Cunard A-L

Produced by the famous and still-operating Shanks Co., Ltd, this full-scale drawing shows the sink backs as proposed for the B Deck cabins on Aquitania.  They are very similar to those of Olympic and Titanic,… read more ›

A hand-written cost estimate for the new Cunard “proposed Atlantic liner” from December 6, 1910, that exhaustively lists the estimated costs of building and installing Aquitania’s proposed engine plant.  The estimate is nearly half a million… read more ›

Impressive photo of Aquitania’s top of house.  With her grand Cunard funnels stretching out behind, she is the epitome of an ocean liner.  Written on the back in pencil is “Bertram Hayes,” which makes this… read more ›

Crew boxing matches were quite popular with the passengers.  Although one wonders if the punches stopped when the bell rang or if they continued down below decks.  This match on the Aquitania does not break… read more ›

Sought-after souvenir compact as sold in Aquitania’s gift shop.  A nice item that dates to the 1930’s or 1940’s.  Still has some powder in it.  In excellent condition.

Gorgeous stand-up dinner menu from H.M.T Aquitania.  Dated March 29, 1919.  Although Aquitania had been released from government service by this date, she was chartered by the government to make a number of voyages from… read more ›

Rarely seen luncheon menu from HMT Aquitania, dated March 29, 1919.  At this time, she was still under charter by the government for a few voyages between the UK and North America.  Great pre war… read more ›

Super Stratton compact from the Ascania.  In great condition and never used.  Complete with the cardboard insert from Stratton.  Completed in 1925 as the fifth of Cunard’s “A” Class ships that served Canada, the Ascania… read more ›

Super impressive aerial photo for the RMS Berengaria.  Taken sometime in 1935 or the beginning of 1936 (because Majestic is docked at Cunard’s Pier 54).  With frame, it measures about 18″ x 13.75″.  Comes from… read more ›

Souvenir enamel spoon as sold in the onboard gift shops of the famous Berengaria.  Dates to the 1920’s. Stupendous Cunard logo surmounting the spoon.  Slight manufacturing flaw in the enamel which does not detract and… read more ›

A Cunard Steamship souvenir plate from the 1890’s. Campania and Lucania represented in all manor of English Heraldry including the Tudor Rose, the thistle, and the official coat of arms of the UK, whose motto… read more ›

Silver souvenir spoon dating to the 1920’s and prior to the CWS merger.  In excellent condition with no issues with the enamel.

Full-color fold-open brochure for the “new” Carinthia.  Almost certainly date to before the maiden voyage because all nine of the interior illustrations are color renderings.  Also has a rendering of the liner.  When opened, it… read more ›

Superb pre-maiden voyage brochure for Cunard’s Carinthia.  18 page with lots of interior renderings and three photos of her launch.  Also has a full-color rendering of her as a centerfold.  Brochure comes with original mailing… read more ›

Color-coded first-class deck plan for Cunard’s Carinthia.  Measures about 44″ x 8.75″ when opened.  Six color photos of her interiors, including one of her restaurant complete with chairs that had been transferred from Aquitania.  Great… read more ›

Extremely clear photo of Carinthia probably on her trials.  Stamp on the back reads: Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, Ltd. Clydebank Division.”  This was the name for a consortium of shipbuilders that was created in 1968 from… read more ›

Impressive and well-made pre-war sterling silver and enamel souvenir spoon.  The “pretty sisters” also had great gift shop items.  Measures about 4” long and in near mint condition.

Impressive hardback brochure for Caronia’s Great African Cruise of 1950.  This stunning voyage was an impressive undertaking.  It was also a one off in the life of a ship designed to carry on Cunard’s mantel… read more ›

A phone by GEC and made for the most luxurious ship Cunard ever operated, the RMS Caronia. “You can telephone to any part of the world whilst at sea.”  Can you imagine being in the… read more ›

Color-coded cruise plan for the “Green Goddess.”  Not dated, but dates prior to the 1965 refit.  Measures 37″ x 24″.  Excellent condition.

I love these colorful cut-aways.  Whether you frame them or just take them out and look at them, they’re gorgeous and informative.  Cunard must have loved them as well because they produced them for all… read more ›

Perhaps one of you out there can tell me why Cunard bothered to make so many temporary plans in the post-war period, even after the ship was in service. Here’s a temporary plan for first… read more ›

My favorite deck plan produced for Cunard’s fabulous RMS Caronia.  Dated December, 1951, and in excellent condition.  Sporting loads of full color images (nearly 20) and happily all from Caronia.  There is no Cunard “filler.” … read more ›

For some reason, this 1960s deck plan for Caronia is not as easily found as some of her other Cunard sisters.  Dated 1965, the plan shows the changes made during the major refit that year. … read more ›

By far the best brochure ever done for Cunard’s superb “Green Goddess.”  Large-format brochure in full color with much gold leaf.  Excellent logos for ss Caronia and Cunard White Star are to be found here,… read more ›

Not-often-seen brochure produced for the launch of the largest ship built anywhere since the end of WWII, Cunard’s incomparable Green Goddess, Caronia.  Because of post-war rationing, promotional materials were not produced on the scale seen… read more ›

A dinner menu from Caronia’s first trip before the maiden voyage.  A cruise from Scotland to Southampton.  Cunard treated over 400 VIP’s and company employees to this voyage.  Of course, the star guest was H.R.H…. read more ›

How do I sum up the event that I consider to be without doubt the biggest in Cunard’s post-war period?  I suppose it really can’t be done.  So I will just let this superb Coronation… read more ›

Co-authored with well-known maritime author and lecturer Bill Miller, this 96-page soft-cover book about Cunard White Star’s famous Caronia is filled with never-before-seen photos.  Nearly all of the images come from my personal archive and… read more ›

Butterfly-wing reverse-painted pin dish as sold in the on board gift shop of RMS Caronia.  Like me, you could collect the whole set of butterfly wing souvenirs or just get this as a great example. … read more ›

Fine bone-china coffee mug by Crown Staffordshire with the famous image of Caronia by Turner on one side and double Cunard White Star house flags on the other.  Sold in the gift shop on board.  The… read more ›

The writing room on the RMS Caronia was an excellent example of Cunard Art Deco and British ocean-liner decor.  It also in many ways straddled the line with a softer look that anticipated the 1950s. … read more ›

Exceedingly rare deck plan for the Caribia.  Almost nothing ever shows up for Caronia’s abortive attempt to be a flag-of-convenience cruise ship.  She only completed one cruise, and that was a disaster with massive amounts… read more ›

Cute fold-open color brochure for first and second class on board Cunard’s long-serving Franconia.  Dates to her postwar return to service in 1949.  Huge and lovely artwork by Kenneth Shoesmith is the highlight to this… read more ›

Beautifully restored footstool from cabin M-94 of the Franconia.  This piece is typical of the furnishings and fittings put on the ship when she was new and called the Ivernia.  In the early 1960’s, Cunard… read more ›

Have you ever had a great night’s sleep on a cruise ship or ocean liner?  I slept particularly well on QE2 and still do onboard QM2 — although I think the new QE has the… read more ›

Lovely full-color deck plan for first class on board the Ivernia.  Shows all of her first-class areas including the furniture placement.  Measures about 44″ x 8.75″ when opened and has four color photos and a… read more ›

Impressive real photo of Cunard’s Ivernia of 1900.  This large photo shows the ship in Liverpool  just before WWI.  Note the distinctive brown painted band just under her white superstructure.  This was a feature of… read more ›

Not often seen spoon as sold in the on board gift shop from Cunard’s ill fated Lancastira.  In excellent condition with no problems with the silver or its high quality enamel.  Measures about 4” long.

A period memorial image of Lusitania off the Old Head of Kinsale.  She is shown amazingly near the site of her sinking in a view likely from 1909.  The frame and glass are original to… read more ›

Lovely card of Lusitania as she appeared on her trials.  Oddly listed as Mauretania.  Cunard logo and house flag at the top and the ship’s statistics at the bottom.  Part of the Rival Photographic series. … read more ›

Impressive real-photo postcard of the Lusitania at the famous floating Landing Stage in Liverpool.  She cuts quite the figure here with those funnels, does she not?  Unused and in excellent condition.

When Oceaneering did its salvage work on the Lusitania in 1982, they went into the specie room and found what they thought were silver Cunard spoons.  What they turned out to be were spoons with… read more ›

Superb press photo of Lusitania survivors arriving at Euston Station in London shortly after the sinking.  By Underwood & Underwood.  I love these types of press photos because they offer a glimpse of a rarely… read more ›

Reverse-painted glass paperweight for the ill-fated Cunarder RMS Lusitania.  In very good condition and measures about 4.25″ x 2.75″.

This is a period press photo of two Lusitania survivors in Queenstown, who have been identified by researchers as second-class passengers Ellen Burdon and her infant son Robert.  The photo was taken in the days… read more ›