Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) used this automobile lap robe while he was governor of New York (1928-32), and during his four terms as 32nd President of the United States (1933-1945).

It kept his legs warm when he rode in open cars. As president, he frequently made public appearances in open cars while leading the country through the Great Depression and World War II.

Franklin D. Roosevelt used this microphone while delivering the radio talks he called "fireside chats."

Between March 12, 1933, and January 6, 1945, Roosevelt gave 31 fireside chats to bolster the country's morale during the Great Depression and the Second World War.

Many Americans felt as if the President were speaking to them personally. In March 1933, one man wrote: ". . . last evening as I listened to the President's broadcast I felt that he walked into my home, sat down and in plain and forceful language explained to me how he was tackling the job."