The fabled "Normandie" represented the pinnacle of French shipbuilding and design and is still regarded by many experts as the most beautiful of this century's many great passenger liners. Built at St. Nazaire, she was laid down in January 1931, launched on 29 October 1934 and finally completed for sea in May 1935. Originally registered at 79,280 tons gross, she measured 1,030 feet in length with a 117 foot beam, and had a designed speed of 29 knots. No expense was spared to fit out her interior, which was luxurious in the extreme, and she had accommodation for 848 1st, 670 tourist and 454 3rd class passengers. Clearing Le Havre on 29 May 1935 for her maiden voyage to New York, she took the Blue Riband for the crossing even though her captain had decided not to push her to the maximum until her engines had settled down. Immediately popular with the travelling public, she made 139 crossings in all before being laid up in New York when the Second World War broke out in September 1939. Seized by the U.S. Authorities in December 1941, plans were set in hand to convert her into a troopship with the new name "Lafayette". Whilst this work was being carried out however, a careless workman started a fire on 9 February 1942 which soon engulfed the ship and she capsized at her moorings due to the weight of water pumped into her by the fireboats who were desperately trying to save her. Ultimately refloated in August 1943, it was eventually decided the costs of repairing her and fitting her out for war service could not be justified and she was broken up in New Jersey in 1946.
A PAIR OF GILT-WOOD SIDE CHAIRS, designed by Jean Rothschild, the needlepoint tapestry designed by Gaudissart for the Grand Salon of the S.S. "Normandie", circa 1934, the padded rectangular back and padded seat in a molded frame, on molded and tapering pyramidal legs on capped feet, upholstered in a dusty rose foliate Aubusson style tapestry, worked in creams, browns, and greens--33in. (84cm.) high, 19in. (48.2cm.) wide, 17½in. (44.5cm.) deep
细节
A PAIR OF GILT-WOOD SIDE CHAIRS, designed by Jean Rothschild, the needlepoint tapestry designed by Gaudissart for the Grand Salon of the S.S. "Normandie", circa 1934, the padded rectangular back and padded seat in a molded frame, on molded and tapering pyramidal legs on capped feet, upholstered in a dusty rose foliate Aubusson style tapestry, worked in creams, browns, and greens--33in. (84cm.) high, 19in. (48.2cm.) wide, 17½in. (44.5cm.) deep
cf. Bruno Foucart, et al, Normandie Queen of the Seas, Vendome Press, New York, 1985, pp. 70, 71 for illustrations of this model use in the Grand Salon (2)
cf. Bruno Foucart, et al, Normandie Queen of the Seas, Vendome Press, New York, 1985, pp. 70, 71 for illustrations of this model use in the Grand Salon (2)