Other Great Ocean Liner Collectibles

Normandie Sailor’s Cap

“J'étais fier de porter un chapeau de Normandie.” And you’ll not only agree, but be able to say for yourself, “J'ai porté le chapeau de Normandie.” This cap is 9 1/2 inches in diameter across the top and is made from black felt and includes a chin strap. It has leather and satin-like fabric inside and is marked Au Printemps Paris. It is about a size 6 or 6 1/2 The attached Normandie name band is 1 3/8 inches side and the letters are 1.75 cm. The cap is in good condition. There are moth holes in the crown of the cap, one end of the chin strap is detached, and the lettering is somewhat worn. $675.00.

Playing Cards

We have playing cards from a variety of lines. These are just the thing to complement the “Beware of Gamblers” sign you got from that long-gone North Atlantic passenger ship.

The cards on the top left are from AGWI Lines/Cuba Mail/Porto Rico (the spelling of “Porto” is as shown on the cards). This company grew out of the Clyde Mallory Lines, a family-owned company with an interesting and complicated history, including the Ward Line subsidiary (later becoming Cuba Mail Line) operating the infamous Morro Castle, which burned in 1934, washing ashore in New Jersey. These cards measure 2 3/8 inches by 4 inches by 3/4 inches with an exterior and interior box. The cards are in excellent condition and the boxes are in very good condition, with some wear on the outer box. $95.00.

Everyone knows the Norway as the largest cruise ship and former France, undergoing demolition right now. There are two decks of cards in a plastic case, one set with blue backs and the other with white backs, both with the ship’s stylized name. The case measures 43/4 inches high by 33/4 inches wide. All are in excellent condition. $110.00.

The Carnival playing cards are in a single unopened deck in a cellophane wrapper and the box notes that the line’s fleet consists of Carnivale, Celebration, Holiday, Jubilee, Mardis Gras, and Tropicale. (Pop quiz: What year were the cards produced?) The package measures 2 3/8 inches by 3 5/8 inches by 3/4 inch. They are in excellent condition. $24.50.

The Holland America Line cards are two decks packaged together in a cardboard box. Each pack of cards is still enclosed in a cellophane wrapper. One deck has blue backs and the other red backs. The overall package measures 45/8 inches by 35/8 inches by 5/8 inches. They are in excellent condition. $24.95.

On the lower left is a plastic case with two decks of Royal Viking Line playing cards. One deck has red backs and the other blue backs. They are marked as having been manufactured by Fournier. The package is 5 inches wide by 33/4 inches high by 3/4 inch deep and are very good condition, with only some small amount of wear on the plastic case. $39.50.

On the lower right is a double deck of United States Lines playing cards. The box that contains the two decks—one red backed and one blue backed—notes the line’s ships as the SS United States and SS America. So these cards predate 1965. The cards are in excellent condition and the box is in very good condition, with a small amount of wear. The box measures 4 3/4 inches by 4 inches by 1 inch. $165.00.

Queen Mary Sideboards

These are highly unusual pieces with many possibilities. They are sideboards from the cabins on board the Queen Mary and were removed as part of the alterations that took place after the ship’s arrival in Long Beach in 1967 for conversion into a museum, hotel, and attraction. They can be cut into attractive shelves, used as table tops, integrated into another piece of furniture, like a desk's top...

They measure 30 inches long by 14 inches deep by 1 inch thick and are made from a very heavy and strong laminated wood base. (Although they’re really plywood, the base of these boards is so heavy and so strong that they hardly resemble any kind of plywood commonly available today.) They are covered in veneers from various woods. Only two different woods are shown above, but you can see the wonderful craftsmanship in selecting the right sections for beautiful symmetry and outstanding burl.

The two lighter color boards on the left illustrate the bottom and top of a typical sideboard from our inventory. The bottom has mortises cut about 3/8 inch into the wood where the boards attached. And some of the tops have screw holes through them.

Some boards have scratches or dents and some are in much better condition. We rate all sideboards, however, as being in fair condition. Most boards are marked to indicate which cabin they once were in.

With their rounded and beveled edges these boards make great shelves. There are many other possibilities for the right craftsman. $165.00 each.

You may specify the type of wood veneer you would like or the general type (dark, light, burled, symmetrical, etc.). We can search our inventory and look for sideboards that may match your needs and we can photograph them and send them via email or USPS for your consideration.

Queen Mary Cabin Draperies

These gorgeous draperies hung in cabin B106 of the Queen Mary. They measure 39 inches long by 27 inches wide and there are two panels. They are of a pleated silk-like material with a heavy white or light-color beige lining. They have button holes to affix them around a window. One panel is in good condition, with some discoloration of the lining from age. The printed material looks quite good with no spots, stains, moth holes, or other damage. The other panel shows some damage on the back, primarily a worn spot and fairly extensive staining. The staining does not show through or affect the pattern side. $325.00 (two panels).

Ocean Liner Blankets

We offer a variety of ocean liner blankets to suit your decorating or collecting needs and interests.

Shown above is a heavy deck chair blanket from Cunard Line. These were part of the deck chair rental—and it’s a good thing when you were sailing across the North Atlantic. It is, indeed, a heavy (wool, we think) piece. It measures 54 inches by 64 inches and has a leather-like edging. It is embroidered with Cunard Line in a scroll-like framing and R384. The other side (photo the right) is red. It is in excellent condition. $825.00.

We also have an assortment of blankets from P&O and Union-Castle Lines, as shown at lower right. These are generally in excellent condition. Please inquire for your specific interests and collecting and decorating needs in these items.

Luzzati Panels

This work of art is a stunning panel from the Stella Oceanis by the late Emanuele Luzzati. It is metal over wood and the geometric designs are hand wrought. Mr. Luzzati is most well known for a distinguished film career, including directing seven films, producing two, and serving as production designer and costume designer for television productions. We have two panels available and while they are of similar design and go together, each has distinctive patterns. Please inquire if you are interested in these items.

SS France Souvenir Anchor and Life Preserver Wall Hanging

The former France will soon be but a memory, yet she will live on through the collections of so many aficionados. If you love the France, this is an item that will show it clearly. It’s a wall hanging that is a stylized anchor and life preserver combined. It is 24 inches tall and 15 inches wide. The anchor is made from wood and the life preserver is probably something like plaster. It has a very sturdy hook on the back for hanging. There is a semi-circular crack 3 1/4 inches long from the left end of the A to the right end of the N in FRANCE. Good condition. $165.00.

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