Eisenhower room to be offered by Red Baron, Nov. 11 The very room in France where then-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower drew up the unconditional terms of surrender for Nazi Germany in the final days of World War II will be auctioned at Red Baron's in Atlanta
ROOM IN FRANCE WHERE EISENHOWER LIVED AND PLANNED
THE END OF WORLD WAR II TO BE OFFERED BY RED BARON’S
Historically significant and architecturally beautiful room to be sold Nov. 11
(Atlanta, Ga.) – The very room in France where then-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower drew up the unconditional terms of surrender for Nazi Germany in the final days of World War II will be auctioned at Red Baron’s the weekend of Nov. 11-12. Red Baron, the Southeast’s leading auction house, is located at 6450 Roswell Road in Atlanta.
“Frankly, I’m astounded that France let this out of the country,” said Paul Brown, vice president of Red Baron. “It’s such a historically significant and architecturally beautiful piece. And France is a country that’s very proud and protective of her treasures. But, for whatever reason, it did leave the country and we are thrilled to offer it.”
The quarter-sawn oak room – measuring 13’ wide x 21’ long – was once part of the house located at 17 Boulevard Lundy in Reims, a city just east of Paris. Eisenhower used the room as his base of operations while serving as the Supreme Allied Commander in the final, triumphant days of World War II. It was Eisenhower’s private office when the Nazis capitulated, in 1945.
“To stand inside the same walls that Eisenhower and his lieutenants stood inside to draft the end to such a monumentally important event as World War II is humbling,” Brown pointed out. He said the room – which he expected will bring in excess of $500,000 – probably belongs in a museum, but would make an ideal CEO’s office, too.
“Whether it ends up as an office, in a residence or a museum, it will certainly be a topic of conversation for whoever is fortunate enough to submit the winning bid,” Brown said. “I remember when a room in a Frank Lloyd Wright house was offered for sale it caused quite a stir, but this room is much more -- a unique blend of history and beauty.”
The room’s corners are rounded, giving it a sleek, continental look. Circling the room at the top are ten frieze panels, each with low-relief hand-carvings. Each depicts a different attribute: warfare; exploration; commerce and industry; fishing; liberal arts; the hunt; the harvest; health and prosperity; drama; and music.
Also wrapping the room are a dozen door panels. They, too, feature detailed, low-relief hand-carvings. The themes are less specific, but no less beautiful: drafting; architecture; fine art; agriculture; love; and justice are just a few. Another striking feature is a one-of-a-kind mantel, handmade from specimen-grade brocatelle violetta marble.
There is no missing trim – a remarkable fact, considering the room had to undergo the rigors of disassembly and re-assembly to get to Atlanta. Plus, it was crafted in 1911, the year the house was built. The architect for the home was F.A.D. Bocage, who designed it for the Mignot family, owners of a prestigious
