Because the RMS Queen Mary portrayed the infamous Poseidon, and given the fact that she is an art deco palace, she remains one of my favorite ships both to visit and collect.  Living in Southern California, a fair number of quality items still turn up from time to time at flea markets, estate sales, auctions, and, of course, the ubiquitous eBay.  I have been very fortunate to acquire several pieces of furniture, carpet, souvenirs, odds-and-ends, and one-of-a-kind items from the ship, most of which have been assembled in my Queen Mary guest room, cabin M-54 (thus named for the original number plaque on the guestroom door). 

Here guests can walk barefoot on original Queen Mary carpeting, avail themselves of a pair of Cunard Line slippers, stow their personals in one of the two original stateroom nightstands, a small bureau with pull out writing table, or the dresser complete with mirror.  A Tourist Class smoking room chair provides a place to sit and read or put on their shoes.  There's a bakelite water carafe in an in-service wooden wall-mounted rack, and your steward is always "Tommy" because that's the placard I swiped from out last trip aboard the QE2.  A Cunard Line blanket adorns the foot of the bed and provides additional warmth on chilly nights, and a wonderful vintage Queen Mary souvenir pillow provides decoration on the bed.  There's an original stateroom telephone, a small souvenir plaque on the wall, a quartet of bas relief Cunard Line Ships, and the bathroom is decorated with a magnificent print of the Berengaria as well as vintage signage advertising Bingo on the Pig Deck and a safety placard instructing guests in the etiquette of abandoning a ship at sea with good decorum. 

Thank goodness for my former neighbor, Dick Hoegh, who after visiting my house and realizing the depth of my obsession, ran home and returned with a house warming gift of a large framed photograph of the Queen Mary arriving in Long Beach harbor as a DC-10 flew overhead and sprayed long stemmed roses.  A large framed vintage Cunard Line advertising print of the ship adorns the same wall.  But the collection doesn't stop with this room.  I have five really nice carpet sections from different areas of the ship, a First Class stairway wooden ash stand, and a wonderful three tiered table from the First Class Dining Saloon which serves as an island in my kitchen.  This table was lovingly restored by ocean liner artisan and good friend Tom Nicolai.  An identical table is on display aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California as part of their permanent collection.  To see a photo of this table in the exhibit, please click here. 

My house was built in 1938 by an oncologist who was called in to consult

when George Gerswhin was diagnosed with a brain tumor -- his claim to fame being that he is one of the only people in the world to ever see Gershwin's brain.  He had an in-home office where he saw patients, and that room is now the home for both my largest Queen Mary carpet section and a Gilbert Rhode cabinet which serves as the home for the display of several Cunard Line pieces.  The case holds many items: baggage tags, small wooden Wagner models of the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Mauretania 2, along with various souvenir items including a floaty pen, life rings, Nora Welling dolls, and more. From time to time, I try to rotate the items in the case with items not usually on display. 

Okay, so I love the Queen Mary.  I love to visit her and walk her now-land-locked decks.  I love the smells and the overall atmosphere of this ship.  Some have said that she should have been scrapped rather than suffer the indignity of her extended lay-up in Long Beach, but I am very vocal in my disagreement.  To have this amazing 1930s ships still in our midst, available for strolling and enjoying, is a gift beyond compare.  The fact that she is still with us remains a minor miracle, and if you haven't visited her, or stayed aboard her, you are truly missing out.  Long live the Queen Mary as both a real and vibrant link to history, and an amazing ship to collect and enjoy!

Back to Navigation

 More Memorabilia

 All contents of this site © 2005 & 2006 Mark Perry & Perry Pictures, Inc.  Please do not copy!