by nate on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 | Attraction, Places to Visit, Travel

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President Barack Obama’s Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Dec. 29, 2009. Eleven months after assuming office, Obama has made subtle but significant changes in the decor that reflect his personality and interests.

Behind President Obama’s desk is a collection of family photos. Through the window can be seen the playset erected for his daughters, Sasha and Malia.

The Resolute desk, a favorite of presidents, remains. Built from the wood of the British ship HMS Resolute, the desk was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes.

A gift from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the wooden pen holder on Obama’s desk was made from the sister ship of HMS Resolute, the HMS Gannet.

Decorative china in the Oval Office has been replaced with historic metal gadgets and Native American pottery.

A bowl of fresh apples sits on the coffee table for visitors.

A bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. replaced Winston Churchill’s, which was scheduled to go back to Britain.

A portrait of Abraham Lincoln by George Henry Story remains from previous administrations.

A framed program from the 1963 March on Washington sits on a shelf in the Oval Office. It previously hung on Obama’s ‘wall of heroes’ in his Senate office.

Long time favorites of previous presidents remain, including the familiar Frederic Remington sculpture “The Bronco Buster,” alongside new additions, including Norman Rockwell’s “Statue of Liberty.”

Tags: a change in White House, Abraham Lincoln, changes in Obama's office, Lincoln's statue, Obama's desk, Obama's office, what is new in White house, white house interior