The Great Liners > The Cunard Steamship Company

A SOUP/DESSERT BOWL FROM THE P&O VESSEL THE SS CANBERRA

This item is a soup/dessert bowl from the famous old P&O vessel SS Canberra. It is in a great condition and original from the 1960’s. It is an as used on board item and made in the traditional blue mosaic pattern associated with the Canberra. The soup/dessert bowl is approx. 6" (15cm) wide and is one of the last remaining peices from our Canberra dining collection. Items like this from The Canberra are now very hard to locate.

SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland at a cost of UK £17 million, and was launched on 16 March 1960. The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra, and entered service in May 1961. During the 1982 Falklands War, it served as a troop ship.

P&O commissioned the Canberra to operate the combined P&O-Orient Line service between the United Kingdom and Australia. The arrival of the jet airliner had already caused a drop in demand for this service; a reduction in emigration to Australia and wars forcing the closure of the Suez Canal saw the route become unprofitable. However a refit in 1974 saw the Canberra adapted to cruising.

Unusually, this transition from an early life as a purpose built ocean liner to a long and successful career in cruising, occurred without any major external alterations, and with only minimal internal and mechanical changes over the years.
Item: TT1389 BA150

MEDIUM SIZE DINING PLATE FROM THE P&O VESSEL THE SS CANBERRA

This item is a medium size dining plate from the famous old P&O vessel SS Canberra. It is in a great condition and original from the 1960’s. It is an as used on board item and made in the traditional blue mosaic pattern associated with the Canberra. The medium size dining plate is approx. 7" (18cm) wide and is one of the last remaining peices from our Canberra dining collection. Items like this from The Canberra are now very hard to locate.

SS Canberra was an ocean liner, which later operated on cruises, in the P&O fleet from 1961 to 1997. She was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland at a cost of UK £17 million, and was launched on 16 March 1960. The ship was named on 17 March 1958, after the federal capital of Australia, Canberra, and entered service in May 1961. During the 1982 Falklands War, it served as a troop ship.

P&O commissioned the Canberra to operate the combined P&O-Orient Line service between the United Kingdom and Australia. The arrival of the jet airliner had already caused a drop in demand for this service; a reduction in emigration to Australia and wars forcing the closure of the Suez Canal saw the route become unprofitable. However a refit in 1974 saw the Canberra adapted to cruising.

Unusually, this transition from an early life as a purpose built ocean liner to a long and successful career in cruising, occurred without any major external alterations, and with only minimal internal and mechanical changes over the years.
Item: TT1388 BA150

ORIGINAL WOODEN BARREL MADE FROM TIMBERS OF THE MAURETANIA

This item is a memento from the famous old vessel The RMS Mauretania. It is a wooden barrel made out of the timbers of the original first ship 1905-1934. It is in a great condition and has a plate fixed to the front with the wording on as follows: FROM THE DECKING OF THE MAURETANIA. THE OLD LADY OF THE ATLANTIC. The item is in a good condition and is 2" (5cm) high dating from around 1934.

RMS Mauretania (also known as the "Maury") was an ocean liner built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear for the British Cunard Line, and launched on 20 September 1906. At the time, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world. Mauretania became a favorite among her passengers. After capturing the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing during her 1907 inaugural season, Mauretania held the speed record for twenty-two years.

The ship's name was taken from Mauretania, an ancient Roman province on the northwest African coast, not related to the modern Mauritania. Similar nomenclature was also employed by Mauretania's sister ship, the Lusitania, which was named after the Roman province directly north of Mauretania, across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Item: TT1384 BA150

EARLY CUNARD LINE WORLD CLUB ‘100 DAYS AT SEA’ LAPEL BADGE

This item is from the Cunard Line shipping company and is given to only certain people. It is a special lapel badge which celebrates ‘100 Days at Sea’. It is commonly known as a World Club Badge for continuous sea travel and this is usually given to those who are on a World Cruise. The item is in its original box and also shows the usual certificate that would accompany it. The item is in a good condition and is thought to date from the 1950’s

The Cunard Line is an American owned, British operated shipping company. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century. In 1839, Canadian-born Samuel Cunard was awarded the first British transatlantic steamship mail contract, and the next year formed the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company to operate the line's four pioneer paddle steamers on the Liverpool–Halifax–Boston route.

For most of the next 30 years, Cunard held the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic voyage. However, in the 1870s Cunard fell behind its rivals, the White Star Line and the Inman Line. To meet this competition, in 1879 the firm was reorganized as Cunard Steamship Company, Ltd to raise capital.
Item: TT1383 BA150

A RARE TO FIND OGDENS CIGARETTE TIN FROM THE MAURETANIA

This is another of those great finds from a fabulous old vessel of the sea The RMS Mauritania. It is an original old Ogdens cigarette tin which shows the vessel on the front and dates from the 1930’s. The tin is 4" (10cm) wide and in a fair condition for something as old as it is. A great find from an historic old vessel. (Click on the picture for a close look at the top of the tin).

RMS Mauretania (also known as the "Maury") was an ocean liner built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear for the British Cunard Line, and launched on 20 September 1906. At the time, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world. Mauretania became a favorite among her passengers. After capturing the Blue Riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing during her 1907 inaugural season, Mauretania held the speed record for twenty-two years.

The ship's name was taken from Mauretania, an ancient Roman province on the northwest African coast, not related to the modern Mauritania. Similar nomenclature was also employed by Mauretania's sister ship, the Lusitania, which was named after the Roman province directly north of Mauretania, across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Item: TT1378 BA150

A SUPERB VERY EARLY ORIGINAL RMS QUEEN MARY SOUVENIR TIN

This is another superb original item from the grand old lady of the sea The RMS Queen Mary. It is a souvenir picture tin from the vessel and dates from the 1950’s. It is in a fairly good condition and a real find being so old. The size of the tin is 8" x 5" (20cm x 13cm)

RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line (then Cunard-White Star when the vessel entered service). Built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, she was designed to be the first of Cunard's planned two-ship weekly express service from Southampton to Cherbourg to New York, in answer to the mainland European superliners of the late 1920s and early 1930s. After their release from World War II troop transport duties, Queen Mary and her running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth commenced this two-ship service and continued it for two decades until Queen Mary's retirement in 1967.

The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is permanently berthed in Long Beach, California serving as a museum ship and hotel. The Queen Mary celebrated the 70th anniversary of her launch in both Clydebank and Long Beach during 2004, and the 70th anniversary of her maiden voyage in 2006. She was the flagship of the Cunard Line from 1936 until 1945 when she was replaced in this role by the Queen Elizabeth.
Item: TT1376 BA150

AN ORIGINAL OLD CUNARD LINE ADVERTISING POSTER

This item is an original advert for the Cunard Line Shipping Company. The size of the poster is 23" (60cm) x 16½" (42cm) and is in a great condition. It advertises cruise sailings throughout Europe and America.

Cunard Line is an American owned, British operated shipping company. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century. In 1839, Canadian-born Samuel Cunard was awarded the first British transatlantic steamship mail contract, and the next year formed the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company to operate the line's four pioneer paddle steamers on the Liverpool–Halifax–Boston route.

For most of the next 30 years, Cunard held the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic voyage. However, in the 1870s Cunard fell behind its rivals, the White Star Line and the Inman Line. To meet this competition, in 1879 the firm was reorganized as Cunard Steamship Company, Ltd to raise capital.
Item: TT1374 BA150

WALL PLATE SOUVENIR RMS QUEEN MARY WHEN RETIRED FROM SERVICE

Here we have another item from one of the most famous cruise liners in history The RMS Queen Mary. Since the launch of the Queen Mary 2 items from the original Queen Mary have become very popular and collectable. This item is an unusual one as it is a memento souvenir wall plate which was produced when Queen Mary was retired from service. The wall plate was produced when Queen Mary was first birthed at Long Beach California to become a museum and hotel. It is in a great condition and a fine display piece with the size being 8½" (22cm) wide.

RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line (then Cunard-White Star when the vessel entered service). Built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland, she was designed to be the first of Cunard's planned two-ship weekly express service from Southampton to Cherbourg to New York, in answer to the mainland European superliners of the late 1920s and early 1930s. After their release from World War II troop transport duties, Queen Mary and her running mate RMS Queen Elizabeth commenced this two-ship service and continued it for two decades until Queen Mary's retirement in 1967.

The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is permanently berthed in Long Beach, California serving as a museum ship and hotel. The Queen Mary celebrated the 70th anniversary of her launch in both Clydebank and Long Beach during 2004, and the 70th anniversary of her maiden voyage in 2006. She was the flagship of the Cunard Line from 1936 until 1945 when she was replaced in this role by the Queen Elizabeth.
Item: TT1365 BA150

COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL STRUCK AT TIME OF THE LUSITANIA SINKING

This item is something that only comes along every now and then. It is a replica boxed medal of the one struck in Germany to commemorate the sinking of the famous vessel the Lusitania. It is in its original box and is very old. The medal is in a very good condition but the original box is a little marked. This is a rare item to find and very collectable. The picture shows the two sides of the medal and the box front (click on the picture for a closer look).

RMS Lusitania was an ocean liner owned by the Cunard Line and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. She was torpedoed by German U-boat U-20 on 7 May 1915 and sank in eighteen minutes, eight miles (15 km) off the Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland, killing 1,198 of the 1,959 people aboard. The sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany, and was instrumental in bringing the United States into World War I. The sinking of the Lusitania was a coup for anti-German sentiment and caused great controversy.

Lusitania was designed by Cunard's naval architect, Leonard Peskett. Peskett built a large model of the proposed ship in 1902 showing a three-funnel design. A fourth funnel was implemented into the design in 1904 as it was necessary to vent the exhaust from additional boilers fitted after Parson's then-revolutionary single reduction steam turbines had been settled on as the powerplant. Before installing the turbine powerplant in the ships, Cunard installed a smaller version of the turbine in its soon to be launched Carmania, 1905, so as to obtain a performance report on the new technology's operation.
Item: TT1363 BA149

A FANTASTIC LARGE SIZE COLOUR PHOTO OF THE CUNARD VESSEL QE2

This item is a full size colour photograph of the famous Cunard Line vessel The Queen Elizabeth II otherwise known as the QE2. It shows the vessel at sea in all her glory and the size is 16" x 12" (41cm x 30cm). This unusual large size photograph is in an excellent condition.

RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the 'QE2', is a former Cunard ocean liner, now owned by Nakheel (a division of Dubai World). She was designed to primarily run a transatlantic service from Southampton, England, to New York, USA, and was named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth (see Name section), and served as the flagship of the line from 1969 until succeeded by RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004. Built in Clydebank, Scotland, she was considered the last of the great transatlantic ocean liners built for over four decades before the construction of the QM2.

Before she was refitted with a diesel power plant in 1986/87, QE2 was also the last oil fired passenger steamship to cross the Atlantic in scheduled liner service. During almost forty years of service, the QE2 undertook regular world cruises and latterly operated predominantly as a cruise ship, sailing out of Southampton, England. QE2 had no identical sister ship or running mate and never ran a year round weekly transatlantic express service to New York. QE2 did, however, continue the Cunard tradition of regular scheduled transatlantic crossings every year of her service life.
Item: TT1360 BA149