NewYorkFirst.com: True Kennedy Rocker

The Single Most Famous Chair in America.

A reporter once asked John F. Kennedy, during an interview when he was running for the Presidency, "Do you plan on taking your rocking chair with you to the White House if you are elected President?" Kennedy responded, "Whither I goest - it goes." Over the years, Kennedy purchased 14 identical rocking chairs from a small family-owned furniture maker in North Carolina for use in the Oval Office, on Air Force One, in his suite at New York's Carlisle Hotel, in his White House bedroom, and other locations.

He was a young senator from Massachusetts in 1955 when he went to see Dr. Janet Travell for lingering back problems from a war injury. She prescribed swimming and the healthful use of a rocking chair as therapy to ease his pain. She believed that a rocking chair relieved tension in the lower back by keeping the muscles moving, contracting and relaxing.

PHOTO GALLERY
Showing JFK in the Oval Office comfortably rocking while discussing the country's business.

Click on photo to enlarge.

We have arranged with the P & P Chair Company to continue production of the healthful rocking chair, made from native-grown North Carolina oak, shaped, steam-bent and assembled according to the tried and true design. There are no unnecessary frills -- every part is functional -- even the back post knobs have their use, as a place to tie a back cushion, if desired. The secret of this chair's comfort lies in the shrewdly planned steam-bent curve of the back posts, which sweep in to give firm support to the sitter's back, and yet carry his weight down to the exact point on the rockers where they contact the floor. The chair is set low for comfortable elbow support and has wide armrests for perfect, restful balance. The seat and back offer firmness and natural spring through the use of tightly-woven natural Malaysian rattan.

Offered here (and only here) is an unequalled opportunity to own an exact duplicate of President Kennedy's rocker -- not a modified copy, but a chair identical in every respect to the originals. Lineage to President Kennedy’s rocking chair is guaranteed with a registered P & P trademark stamped underneath the arm of each chair. (Measures 43 1/2 inches high, 26 inches wide; 20 inches deep).

William Carl Page and Arthur Presnell established P&P Chair in 1926 to produce most America's comfortable rocking chairs. The P&P tradition continues today at one of the last vertically integrated furniture manufacturers in the United States.

Availability: Each True Kennedy Rocker is shipped directly from the historic P & P Chair Company workshop. Please allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery. Additional shipping charges to some locations.

Companion Cushion Set.
Rocking chairs from the Presidential years may be distinguished by the unique upholstery added by official White House upholsterer Larry Arata, who used thick arm pads and seat and back cushions. Offered is a 4-piece set of padded-for-comfort cushions and armrests, identical to the upholstery Jackie Kennedy had custom-made for the President. In beige, stain-resistant, polyester fiber, with Velcro and tie closings. (Spot clean with soap and water or any dry cleaning fluid).

Original Kennedy Rocker Cushion Set.
Price: $89.

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History in Bronze.
During the first five decades of the presidency, painted or sculpted portraits were the only way in which most Americans could know their country's President. While artistic interpretations of American Presidents tend to shy away from the adventurous, there are exceptions. One of the most memorable is a bronze casting that depicts President John F. Kennedy seated in his legendary rocking chair.

In a unique partnership of artist and artisan, sculptor William Wolfe collaborated with William Page III of the P&P Chair Company (whose grandfather crafted the original "Kennedy Rocker”) to craft this remarkable sculpture in the ancient art of lost wax casting with unparalleled attention to detail. While the first cast will never be offered for sale, a limited number of additional casts, faithful to the original, is available to private collectors. Each historically compelling centerpiece is signed and numbered by Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Page. (Measures 20-inches tall; 19-inches in length; 11-inches wide).