In 1936 the Queen Mary, on her sixth voyage out, won the Blue Riband of the Atlantic from the French Line's Normandie by making the run from Bishop's Rock to Ambrose Lighthouse in 4 days, 27 minutes at a speed of 30.14 knots. The following year the title was lost back to the Normandie but recovered in 1938 with an outward crossing of 3 days, 21 hours and 48 minutes at a speed of 30.99 knots.
The Queen Mary was commissioned as a transport on March 1st 1940, having been laid up in New York since the outbreak of war. After being fitted out in Sydney, Australia, she made her first voyage from there on May 5th, 1940.
On September 29th 1946, the Queen Mary arrived at Southampton from Halifax on her last trooping voyage, and a few days later was sent to John Brown's for reconversion to a passenger ship. Almost a year later, on July 31st 1947, she began her first post-war sailing from Southampton to Cherbourg and New York. From then on, she was engaged in the Southampton-Cherbourg-New York service, with a call at Plymouth eastbound.
In May 1967, Cunard decided to sell her to the highest bidder, rather than send her to the scrapyard, as by this time she wad operating at a loss of $2 million a year. She was sold on August 18th 1967, for $3,450,000 to the City of Long Beach, California.
She arrived at Southampton on September 27th 1967, after completing her 1,000th, and last voyage for Cunard. A period of four years was spent refitting her, and she finally opened for business as a hotel, maritime museum and convention centre on May 10th 1971.
Limited to 850 copies, signed and numbered by the artist and counter signed by Captain J. Treasure Jones.
Price - £20 + carriage.
One of a set of six Cunard Liners prints. Full set only £75 + carriage.
Overall size : 17" x 13.5"
Facts and Figures of Queen Mary
Builder : John Brown and Co. Ltd., Clydebank, Glasgow.
Gross tonnage : 81,237 tons
Overall length : 1,020 ft
Breadth : 119 ft
Depth : 74 ft
Engines : 16 steam turbines, single-reduction geared
Completed : May 1936. (She was laid down on December 27th 1930. Work was suspended from December 1931 until April 1934, due to the depression, and she was not finished until May 1936)
Propellers : Quadruple
Watertight bulkheads : 18
Decks : 10
Normal Speed : 30 knots (32.84 on her trials)
Officers and Crew : 1,285
Maiden Voyage : Southampton Cherbourg-New York on May 27th, 1936.