Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Oliver Hazard Perry's Watch Key
Object numberMO 1943.161.8
Name
Key, Watch
Maker
Unknown
Dateca. 1812-1819
Mediumgold-plated metal, glass (crystal), ivory
Dimensionsoverall H 2 3/4 in x W 1 3/4 in x D 1/2 in (7 cm x 4.4 cm x 1.3 cm )
DescriptionA watch key featuring a miniature ship model on simulated water. The interior of the large, oval, crystal head of the key contains a tiny ivory model of a two-masted brig with accents of color. Several figures are seen standing on the deck of the sailing ship, and an American flag flies at the stern. The crystal head has a gold-plated surround with a gold-plated metal shell attached at the top and bottom. The short shaft of the key is painted black.
Label TextFranklin Roosevelt enjoyed collecting manuscripts, prints, paintings, and objects associated with famous American naval figures. This watch key belonged to Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. The small ivory ship inside the crystal is a model of Perry’s flagship, the USS LAWRENCE. In November 1942, Lewis L. Strauss, a naval officer then serving in the ordnance department, presented this key to President Roosevelt. Strauss eventually rose to the rank of rear admiral. During the 1950s, he chaired the Atomic Energy Commission.Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDeposited at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum by Franklin D. Roosevelt on December 29, 1942. It was donated as a bequest of FDR to the Library in 1947.
Credit LineEstate of Franklin D. Roosevelt
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesUnited States Navy Materials (National Archives Identifier 782673)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedCopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.Collections
Non exposé
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