The famous Captain's Table on board the Queen Mary. At the center is Capt. Harry Grattidge, the ship's master from December 31, 1949 to July 20, 1950. Standing behind the lady who sits to Capt. Grattidge's left is Joseph Lawless, who served as a commis waiter (trainee), waiter, and hair stylist on board the Queen Mary. He was also one of the Long Gallery attendants on the Last Great Cruise, when the ship came to Long Beach in 1967.
Joseph Lawless as a commis waiter serving after dinner mints outside the first class dining room.
Joe Lawless on board the Queen Mary. You can see the smokestacks of the SS United States in the background.
Joe Lawless in his days as a hair stylist on board the Queen Mary.
Joe Lawless' mother Ann and wife Peggy on board the Queen Mary..
Joe Lawless while serving on board the Queen Mary.
Joe Lawless' parents, Patrick and Ann, on board the Queen Mary. Patrick was also a hair stylist on board the ship.
Joe Lawless' father Pat with Joe's wife Ann
On the Last Great Cruise of the Queen Mary from Southampton to Long Beach, Joe and Patrick Lawless.
The Queen Mary as she leaves Southampton for the last time on October 31, 1967. The Ocean Terminal building is seen in the background.
During the Queen Mary's Last Great Cruise. The London double decker bus seen on the right was one of two that was transported on deck to Long Beach and which ran for a while around town. There was reportedly quite a bit of argument among passengers over who would get to sit on the bus as the Queen Mary rounded Cape Horn--and those who did get seats were later able to claim that they traveled around Cape Horn by bus, which would otherwise be pretty much an impossibility.
Joe Lawless as a hair stylist on board the Queen Mary along with some of his fellow stylists.
Joe Lawless while a waiter in the second class restaurant on board the Queen Mary.
Another photo of Joe Lawless (standing on right) as a waiter in the Queen Mary's second class restaurant.
Another photo of Joe Lawless as a waiter in the Queen Mary's second class restaurant.
Tea in third class on board the Queen Mary.
Joe Lawless (standing right) as a waiter on board the Queen Mary, here in the second class dining room.
All photos on this page, except the four people having tea in third class, are courtesy of Joseph Lawless