French Line

A resurgent and proud French Line brought out two new ships in 1952. The Flandre and the Antilles. This bronze medallion is the maiden voyage medal for the Flandre as sold in her on-board gift… read more ›

Highly sought-after sterling silver medal for the beautiful France of 1912.  CGT only produced one four stacker, but she was an amazing one!  The artist who designed the medal, Louis Patriarche, was a famous French… read more ›

“The France is one of those strange creatures of steel and wood and paint and glass that has managed to achieve a soul.  A very few hotels do it — and some clubs — but… 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 ›

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 ›

Add some style to your next summer novel.  1960s bookmark for the “Le Plus Long Paquebot Du Mond.”  Featuring her distinctive and striking flying funnels.

Full-color brochure filled with 35 photos for both classes. Fold-out in the middle with an aerial photo of her at sea. Pull-out profile at the back which is color-coded to show you in what parts… read more ›

A full-color fold-open brochure with great graphics for the fantastic ss France.  One I haven’t had in quite some time.  The French Line was creative in the images with this brochure.  Really cute.  Measures about… read more ›

Coming in at a massive 46″ long, this is an amazing cut-away. In full-color, 232 items are listed in the extensive key. It is sad to think that this magnificent liner is now gone. As… read more ›

Miniature deck plan for one of the last Ships of State. Great detail. Some photos of her interiors.

Superb fold-out color-coded deck plan for first class. Who fantasizes about traveling any other way?  Eight color photos on glossy paper. In French and English. One of the best deck plans you can find for… read more ›

Wow!  The French Line really went all out on this glorious color-coded tourist-class (second-class) deck plan.  It is full glossy with all color photos.  CGT was being quite careful to cultivate the tourist market, and… read more ›

I thought it might be a beer glass at first, but I have now seen beer mugs from the ss France so I doubt this was for beer.  My next thought was iced tea for… read more ›

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 ›

An interesting French Line brochure I have only had once before.  Covering the famous ss Ile de France, ss Flandre, and ss Liberte.  Dates to 1950s or, if you will, the 100 year give or… 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 ›

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

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

A very proud French Line produced this bronze medal in 1955 for the 100th anniversary of the company.  Perhaps in a bit of austerity following the war, the size of the medals produced in the… read more ›

Great souvenir pin dish with the famous “sailor-at-the-helm” logo as seen on many French Line souvenirs.  Measures about 4¼” across.  Excellent condition.  A couple of colors to chose from so ask me if you don’t… read more ›

Do you know what the French call brandy? Les Eaux De Vie.  But if you, as I did, use Google translate, it literally means the  “the waters of life.”  I kinda like that.  Here is… 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 ›

A well-made enamel lapel broach from the famous French Line.  Compagnie Generale Transatlantique sold these in the gift shop on the grand liners of the 1950s such as Ile de France and Liberte.  As opposed… read more ›

France Afloat.  Just the title conjures up thoughts of lazy days at sea and wonderful food.  Dates to the immediate post-war period since the Ile de France and Liberte are listed as being refurbished.  “Once… read more ›

I haven’t had this one in a while.  A fantastic brochure for the French Line’s famous ss Ile de France.  What can be said about her–one of the most famous liners of all time and… read more ›

Never seen another of these!  Tourist-class brochure for one of the French Line’s greats.  16 pages with 13 images, most of which I have never seen before.  It’s like a tour of tourist class!  Dated… 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 ›

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 ›

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

Very rare unused invitation to visit the Ile de France before she entered service.  Embossed CGT flag with day’s schedule on the right.  Measures 11″ x 4.25″.

After Normandie, the most beloved ship of the French Line fleet is a toss up in my opinion between the France of 1962 and the Ile. Like De Grasse, Ile received a post-war medallion of… 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 ›

Passenger list for the famous French liner Ile de France.  CGT really loved this cover for their passenger lists, using it for a very long time!  This list is for her voyage from New York… read more ›

Very early passenger list for the Ile de France dated July 21, 1928.  Lists officers, including the very well-known and liked Henri Villar, who went on to be the Chief Purser of the Normandie a… read more ›

Passenger list for the Ile de France dated September 23, 1931.  Lists officers, including the very well-known and liked Henri Villar, who went on to be the Chief Purser of the Normandie a few years… read more ›

Lovely passenger list for the Ile de France dated May 16, 1934.  Lists officers, including the very well-known and liked Henri Villar, who went on to be the Chief Purser of the Normandie a few… 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 ›

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 ›

Here is an invitation I think we all would have loved to have received.  It is for Press reporters invited to luncheon in July 1949 to mark the return to service of the famous Ile… 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 ›

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

Extremely rare and desirable sugar tongs from the Ile de France.  Not only are they super cute, but they are in fantastic condition.  See archival.  Measuring about 5″ and made by Christofle. 

First-class deck plans for the ss Ile de France are hard to come by, but the most sought after are the iconic ISO plans that give the decks a 3-D appearance.  These are simply amazing… read more ›

An exceedingly rare brochure for the French Line ‘s fantastic Ile De France, the Paris, and the France.  24 pages with full-color, mostly full-page renderings, half for the new Ile, and the other half split… read more ›

Extremely tough to find salt and pepper shakers from the first-class dining room of the ss Ile De France.  Made by Christofle and in very good condition.  They have the CGT logo in the silver… read more ›

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 ›

Formerly the NDL liner, Europa, CGT’s ss Liberte was taken over by the French Line after the war and completely gutted and redecorated.  Despite several mishaps during her refit, she finally made her maiden voyage… read more ›

A very rare puzzle of the French liner Liberte (the ex-NDL liner Europa!) arriving in New York.  May be taken from a photo of her arriving on her maiden voyage, given all the tugs around… read more ›

Souvenir life ring for the French Line’s Liberte, ex-NDL Europa.  Made of heavy duty cardboard.  In excellent condition for a not-often-seen item of French Line souvenirs.  It measures about 12″ across.

Cabin-class deck plan for the ss Liberte.  13  photos.  When opened, it measures almost 31″ in length.  Excellent condition.

First-class deck plan for the ss Liberte.  She was certainly CGT’s finest ship in the immediate post-war era.  It’s a fascinating look at the layout of what used to be the North German Lloyd flyer… read more ›

Tourist-class deck plan for the ss Liberte.  It’s surprising how small her tourist-class accommodation was.  8 photos and dated 11-15-50.  When opened, it measures 31″ in length.  Excellent condition.

A friend of mine once characterized the type of people who could afford first-class on the ss Normandie as “the privileged class, enjoying their privileges.”  I love the picture that paints in my mind.  The… read more ›

A tourist-class brochure for the Normandie in French.  Fantastic cover art, but what makes it interesting are the renderings inside which make third-class look far more inviting but also suggest it is a maiden-voyage-era brochure. … read more ›

The French Line must be lauded for their efforts as they seem to have produced far more and far nicer brochures for all classes for the Normandie than the Cunard Line did for the Queen… 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

Exquisite Lalique crystal from the best first-class suites on board the French liner Normandie.  In perfect condition but has the tiniest of fleabites out of the foot.  Stands about 3 3/8″ tall.  JF

Lovely liqueur glass from the service of the ss Normandie. Stands about 3.5″ tall. Frosted CGT logo.  Fill line under the logo which its post-war counterparts lack.  In excellent condition.  I have never had one… read more ›

Unusual cut-away for the ss Normandie.  Your favorite French Line ship is surrounded by nearly 24 interiors renderings, meaning that it certainly dates to before the maiden voyage.  Great cover art!  Something CGT was really… read more ›

The French Line really went all out on intriguing deck plans for the Normandie.  This is a cool plan where a small card pulls out showing various spots on the ship.  You have a key… read more ›

The ship of the year!  I’ll say!  Nice foldout advertising the ss Normandie.  Mint condition and dated May, 1935.

Lovely souvenir enameled broach as sold aboard the Normandie in her gift shops, showing the shield of the province of Normandie.  As opposed to a pin, this one can be put through the lapel hole… read more ›

What would constitute the finest cruise of all time?  Not simply a good vacation, but the high-water mark of all ocean excursions?   Clearly Normandie’s two cruises to Rio should make a list of some… read more ›

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 ›

There is the best,  then the best of the best, and then perhaps, just sometimes, there is even better….  This menu represents the best of all.  A private dinner “tendered on the flagship *Normandie*” to… read more ›

Tourist (second) class menu from the ss Normandie’s August 2, 1936, crossing.  No caviar, but the food looks predictably delicious! Very good condition.

Second-class passenger list for the Normandie’s voyage from Le Havre to New York via Southampton.  Sailing date was July 7, 1937.  1,112 passengers on board.  Back shows where it had been attached to an album.

Here is something I don’t believe I have ever had before.  A passenger list dated August, 1936, for third class on board the ss Normandie.  She was making money on this trip.  The French Line… 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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

Figural ink well in the shape of the famed French liner ss Normandie. High Art Deco design.  These desk type souvenirs were produced in a variety of of different ways for the lauded CGT flagship…. read more ›

Attractive fold-over stationary from the fantastic French Line ss Normandie.  Unused and in excellent condition.  A few sheets available.

Facts About The Normandie.  This brochure has a rather unique point to make — to satisfy the public’s desire for stats and information about the world’s most luxurious liner.  So it is packed with all… read more ›

A program for a gala charity fete held on board the Normandie at sea on August 29, 1936.  This was “for the benefit of the several benevolent institution of which the Cie. Gle. Transatlantique is… read more ›

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

The night’s entertainment program from August 7, 1937, held at 11 pm in what was arguably the most impressive room ever installed on an ocean liner.  Her most popular year in service.  Fantastic condition.

The French loved post card books, and they produced many different kinds for each of their ships.  Among the parts of Normandie illustrated in this one are the winter garden, chapel, swimming pool, theater, tourist-class… read more ›

Silver dinner fork from the first-class service of the ss Normandie.  Made by Christofle and measures about 8″ long.  Small bit of wear to the CGT logo on the back.

Lovely and rarely seen fish knife by Christofle as used in the first-class dining room of the ss Normandie.  Measures about 8.25″ in length.  A touch of wear to the CGT logo on the back.

The French Line, ever attentive to your culinary needs, provided these small silver plated pepper grinders for table use.  This one has the classic ss Normandie “dip” in the “C” in CGT.  In very good… read more ›

Imagine for a moment the archetype French dining-room steward presenting your order table side on this silver serving tray from the ss Normandie’s on-board service.  Made by Christofle, the famous silver firm CGT turned to… read more ›

Here’s an odd piece!  Unusual porcelain souvenir from the ss Normandie in the shape of a watering can.  Color portrait on the front of her at sea.  Stands about 5.25″ tall.  No damage but some… read more ›

Running 24 pages and full of information with 16 rarely seen photos.  She was an absolute beauty and is a ship I would love to have tried!  I always found it interesting that CGT, unlike… 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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

The French Line went for an absolute classic when they began using the famous St. Louis crystal on board the ss France in 1962.  It was the same crystal company Jackie Kennedy chose at the… read more ›

The French Line went for an absolute classic when they began using the famous St. Louis crystal on board the ss France in 1962.  It was the same crystal company that Jackie Kennedy chose at… read more ›