The "United States" was the lifetime creation of a hugely talented marine architect named William Francis Gibbs. Conceived as the strongest, fastest and safest liner ever constructed, she was built at Newport News, Virginia, and completed at the enormous cost of $73 million in 1952. Justifying everything that was spent on her, she made a remarkable 38.32 knots on her trials and smashed the record for the North Atlantic crossing on her maiden voyage from New York to Southampton that July. The biggest merchant ship ever built in the United States, she was registered at 53,329 tons, calculated using the British system so as to "appear" even larger than she was, she was 990 feet long and had a 101½ foot beam. Claimed to be virtually fireproof, she had an aluminum superstructure and lightweight metal furniture throughout, yet despite considerable initial success, she too fell victim to competition from supersonic aeroplanes and also dockyard labor problems. Withdrawn from service in November 1969 and laid up at Newport News, various schemes to restore her and return her to sea were unsuccessful and the fastest ocean liner of them all remains just a memory. Lots 122 through 133 are furnishings from this great liner.
A BRUSHED ALUMINUM AND LEATHER BENCH, from the First Class Promenade Deck of the S.S. "United States", the rectangular padded seat in a conforming frame, on trestle ends each pierced with three ovals, upholstered in black leather, tagged EL 20-940 PROM-DK F CL MN ENT--18in. (45.7cm.), 74in. (188cm.) wide, 16¼in. (41cm.) deep
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A BRUSHED ALUMINUM AND LEATHER BENCH, from the First Class Promenade Deck of the S.S. "United States", the rectangular padded seat in a conforming frame, on trestle ends each pierced with three ovals, upholstered in black leather, tagged EL 20-940 PROM-DK F CL MN ENT--18in. (45.7cm.), 74in. (188cm.) wide, 16¼in. (41cm.) deep