – embedded in the center. It was presented in honor of JFK’s heroic actions following the sinking of his PT boat in the South Pacific Ocean during World War II. The certificate is witnessed by George Ross, JFK's fellow officer aboard the PT boat, and dated August 2, 1943, the date of the incident. President Kennedy used this paperweight on his desk in the Oval Office.

Sailing Champions John F. Kennedy (back row, right) and his brother, Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (back row, left) are pictured here with their fellow Harvard Yachtsmen champions, 1938.

Jacqueline Kennedy gave her husband these sculptures of Cape Cod birds. He kept them in the Oval Office.

Common Tern This hand-carved and painted tern rests on a piece of driftwood. Its black cap and red-orange bill with a dark tip distinguish it from other terns. Terns are common throughout the world.

Shore Bird Sculptures

John Barry's Sword This steel sword is said to have belonged to Commodore John Barry, father of the American Navy. The cutlass has a single curved full blade, split knuckle guard, and turned wooden hilt. The blade is inscribed "Pro Gloria Et Patria" (for glory and country).

President Kennedy’s love for maritime materials was well-known. His wife, Jacqueline, friends and even visiting heads of state often presented the President with priceless additions to his collections.

A Birthday Present Jacqueline Kennedy gave this copper weathervane in the shape of a sailboat to President Kennedy on his 46th birthday. The sails, hull, and mask are welded together with lead.

Ship's Clock and Barometer This clock and barometer are set inside a ship's wheel frames and affixed to a brass base inscribed "President John F. Kennedy."

Maritime Memorabilia

Notice the handle with a gilt, gargoyle head pommel from whose mouth extends the guard. The blade has numerous nicks indicating it saw battle. The sword hung in President Kennedy's Oval Office.

Killdeer This hand-carved and painted killdeer stands with its head turned on a piece of driftwood. Notice its distinguishing characteristics: a double black band on its breast and a white stripe above its eye.

Killdeer This hand-carved and painted killdeer leans forward with its beak open on a driftwood base. Killdeer are a common sight along the shore. President Kennedy often saw them on Cape Cod.

Dunes along the Cape Cod National Seashore. National Park Service, Cape Cod National Seashore

The areas highlighted in green are now part of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

National Park Service, Cape Cod National Seashore

In his first year in office, President Kennedy authorized the creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore as part of the U.S. National Park system. At the signing ceremony (pictured above) on August 7, 1961, he stated: “This act makes it possible for the people of the United States through their Government to acquire and preserve the natural and historic values of a portion of Cape Cod for the inspiration and enjoyment of people all over the United States. This is a wise use of our natural resources, and I am sure that future generations will benefit greatly from the wise actions taken by Members of the Congress who are here today.”

Cape Cod National Seashore

Great Island When the Mayflower arrived, Great Island was, in fact, surrounded by water. However, growing sandbars molded by the current of the Cape Cod Bay linked it with two other islands and the mainland to form the peninsula you see here. Great Island stood alone as late as 1831, but the current of Cape Cod Bay sweeps southward along this coast, eroding projections of land and filling depressions. As a result, sandbars gradually grew to connect island to island, and island to mainland, and form the smooth sweep of the coastline. Marshes then slowly developed behind the newly formed sandbars to fill in the shape of today’s “island.”

Cape Cod National Seashore lighthouse and dunes. National Park Service, Cape Cod National Seashore

Coast Guard Beach On November 9, 1620, a ship named the Mayflower, 65 days out from Plymouth, England, made her landfall at what is now Coast Guard Beach.

PLYMOUTH

The Danmark This model of the Danish maritime training ship, the Danmark, was presented to President Kennedy by Kirsten Runge in the Oval Office during a New York Herald Tribune forum for students visit to the White House on February 15, 1961. Note its three fully-rigged sails and colorful hull. Built in 1933, the Danmark was loaned to the United States during World War II as a training ship for the Coast Guard Academy. It was returned to Denmark in 1945.

La Flore Knowing of President Kennedy’s love of the sea and sailing, André Malraux, Minister of State for Cultural Affairs of France, presented him with this model of La Flore, an 18th-century, 28-gun, French frigate. Notice its full rigging and the details of the deck beneath the furled mainsails. La Flore was one of several frigates in French Admiral D'Éstaing's 1778-1779 fleet, and fought for the American colonies during the Revolutionary War. It was one of the models displayed in the Oval Office during President Kennedy’s administration.

The Sea Witch This is a model of the Sea Witch, a Chinese clipper ship, built between 1846-1856. It was the first Clipper ship to sail around Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America, to California in less than 100 days, and twice broke speed records from Canton to the United States. It was one of the models that President Kennedy displayed in the Oval Office.

President Kennedy displayed several of his tall ship models in the Oval Office during his presidency.

Tall Ship Models

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