ADeck corridors

[Luke Mack]

Does anybody know how the corridors that ran from the staircase to the lounge were furnished or decorated? Did they have furniture? These halls where very influencial on ship design larger version where built into ships Like Aquitania and Homeric.

 

[Nigel Bryant]

Hi,

They were decorated in oak similar to the grand staircase foyers. I don't think there was much space for any furniture but the decor was oak and the forward one had a lighted box sign showing the direction of the reading and writing room, above the doorway. Nobody knows what the tile design is like but I guess its the same as the adjoining A-deck foyers.

Nigel

 

[Nigel Bryant]

By the way I think there is a screen shot of one of these corridors in James Cameron's 1997 Titanic film with a revolving door, the scene in which Thomas Andrews tells Rose that the ship is going under.

Nigel

 

[Luke Mack]

I remember reading somewhere that the corridors proved to be popular with the passengers and thats the reason that the long gallery was added to the Aquitania. So I imagine they had sofa's or chairs lining the walls??? but I dont know.

 

[Luke Mack]

here it is......(In the long gallery, a new feature which Cunard had added after noting the Olympic’s design, extra furniture was added and passengers were able to use it as another lounge, with good views.)

 

[Luke Mack]

here is Homerics corridor..notice its norrowness and abundance of furniture.

 

[Luke Mack]

Aquitanias long gallery ...said to be inspired by Olympics A-deck corridor.

 

[Steve Olguin]

I know I have read it elsewhere, but recently I read it in Mark Chirnside's book that the Long Gallery on the Aquitania was inspired by the long cooridor between the lounge and the aft staircase (as well as the one below the Gym I am sure).... Thus The Long Gallery on the Queen Mary was inspired by the on the Aquitania (which in turn means alot of The Olympic Class ships internal design proved effective and was copied even up until the Queen Mary at least).

I will be glad when I get my plans from THS of the Third Oceanic (?). I am curious to see if any long gallerys, and how much of the Olympic class' design is carried over into this never built ship)

Thanks Luke for starting this discussion. I am currently working on a 3d model of the proposed "Winter Garden" that would have probably been built on A deck of the Britannic (this is discussed on the wonderful hospitalshipbritannic.com). I was debating on whether or not to make the corridor walls white or oak, but I think Oak is a better contrast to the new Cafe walls I have created.

What are you creating Luke?

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

There is a well known photo which gets flipped every which way in the various books. It shows an electric switch board behind an open door. This is actually a photo of one of three such switch boards in the fore A deck corridor from the fore staircase to the Lounge.

Daniel.

 

[Luke Mack]

I would love to do a sketch of Olympics corridor...but I don't have enough info yet....but im almost sure they were furnished with chairs and sofas, they are to large and long and important to be empty

can't wait to see your ideas on Britannics Winter Garden, Steve.

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

Luke,

The extreme width of these corridors was only 6ft. Then take into account 5in beams and a few more inches of wooden paneling thickness you're left with a little over 5ft width worth of corridor. Plenty of room to walk around in, but it would be completely cluttered if it had furnutre in it. Besides, none of Olympic's or Titanic's accommodation plans show any furniture there at all.

Regards,

Daniel.

 

[Dan Cherry]

Looking at available plans of Olympic's corridors, I don't see any furniture designated for the narrow halls. It would appear that such luxuries were reserved for the staircase foyers and large spaces. I agree with Nigel; there wasn't enough space to accommodate furnishings.

 

[Luke Mack]

why were these halls so admired by cunard then? they inspired gallerys on other ships....they had to be more to them than just paneling.

 

[Nigel Bryant]

There has also been some debate on whether or not a revolving door was situated in these corridors as well,I think Ken Marschall belived that there wasn't one onboard the Olympic and Titanic, but only later was one installed later on in Olympic's life, in the 20s perhaps. Does anyone have any info about this?

Nigel

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

Nigel,

Apparently Cameron went into this corridor during the recent dive and no revolving door was seen. Perhas it was further aft, or completely gone. Or perhaps it was never there at all. There's a Titanic passenger account where the passenger mentions revolving doors. I can't remember if he mentions location or merely mentions the doors in the plural.

Daniel.