President’s Private Study

Barack Obama watches Robert Gibbs' first press conference in 2009 (White House - Pete Souza)

The President's Inner Sanctum

Immediately off the Oval Office, across from the president's private lavatory and a small kitchenette, is a very small room used in many administrations as the president's private study.

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Barack Obama in the study in 2009 (White House - Pete Souza)

Hall to the study; door to the lavatory (labeled 500) (White House - Pete Souza)

The Obama family together in 2009 (White House - Pete Souza)

Bush and Cheney enter the study corridor, circa 2002

Vice-President Dick Cheney passes by the president's private lavatory (marked "500"), circa 2002

George HW Bush watching television in 1991 (Bush Library)

George HW Bush on the telephone in 1991 (Getty Images - David Valdez)

George HW Bush taking a call with Vice-President Dan Quayle in 1990 (NARA - Bush Library)

George HW Bush taking a call with staff in 1989 (NARA - Bush Library)

Ronald Reagan, circa 1987 (Reagan Library)

Jimmy Carter tours the room with President Ford as part of the transition in 1976 (Getty Images - David Hume Kennerly)

The Fords with Nelson Rockefeller in 1974 (NARA -Ford Library)

President Ford examines documents related to potentional VPs in 1974 (Getty Images)

President Ford examines documents related to potentional VPs in 1974 (Ford Library)

Lyndon Johnson and Joe Califano in 1968 (Johnson Library - Yoichi Okamoto)

Lyndon Johnson in 1967 (Johnson Library)

Lyndon Johnson discussing policy with Senator Fulbright in 1965 (Johnson Library - Yoichi Okamoto)

Study (left) and pantry (right) doors in the hall outside the study, around 1961 (right: Life - Joe Scherschel)