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Prize Fish for Hoover Almost Went to Kitchen Stove

Black and white photograph of Donald Francis Snow holding a fishing line with a salmon in his right hand/tiles/collection/1/16761.xml
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Photograph reverse with text reading, “Prize Fish For Hoover Almost Went To Kitchen Stove. Admirers of President Hoover sent a prize salmon taken from the waters near Bangor, Me., to the White House. Through an error, the fish was sent to the White House kitchen instead of the executive offices. The chef, thinking the place for such a fine fish was in the oven, cut off its head and prepared it for its last journey which would end up at the presidential dinner table. Through an underground system of communication, news of the fate of the prize fish was brought to Cong. Donald Francis Snow. Republicam [sic], of Maine. He rushed to the White House kitchen and rescued the salmon. Col. Starling, Chief of the secret service and an expert on fish and fishing was called in. The head was sewed back and here is Congressman Snow with the fish as he called to present it to President Hoover” with maker’s information./tiles/collection/1/16762.xml
Download this image
Black and white photograph of Donald Francis Snow holding a fishing line with a salmon in his right hand
Photograph reverse with text reading, “Prize Fish For Hoover Almost Went To Kitchen Stove. Admirers of President Hoover sent a prize salmon taken from the waters near Bangor, Me., to the White House. Through an error, the fish was sent to the White House kitchen instead of the executive offices. The chef, thinking the place for such a fine fish was in the oven, cut off its head and prepared it for its last journey which would end up at the presidential dinner table. Through an underground system of communication, news of the fate of the prize fish was brought to Cong. Donald Francis Snow. Republicam [sic], of Maine. He rushed to the White House kitchen and rescued the salmon. Col. Starling, Chief of the secret service and an expert on fish and fishing was called in. The head was sewed back and here is Congressman Snow with the fish as he called to present it to President Hoover” with maker’s information.
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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