This is a precise replica of the President of the United States call box. The original has been used for nearly 40 years by American Presidents, from the Bushes through Biden, and currently sits on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.
The box, which I shaped by hand, bears the seal of the President of the United States in heavy, detailed bronze, and has a functional, fully-wired electrical grade red button.
The last five Presidents of the United States have used the box to summon secretaries, stewards and butlers. There are a couple versions of this box currently in use at the White House, which differ slightly in the wood grain pattern. They all, however, have the same exact size and shape, though the darkness of the stain has changed over the last three decades. I sought to duplicate the size and shape, matching the dimensions, taper and routed pattern along the top.
The red button is a functional, industrial-grade momentary switch that I would wager is the actual button used in the authentic Presidential call box. It took considerable research to find it, going through several electrical supply companies. From close study of detailed photos and published dimensions, this button appears to be the exact size, shape, and degree of surface curvature as the original.
I designed this replica such that you can access the electronic connectors of the button through a hidden door on the bottom, concealed by black felt. There is enough interior space to hold pretty much anything you wanted to include, from a wireless transmitter to batteries to a bluetooth speaker. When you look at the bottom, it is not obvious that the felt base can be removed. Right now, I have it displayed without electronics, batteries or complication. The red button click is conversation starter enough.
By way of background, I designed my first prop for television 35 years ago, and make props to this day to keep my skills sharp. I was always intrigued by the President's Call Box, mostly because nothing like it exists anywhere else in the world.
