Ashtray, Cunard

Product Description

Let me start by saying this is a fantastic and interesting ashtray.  You might occasionally see these ashtrays being mentioned as pre WW1.  It is easy to see why the pre-war Cunard belt logo on this ashtray is as confusing as it is desirable.  After a lot of careful thought and reviewing the available evidence, I believe that these were not on-board pre-WWI items is as often quoted but rather souvenirs made by Stuart Crystal and sold in the gift shops on board Cunarders in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  Let me explain.

The apparent discrepancy in age and the use of the pre-WWI logo on this ashtray is probably just a case of Cunard (or their souvenir suppliers) picking and choosing logos.  For example, the lovely Cunard White Star double house flag souvenirs (such as the Staffordshire pin dishes and mugs) almost certainly date to the 1950’s and 1960’s, even though the company officially became Cunard again in 1950 (although they did continue to use the name Cunard White Star on some printed material until the 1960’s).  It seems that Cunard chose whatever logo suited them even if it was not the “official” company logo in use at the time. This is especially true from a marking and gift-shop standpoint.  A further example of Cunard picking and choosing logos on gift-shop items are some pre-WWI souvenirs.  Many Cunard souvenirs at the time were produced with a swallow-tail flag, identical to that used by White Star and not the rectangular flag their ships flew.

This ashtray is in excellent condition.  JF