Step back into the bustling heart of early-20th-century Manhattan, where politics, privilege, and youthful independence met inside a remarkable little establishment known as the

This rare image captures an intimate moment inside that very world: a young man and woman share a simple meal at a small oak table beneath a decorative painted panel, surrounded by the textured wallpaper, handcrafted wooden furniture, and quiet charm of the Roosevelt kids’ whimsical creation. It is a glimpse into a private universe designed not for dignitaries or diplomats but for laughter, friendship, stories, and youthful freedom—far removed from the intensity of the White House.

Inside the Double R Coffee House, the Roosevelt children played host, served meals, decorated the space themselves, and even invented playful menus. Ethel Roosevelt was responsible for interior decorations. The Coffee House was long and narrow with 30 oak tables and matching chairs. Each table had a compartment with ink, envelopes and paper inscribed with Brazilian Coffee House. In affect, the Roosevelts created pre-technology of internet cafe where visitors could read, draw, study and socialize while sipping on craft coffee. The walls were decorated with green and gold wallpaper featuring bamboo plant design and pictures of the Brazilian coffee plantations.

Their father, President Roosevelt—ever supportive of energetic enterprise—encouraged the venture as a lesson in responsibility, camaraderie, and self-expression. Guests recalled it as a warm and slightly eccentric refuge filled with handmade art, homemade sandwiches, and plenty of spirited Roosevelt humor.

The siblings themselves were unforgettable characters:

• Ted Roosevelt Jr. – Responsible, disciplined, and the natural “manager.”

• Kermit Roosevelt – The artistic and literary spirit of the group.

• Ethel Roosevelt – A born leader and organizer, often running the show.

• Archie Roosevelt – Energetic and inventive, full of ideas and improvisations.

• Quentin Roosevelt – The youngest, charming and endlessly mischievous.

Given the lack of matches in all major publicly available sources — archival records, blog databases, historical articles, and specialized coffeehouse-history sites — it’s reasonable to treat this image as a rare find, possibly never published before.

The Fine Art Print — created from an original vintage glass camera negative from our private historical archive — preserves this long-lost cultural treasure in exquisite detail. From the couple’s expressions to the porcelain teacups, from the carved wooden booth to the decorative pastoral scene on the wall, every element freezes a fleeting, human moment inside a one-of-a-kind coffee house that existed only because America’s most exuberant presidential family built it with their own hands.

Today, the Double R Coffee House is all but forgotten. Its memory survives only through scattered references and exceedingly rare imagery. This print stands as a remarkable rediscovery—an authentic visual window into a playful chapter of Roosevelt family history and the vibrant social life of New York in the 1910s.