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Prize Fish for Hoover Almost Went to Kitchen Stove

Prize Fish for Hoover Almost Went to Kitchen Stove/tiles/collection/1/16761.xml
Prize Fish for Hoover Almost Went to Kitchen Stove/tiles/collection/1/16762.xml
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Date

1930-05-17

Maker

Acme Newspictures, Inc.

Dimensions

6 × 8 in. (15.2 × 20.3 cm)

Accession Number

PA2015.12.0071a

Credit Line

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Object Details

Maine fishermen traditionally presented their first catch of the season to the President. But in 1930, this 11-pound salmon was accidentally misrouted to the White House kitchen instead of the Oval Office. When freshman Representative Donald Snow (shown here) learned of the error, he rushed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before the salmon was cooked—but after the chef had started chopping. Luckily, Colonel Starling, chief of the Secret Service, was a fish expert, and Snow beseeched him to restore the creature. Starling stitched the salmon’s head back on and declared it fit for the ceremony. President Hoover barely noticed its missing tail.

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov