Original self-portrait sketch by President Barack Obama, who draws a cartoonish front-facing depiction of his head, accomplished in ballpoint on an off-white 4 x 6 sheet of stationery from the Sheraton Hotel & Convention Center in Ankara, Turkey. Archivally matted and framed with a descriptive plaque and a color photo of Obama to an overall size of 25 x 21.75. In fine condition. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Samuel Sutton, the personal valet to President Obama, in full: “I, Samuel Sutton, worked in the White House as President Barack Obama's personal valet. Prior to working in the Obama Administration, I worked in the White House for George W. Bush. In these capacities, I was given certain souvenirs…among these…is the item photographed below…a doodle executed by President Barack Obama, probably a self-portrait, written on Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center notepad.”
Turkey was the last stop of President Obama's 2009 maiden tour of Europe, which also included Britain, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. His visit to Turkey was to include detailed talks on various issues concerning both countries and the region and attended a meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations, a forum sponsored by Turkey and Spain to promote understanding between the Western and Islamic worlds. Obama toured Haghia Sofia, which once was a Byzantine church, and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul's historical Sultanahmet district. The visit, Obama's first to a Muslim country, was seen as symbolic in terms of unity and strategy, as the new administration tried to improve the U.S.' tarnished image abroad.
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