Commissioned in the 1930s by British-based Cunard Line, Queen Mary’s massive size was intended to accommodate a little over 2,000 passengers. Although it no longer sails and is anchored permanently at California’s Long Beach Harbor, visitors have an opportunity to safely experience and appreciate aspects of a luxury ocean liner similar in grandeur to the historically ill-fated Lusitania or Titanic. (The Queen Mary)
Ninety years ago, crowds cheered as the luxury ocean liner Queen Mary embarked on her maiden voyage, leaving Southampton, England. After more than 31 years of illustrious service—first carrying peacetime passengers and then World War II military personnel—the Queen Mary retired in 1967. However, she did not rest long. Currently owned by the city of Long Beach in California, the grand ship sailed from “across the pond” and thrives today as an events venue, tourist attraction, hotel, restaurant, and museum.
No longer sailing the wide-open seas, the Queen Mary is anchored at Long Beach Harbor. Its stunning Art Deco and Streamline Moderne ambiance has been enjoyed by thousands. At more than 1,000 feet long, the ship’s quality construction by early 20th-century premier luxury liner builder John Brown & Company, of Scotland, is a testament to its longevity.
Some of the most visually striking areas inside the Queen Mary are the Verandah Grill and the opulent salons. Yet throughout, the finest attention to detail is evident. One of the Queen Mary’s nicknames over the years has been the “ship of beautiful woods,” because of the numerous high-sheen, polished wood veneers. More than 50 wood species from around the world are visible on board, including exotic varieties such as Indian golden padouk and cedarmah, a rare Mediterranean-region wood.
Additionally, the interior is the creative representation of notable designers, artists, painters, and craftspeople. Elaborate scenes painted, carved in stone, or etched in glass dominate the ambiance of some of the premier public rooms, such as the Verandah Grill and the Observation Bar. Prominent art scenes add vivid flair to the Art Deco styling or the more fluid and rounded forms of Streamline Moderne.
A stark-white exterior, comfortable lounge chairs, large vertical windows, live potted trees, awning-covered wood doors, and polished wood railings provide a resort-like atmosphere on the deck surrounding the Verandah Grill. The original teak deck flooring has been painstakingly restored and preserved over the past several decades of its anchored life at Long Beach Harbor. (Bruce Alan Bennett/Shutterstock) One of the most impressive interior aspects of the Queen Mary is its hand-painted mural titled “Entertainment.” Painted by 20th-century artist Doris Zinkeisen, the whimsical centerpiece scene in the Verandah Grill focuses on visual facets of the theater, circus, and pantomime. A large column divides the wide, colorful mural. Symmetrically aligned with the column is an Art Deco-style, lighting fixture accented in silver bronze. This room also features silver-bronze handrails and balustrades and a sunken dance floor. (The Queen Mary) The Queen’s Salon features a floor-to-ceiling carved fireplace scene titled “Unicorns in Battle,” by sculptors Gilbert Bayes and Alfred Oakley. Now a venue for various events, the salon also showcases tall lanterns that were fashioned from the same golden onyx used for the dramatic mantel. The ceiling’s unique geometric shapes convey the dominant characteristic of Art Deco design. (The Queen Mary) The Queen Mary exhibits a variety of wood veneers, including African makore, known for its strength and the exceptional beauty of its wood grain. Original designers of the ship chose this distinct wood type to embellish the ballroom, specifically the stage’s apron. Wood is also the focal point in the vast room’s smooth, round columns and the two-story wall surrounding the curtained stage. Stately lanterns and the colorful, floral-design carpet add to the room’s ambiance. (The Queen Mary) Red swivel bar chairs coordinate with Macassar ebony wood veneer framed in Monel metal at the ship’s semicircular Observation Bar. The painted scene above the bar, “The Royal Jubilee Week,” by Alfred R. Thomson, depicts an interpretation of the 25th celebration of King George V and Queen Mary’s reign. The painting is also framed in Monel metal, which is a durable alloy of nickel and copper, with other elements, considered stronger than just pure nickel. (The Queen Mary) Overnight guests on the Queen Mary can choose from a range of accommodations: fully equipped, first-class staterooms to third-class cabins. Exotic wood veneers, such as mahogany and walnut, beautify walls and cabinetry. The veneers and wood furnishings contrast with sea-blue window treatments at the ship’s portholes and sea-blue carpeting and upholstery. The simple stateroom decor is in keeping with both the Streamline Moderne and Art Deco styles, which emphasize forms and shapes over embellishments. (The Queen Mary)
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A 30-plus-year writer-journalist, Deena C. Bouknight works from her Western North Carolina mountain cottage and has contributed articles on food culture, travel, people, and more to local, regional, national, and international publications. She has written three novels, including the only historical fiction about the East Coast’s worst earthquake. Her website is DeenaBouknightWriting.com
