Ashtray
Artifact IDMO 63.4008
Object Type
Ashtray
Date
1961-1963
Gifter
J. Edgar Hoover
Medium
Ceramic, glaze
DimensionsOverall H 4 1/2 in x W 4 1/2 in x D 1 in (11.4 cm x 11.4 cm x 2.5 cm)
Physical DescriptionWhite ceramic square ashtray handpainted in center is an image of a personal identification card for John F. Kennedy's containing his fingerprints. On each side of the ashtray is a single stamped fingerprint.
Historical NotePresident Kennedy kept this ashtray on his desk in the Oval Office. The original fingerprint impressions for John F. Kennedy's ID card were taken by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. The image on the ashtray was painted by Ronald Gordon Wittmus (1917-1998), an FBI employee and fingerprint expert. Wittmus would later play a role in verifying the fingerprint findings in the Warren Commission's investigation of the Kennedy's assassination.
Additional DetailsCustodial History NoteThis item is material associated with the White House the Kennedy Administration and the Executive Offices of the President. It was either government property or was donated to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum by the Estate of President John F. Kennedy in 1965.
Credit LineJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, MA; Gift of the Estate of President John F. Kennedy
National Archives Catalog CollectionJohn F. Kennedy Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 1676934)
National Archives Catalog SeriesKennedy Administration Collection 1960-1963 (National Archives Identifier 1676959)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedUse Restriction NoteReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.In Collection(s)
Not on view