Fun Stuff

Striking photo of the Andrea Doria sinking.  She was, of course, famous for sinking in the modern era when an airplane could just come out and grab unbelievably impressive shots like this.  Oversized, measuring about… read more ›

Rarely seen used baggage tag from the ill-fated Italian Liner.  Made out to a Miss Helen Cook from New York to Gibraltar on September 9.  Unfortunately, no year is given.  She occupied cabin #524–a second-class… read more ›

If you want to enhance your Italian Line and or Andrea Dori collection, then you will be very pleased to see this colorful music program from on board the last completed crossing in 1956.  Very… read more ›

A smart aspect from the get-go was Italia realized they had built a perfect cruise ship with the Andrea Doria.  She was fully air-conditioned, sported outdoor pools, and was small enough to get into ports… read more ›

Probably one of the earliest deck plans for this lovely liner.  What makes me think it’s early?  All of the interior images are renderings and not photos, indicating that she was not yet completed when… read more ›

Pre-war RMS Queen Mary items are what you want as a Queen Mary collector.  You will see why when you open this deck plan.  Large and lavishly illustrated, it is also color coded.  A passenger… read more ›

Full-color foldout brochure for “Cabin Class” (or what would be simpler if they just called second class).  Hang out in Caronia’s “gay cocktail bar” as suggested in this interesting look at life on board 70… read more ›

Here is something I haven’t seen in a very long time!  An unused sheet of stationary and its original envelope from the famous Italian Line ocean liner ss Rex.  She was, of course, the record… read more ›

70 years ago this week the world lost one of the most beautiful liners ever built.  She had a lot of style and is considered by many to be the most beautiful liner ever built…. read more ›

Tissue deck plan for first class on the most famous of Italian Line ships, the Andrea Doria.  In excellent condition aside from chipping to edges as typical.  This year marks the 70th anniversary of her… read more ›

Ah, the famous woven in silk postcards.  “Hands Across the Sea.”  There was a huge and brisk trade in these prior to World War One.  I have a vague memory of seeing one or two… read more ›

Copper-plate handwriting in cursive using a fountain pen seems so pleasantly antithetical to our modern world.  It might not be the finest example of great calligraphy, but it is a gosh darn site better than… read more ›

Good ol’ RMS Mauretania.  One of the most famous Cunarders and, for that matter, one of the most famous ocean greyhounds ever to sail the North Atlantic.  She was beloved and a large amount of… read more ›

How many of these were produced?  An amazingly rare ceremonial keel-laying rivet for the ss United States.  Given to VIPs, it was made by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co. and marked with the ship’s hull… read more ›

A coat hook from a first-class cabin on board Cunard’s famous RMS Queen Mary.  In great condition.  FT

Here is something wildly rare, and I love bringing you this kind of memorabilia.  This is the type of piece your rival collector will drool over and would want so badly in his collection.  But… read more ›

Exceedingly rare pre-maiden voyage brochure for Cunard’s RMS Lusitania.  This is the first brochure ever produced for her and is by far the rarest.  12 pages including a foldout cutaway.  It is only the 3rd… read more ›

A spectacular opportunity for one of you to own an actual artifact brought up from one the most famous ship wrecks in history–a piece of window glass from Cunard’s RMS Lusitania during the Oceaneering salvage… read more ›

An official Cunard Line history brochure produced by the company in 1907 and covering the history of the shipping line from 1840-1907.  Interesting and full-color illustrated history of the fleet.  It gives insight into the… read more ›

Deck-chair receipt from the famous RMS Lusitania.  4 shillings or $1 dollar was quite a lot of money in pre-World War One uninflated solid gold money.  Once again, this is a rare example of something… read more ›

Seldom-seen souvenir tin once filled with “Cunard Line” cigarettes.  In all my years, I have yet to see an original Cunard cigarette, but perhaps one is out there destined to be found one day.  Fantastic… read more ›

Original unused stationary note card from the fast and famous RMS Mauretania.  I have seen very, very few of these for Lusitania, and one of them was written by Captain Turner himself on May 1,… read more ›

Unused sheet of embossed Cunard Line stationary from on board the RMS Lusitania.  This is one of the few items that we can say was actually onboard the famous and ill-fated liner.  Fortunately, removed by… read more ›

I haven’t had one of these brochures for RMS Caronia and RMS Carmania in many years.  Embossed covers, bold Cunard Line logos, tied with a silk cord, verbose prose.  All this combines to tell us… read more ›

Here is something supremely rare.  Let’s get the basics out of the way first–it  covers 12 pages and is in very good condition with two chipped cover corners.  While on the one hand, I am… read more ›

WOW!  I have been collecting, interacting, and marveling at ocean-liner memorabilia for almost 40 years now, and I love it when I can say the following:  This is the first time I have seen or… read more ›

Highly detailed and impressive model by RJ Fivehouse.  This fantastically detailed model is a real show stopper and will really be a centerpiece of your collection.  The White Star Line went in big for the… read more ›

Nautical travel-agency advertising piece for the famous USL liner ss United States.   Fittingly, the image of the great ship is inside a ship’s wheel.  It would work in your beach house or your ocean… read more ›

Impressive silver-plated ice bucket from the United States Line’s flagship, the ss United States.  Dated 1952 and made by International Silver.  Stands about 6.75″ (not including handle).  Don’t believe I have ever had another …. read more ›

Colorful brochure for the famous Italian Line steamships Andrea Doria and Cristoforo Colombo.  In fantastic condition, and one I haven’t had in stock in a while.  Dated December 1954.

Highly sought-after gamble table lamp from the White Star Line.  These were used extensively on the RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic.  They were handy in the early electric era when there were only 2 lights… read more ›

Harder-to-find real photograph of RMS Olympic’s first-class dining room set for luncheon circa 1919.  One of the largest rooms at sea at the time, it was around 10,000 sq feet.  What wouldn’t you give for… read more ›

12-page brochure for tourist-class on the White Star Line circa the early 1930s.  Three rarely seen images showing RMS Olympic’s former second-class spaces as they had been altered over the years.  She is still looking… read more ›

These cardboard tags are tough to find these days.  This one is for the main express service from the 1920s.  First-class no less.  Excellent condition.  Read this next part in your best Doc Brown voice:… read more ›

Crystal clear and extremely hard-to-find real-photo postcard of the Cunard liner RMS Carpathia.  Not many real photo cards are seen for her, making this a true rarity!  The image is taken around the time of… read more ›

Tortoise-shell and gold-leafed souvenir cigarette case from your favorite ocean liner.  I strive to find excellent items for your collection, and this item fills the bill!  It is just oozing Olympic’s on-board charm and elegance…. read more ›

Cunard Line RMS Lusitania first-class passenger list dated April 17, 1909.  Captain Charles in command.  He was later made Commodore of the Cunard fleet and was one of the most popular and charismatic ship captains… read more ›

16 photo studies of the on-board spaces for the world famous RMS Queen Mary.  Pre war and in mint condition.  Not really sure why I love the Mary so much more than Queen Elizabeth, perhaps… read more ›

Lloyd Sabaudo brochure dated 1928 for the ss Conte Grande.  Folds open from the center and makes each page double length.  Excellent condition.

Quite cute and beautifully made silver-plate ice bucket.  Individual in size and likely for use in the cabins.  I have also seen it on board in public rooms so these must have been handy given… read more ›

First-class travel on board the Queen Mary can be relived in this fantastic hardbound booklet available to passengers in the on-board gift shop. Sixteen glossy images, most are full-color photos. At the back, there is… read more ›

Good ol’ Olympic.  Here she is in mid career putting up decent speed numbers for a rather rough crossing in August, 1925.  Captain Marshall in command.  What makes this item truly special is that it… read more ›

After 38 years of collecting White Star Line memorabilia, finding something completely new is obviously a rarity.  So here is something I haven’t ever seen before.  A catholic luncheon menu from Friday, June 10, 1932…. read more ›

Hard-to-find silver sugar bowl made by Elkington and date marked to 1914.  Made for the maiden voyage of the Aquitania, when this new Cunard logo was introduced.  From handle to handle, measures about 5.5″.  Great… read more ›

A beautiful bar pitcher from the on-board service of the ss United States.  We have the auction of the ship’s fittings to thank for things like this being available for our collections.  Few of these… read more ›

Many people don’t spend inordinate amounts of time on describing items anymore.  I can see the point.  After all, in our fast-paced world, who has the time to read it?  Also so much is now… read more ›

Which is your favorite? Mauretania, Berengaria, or the Aquitania.  Cunard Line invites you to chose with this stunning large-format brochure detailing first class on all three of these beautiful liners.  They dominated the 1920s and… read more ›

First-class travel on board the Queen Elizabeth can be relived in this fantastic hardbound booklet available to passengers in the on-board gift shop.  Sixteen glossy images, most are full-color photos. At the back, there is… read more ›

The famed and rare original blue-tinted crystal clock produced for the CGT flagship ss Normandie.  Made by the famous ATO Clock Company in conjunction with Rene Lalique, these clocks are the big leagues for not… read more ›

WOW!  Here is something you don’t see often!  In fact, this is the first one I have ever had the pleasure of offering.  The famous bronze Gibbs medal made for each crew member who took… read more ›

Homemade bookmark from the famous Cunard liner RMS Aquitania.  This was privately made by someone using a piece of stationery from the liner and, given the detail, must have taken quite a while to make…. read more ›

A breakfast menu from the Cunard Liner Aquitania from May 31, 1921–the 10th anniversary of the launch of the White Star liner RMS Titanic.  This time period is not only the best for this grand… read more ›

Dated March, 1936, this Cunard White Star Line deck plan showcases the upcoming first-class grandeur of the RMS Queen Mary.  A couple of flea bites to the cover and some very slight discoloration the edge… read more ›

An exquisite pattern used on the Italian Line fleet, being introduced on the ss Duilio from the 1920s.  Very rare to find anything in this pattern.  Dated November, 1939.  This example is in mint condition…. read more ›

A pair of cruise fare foldouts dated 08-68 and 07-69.  The one for 1969 is advertising a Christmas/New Years cruise she never made as she was laid up the month before it was scheduled to… read more ›

Want to take the November, 1968, or March, 1969, cruise on the ss United States?  Of course, you do!  Who wouldn’t!?  Fares and color images inside and in near mint condition.  JF.

From time to time I have had oak cigarette boxes from the famous record breaking RMS Mauretania.  Long Cunard’s record breaker the liner was rightly famous worldwide.  This was true even when she was being… read more ›

CGT ice buckets are not common.  In fact ,they are highly sought after and are a true rarity, especially so when they come to us from the great and grand ss Normandie.  Made, of course,… read more ›

Cedar-lined cigarette boxes were all the rage in an age when everyone smoked.  Still, this is the first time I have seen one for the 2nd Mauretania.  Leather covered and emblazoned with a gold Cunard… read more ›

Over the years, I have had a number of these special ss Normandie desk-top souvenirs.  You can’t really call them common, in fact, they are quite difficult to find in this condition and size.  Rare… read more ›

One of the most iconic menu holders ever produced for a menu.  Hard cardboard cover in the design of the famous curtains from the Verandah Grill of the RMS Queen Mary.  It is not very… read more ›

One of the rarest Lusitania items I have ever sold.  The gold-washed Goetz medal presented to the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) and kept by him until his death in 1972.  This… read more ›

Highly sought-after EPNS souvenir ashtray from the RMS Caronia.  From the “suit of cards” set of ashtrays sold in her on-board gift shop.  These are quite fun to collect and yet are exceedingly rare for… read more ›

An amazing chair from a first-class suite on board the world’s fastest liner, the ss United States.  Unholstered in an off-white leather, this chair is fully marked on the bottom with its original location on… read more ›

A pair of cardboard signs from the ss United States reminding passengers to leave their stateroom keys in their cabin upon disembarkation and to have their baggage and trunks ready for removal before arrival in… read more ›

I’m listing some of the last items I have from the estate of the late Dr. Sarah Forbes.  These are cardboard signs from the ss United States.  The first gives the last times the baggage… read more ›

Years ago, I helped clean out the estate of the late Dr. Sarah Forbes, who was the largest bidder and purchaser at the ss United States auction in 1984.  This is from her estate.  A… read more ›

Perhaps no steamship line in the 1950s was making a bigger deal out of caviar service than the United States Lines.  Silver service table side was and still is a requirement in my mind for… read more ›

Exquisite original painting of the American Export liner ss Consitution by well-known maritime artist Robert Lloyd.  Showing the liner in the Bay of Naples in 1957, the frame measures about 31″ x 23″.  Great opportunity… read more ›

One of the rarest Normandie items I have yet offered–a throw rug from one of her third-class cabins!  This is only the second time I have been able to offer any fabric from Normandie.  The… read more ›

Exquisite original painting of the United States Lines’s ss America by well-known maritime artist Robert Lloyd.  Showing the liner departing New York, the frame measures about 27″ x 19″.  Custom commissioned from the artist by… read more ›

Wow!  This is the first time I have ever had one of these beauties!  This phone is so Art Deco and is coveted throughout the ocean-liner collecting world as a king-making piece for any collection…. read more ›

One of the most iconic chairs ever made for a liner.  A first-class dining room chair from the French Line’s masterpiece, the ss Ile de France.  Pre-war French luxury and useful too!  The Ile de… read more ›

An original painting by the world-renowned maritime artist Robert Lloyd.  This is a custom piece of artwork commissioned by the prior owner in 2023 and is, in my opinion, one of the best ocean-liner paintings… read more ›

An absolutely amazing opportunity for one of you.  A solid brass light fixture from an alcove in the first-class smoking room of the Mauretania of 1907.  The detailing is magnificent.  Originally sold by ocean-liner dealer… read more ›

Spectacular French Line brochure circa 1901 and promoting the ss La Savoie as the leading ship of the line.  Covers the ss La Lorraine, La Savoie, La Touraine, and L’Aquitaine.  Entitled “The connecting link between… read more ›

With decades of experience selling ocean-liner memorabilia, I am still often pleasantly surprised to find new and stunningly rare brochures.  The kind of brochures that I haven’t seen before and are so rare they make… read more ›

Never seen this cabin-class brochure for the French Line before.  It is marked as a “specimen” advising you to write in to CGT and request more.  Covers all 5 ships in the fleet at the… read more ›

Italian Line crystal glass.  One might say “diminutive” at 2″ tall, but I would call it cute!  For a while, I wondered what it was used for, but then I remembered that dinner in Italy… read more ›

Simply superb travel agency promotional photo book showcasing all aspects of the fantastic t/n Michelangelo and Raffaello.  The Italian Line was spending big money promoting these two new flagships.  The real photos contained within show… read more ›

Do you enjoy the Italian Line’s superb t/n Leonardo Da Vinci?  Who doesn’t?  So imagine how amazing it is to see every single aspect of this great liner inside this 360-page shipbuilder.  Softcover and in… read more ›

The French Line always had great graphics for their publicity items, and this is one of the best. In the 1930’s, they produced a series of deck plans that showed the ship in an isometric… read more ›

Magnificent full-color cutaway of the trend-setting ss Ile de France.  Simply amazing condition.  You could sit and look at this for hours–and I almost have!  Explore the ship using this amazing cutaway.  JF

Here is a French Line oddity.  An Independence Day menu from the ss Normandie’s first months of operation.  Must be a first-class menu due to the gastronomic delights of the offerings.  Trust me when I… read more ›

One of the most iconic items that you can own from the Big U.  A table lamp from one of her dining rooms.  High mid-century styling adds a lot of flair to this useful lamp…. read more ›

The French Line always did great advertising pieces, and this perpetual wall calendar is one of them.  Another thing CGT did extremely well was superb graphics.  This calendar shows the entire CGT fleet and will… read more ›

Huge publicity photo of the dining room of one of the grand luxe suites on board the French Line Ile de France, one of the most beautiful Art Deco liners ever built.  When looking at… read more ›

Huge publicity photo of the first-class “Guignol” (puppet theater) on board the French Line Ile de France, one of the most beautiful Art Deco liners ever built.  This room is so Art Deco that it’s… read more ›

Lovely silver tea pot form the service of the ss Paris.  She is an interesting ship because she was laid down before World War I, launched in 1916, but not completed until 1921.  This is… read more ›

Another one of those pieces I am extremely proud to offer.  Only the third I have ever had.  A silver caviar serving dish by Christofle. The silver service on Normandie was pretty spectacular, and this… read more ›

One of the most iconic items for any ss United States collection.  According to the catalogue of china, silver, and crystal used on board, this is listed as a “service plate.”  Archival photos from on… read more ›

A different type of cordial from the ss Ile de France.  Clearly there were several types and patterns in the ship’s service, and what wouldn’t we give to have the French Line’s illustrated official inventory… read more ›

Crystal cordial from the service of the ss Ile de France.  I knew how Art Deco the Ile was, but when I started researching her, I realized how off the charts stunningly Art Deco she… read more ›

Italian Line crystal.  Beyond cute.  One might say “diminutive” at 2″ tall.  In fact, I wondered what on earth this was used for.  Dinner in Italy was always followed by something like limoncello.  Perhaps that’s… read more ›

Sugar bowl from the “Rue de la Paix of the Atlantic,” the stunning ss Ile de France.  Something I love about French Line silver is that, as each new liner entered service, CGT designed a… read more ›

Rarely seen hot-water jug form the service of the ss Normandie.  You can tell this is for hot water because of the spacers between the pot and the handle.  These spacers keep the handle cool… read more ›

Very cute silver creamer made by Christofle for the on-board tea service of the ss Normandie.  Isn’t it interesting that the French Line used a silver tea service compared to the Cunard Line which was… read more ›

Superb travel agent’s model of the lovely Italian liner Raffaello.  Can you imagine being a small boy walking by a travel agency in the late 1960s and seeing this model in the window?  It would… read more ›

On-board souvenir from the Conte di Savoia and dated 5/1933.  For some reason, souvenir pin dishes for her are difficult to come by, unlike her running mate the Rex.  Great condition.  Measures about 5″ x… read more ›

Uniforms very rarely come onto the open market, and here we have a beauty.  Engineer officer’s coat and hat from the United States Lines, maybe from the Big U herself.  The hat size is 7… read more ›

One of the rarest pieces of glassware I have ever offered for the French Line.  An extremely hard-to-find beer mug.  When have you seen another?  Huge CGT logo.  Stands about 4″ tall.  JF

Unusual and rare third-class water glass from the on-board service.  Stands about 4″ tall.  Excellent condition.  JF

Another of those items I am very proud to offer my customers.  This one-of-a-kind item is a ceramic panel from the first-class Bar on board the ill-fated Andrea Doria.  Created by Romano Rui, the panel… read more ›

Mint condition and exceedingly rare gold-washed salver made by Broggi.  I know Italia used some gold washed items in first-class.  Anyone out there know what it was used for?  I know silver ruins the taste… read more ›

Unusual diamond-shaped ashtray for Italia Lines dated 3-1937.  In the circle & dart pattern.  Made by Richard Ginori with a pre-war Savoy crown.  Measures about 6.5″.  In great condition with no chips, cracks, or crazing. … read more ›

Unusually rare passenger list for the ss France of 1912, dated September 8, 1923.  For some reason, passenger lists for her are really tough to find.  For both first and second class.  11 pages of… read more ›

Sterling silver spoon from the on-board gift shop of the RMS Mauretania.  Made in Birmingham, England, and hallmarked to 1911.  That was the last year this great ship would hold the title of the largest… read more ›

Unusual advertising piece for CGT.  Wooden cutout profile of an iconic French Line bellhop.  Stamped on the bottom with the name of the company that made it.  Stands about 11″ tall.  The French Line always… read more ›

Hors d’oeuvres picks from the on-board device of the French Line.  CGT molded into the head of the pick.  Measures about 3.5″ long. Several available.  JF

One of the rarest pieces of French Line crystal ever offered on LLR.  An Alsatian wine glass from the first-class service of the ss Normandie.  This is even rarer than the Lalique crystal from her… read more ›

Exquisite original painting of the Italian liner Andrea Doria by well-known maritime artist Robert Lloyd.  Showing the liner passing Gibraltar, the frame measures about 32″ x 23″.  Great opportunity to own an original painting of… read more ›

A lovely brass plaque from one of the induction motors of the ss United States.  Mounted to a solid wood backer, this is a rare find.  Sorry to say that most of the plaques like… read more ›

This is the largest and finest butterfly-wing souvenirs I have ever seen!  It features the French Line flagship Normandie and is from her 1938 cruise to Rio.  Usually, the butterfly wings have some fading or… read more ›

One of the finest items I have ever been able to offer from the ss Normandie.  An ultra-rare Lalique bone-china dinner plate from the French Line’s flagship.  This china was used exclusively in her best… read more ›

What is probably the first brochure ever produced for the exquisite Andrea Doria.  Dated July, 1952, it is a three-page fold out.  Perfect condition.

Very hard-to-find brochure for the Doria’s maiden cruise to the West Indies with rates and itinerary.  Excellent condition.

Very rare serving bowl for Cunard from the 1870s.  This one dates to the time after Cunard became a public company.  Very nice condition for a rarely seen piece.

Extremely difficult to find and highly sought-after silver bud vase from the on-board service of the French Line’s amazing Ile de France.  She set the Art Deck design style for the next 50 years of… read more ›

On-board souvenir from one of the most spectacular of all French liners.  Souvenir leather wallet from the Ile de France.  Measures about 7″ x 4″.  JF

Leather ticket wallet with a vignette of the kind-of-forgotten ss Paris of 1916.  Launched in the dark days of World War I, the Paris would not start her maiden voyage until 1921!  She was the… read more ›

A lovely first-class dining room chair from the ss United States.  Still in its original upholstery, this chair was purchased at the 1984 auction by Dr. Sarah Forbes (owner of the Windmill Point Restaurant in… read more ›

Spectacular CGT vase by Edgar Brandt from the French Line flagship ss Normandie.  One of the most famous art deco ocean-liner items ever produced. These were made in two sizes, and this is the larger… read more ›

The Big Ship had big rivets!  Exceedingly rare rivet from the keel-laying ceremony of the ss United States February 8, 1950.  This is an impressive original gift for VIPs who attended the keel laying of… read more ›

Spectacular CGT vase by Edgar Brandt from the French Line flagship ss Normandie.  One of the most famous art deco ocean-liner items ever produced. These were made in two sizes, and this is the small… read more ›

Gala dinner menu from the Big U dated October 9, 1953–just over 72 years after this description was written.  I love looking at old liner menus and figuring out what I would have had.  Lobster… read more ›

Original porcelain-coated metal French Line travel agent’s sign.  This is not a reproduction.  Sold originally many years ago by famous ocean-liner-memorabilia dealer Ken Schultz.  Fantastic condition given its age.  Easy to put this up and… read more ›

Extremely rare (and I must say) beautiful in-service tea strainer from the art nouveau service of the ss France of 1912.  Did you know she was the third fastest ship in the world when she… read more ›

Never had another one of these small carafes before.  For decanting wine, perhaps?  Even something for such a mundane task on Normandie had such style!  In excellent condition and measures about 6.5″ tall.  JF

This is the first time I have had one of these water glasses from the service of the France of 1962.  Of all the liner crystal I stock, this timeless pattern from the France is… read more ›