A pair of chairs that sparked mirth and a wealth of Hobbit theories following a viral photo of the Bidens and Carters has sold at auction for nearly $11,000.
They were snapped up by an avid collector of presidential memorabilia, who said when she saw the chairs for sale at Christie’s auction house, she “knew they belonged to me.”
Susan Tane, a former marketing executive, told The Washington Post that the upholstered, beige-skirted armchairs will take pride of place in the library of her Manhattan apartment, where she has dozens of books about U.S. presidents.
So what’s the appeal with these particular chairs? For Tane, it’s part humor, part history.
Back in 2021, then President Joe Biden and wife, Dr. Jill Biden, paid a visit to former president and first lady Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at their home in Plains, Georgia; a relaxed social call that Joe Biden later described as “a nice time.”
Reporters were not allowed inside, but a White House photographer captured a photo of the event, which was later shared online by The Carter Center.
The photograph quickly raised questions over why the Bidens seemed to have been transformed into giants alongside the miniature-sized Carters; Jill Biden at 5ft 6in was several inches shorter than Jimmy Carter’s 5ft 10 in, yet towered over him in the picture.
A series of jokes ensued, with people humorously speculating the couples had been transported to the fictional worlds of The Hobbit or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
Adam Schultz, chief official White House photographer at the time, subsequently confirmed to The New York Times that he had taken the photo, but declined to explain further: “It’s for people to figure out and think about,” he said.
Photography experts agreed, though, that the distorted perspective was likely caused by the use of a wide-angle lens, which can be used to take pictures in a very small space where the photographer can’t back up far enough to get everything in a regular frame.
Julia Jones of Christie’s knew someone would connect with the chairs when she spotted them on a tour of the family’s storage unit to look through hundreds of items that belonged to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, who died in December 2024 and November 2023, respectively.
Christie’s soon had Tane in mind as a prospective buyer, but when a worker first called her about the chairs a few weeks ago, she wasn’t interested. She had an immediate change of heart after seeing them in person in Manhattan alongside the viral photo, and subsequently shelled out $10,795 last Tuesday.
“I saw the picture of President Carter and his wife, and, I don’t know, it just spoke to me,” Tane toldThe Post.
Amy Carter, a daughter of the former president and first lady, said some proceeds from the auction would be donated to The Carter Center, a nonprofit founded by her parents to promote peace, protect human rights, prevent diseases and provide mental health resources.
“It’s just a nice reminder that my parents were meaningful to people,” Amy Carter toldThe Post, “especially since we’re, you know, in the process of grieving them.”
As for the chairs, Tane said she planned to read in them and invite visitors to sit in them, but she didn’t want to wear them out.
“They’re going to get the respect they deserve.”
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