Curious Lounge Object

[Clifton Johnson]

On page 46 of Titanic An Illustrated History, you see the 1st Class Lounge. Near the entrance to the aft staircase, you see an object on the starboard wall. It looks as if it might be a mirror but I'm not entirely sure. If anyone could post an tell me what I'm seeing it would be great.

 

[Donald J A Smith]

Clifton: The object is, I believe, an ornate double-fronted cabinet, shallow in depth and with elaborately carved pediment and supporting wall-bracket; somewhat 'matching' the large cabinet in the lounge. As in fine hotels, positioned where it is, such a wall-cabinet would attractively display the quality goods and services available.

 

[Clifton Johnson]

Does anybody have a picture of this?

 

[Vitezslav Ivicic]

Is not it a mail box? In the lounge there was a box for letters. I will look at it.

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

I don't have any head-on photos of this cabinet. Although it appears in a number of photos it is always at an angle.

Daniel.

 

[Clifton Johnson]

it appears to me to just be a curio cabinet though i could be wrong. Im pretty sure from Bruce Beveridges plan's that it is not in fact a mailbox and that there is a duplicate object on the the other side.

Best Regards,
Cliff Johnson

 

[Michael H. Standart]

It may well be that the cabinet serves no purpose whatsoever. A lot of what was installed on the liners was pure ornamentation and Titanic was no different.

 

[Jonathan Granato]

The mailbox was was forward of the smoking room, starboard.

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

The mail box was in the Lounge, at the fore end starboard. Michael may be right. The photo that I posted was taken shortly after the ship returned to passenger service after the war, and the cabinet is as always empty. Maybe at times it was used for some small occasioanl display, but every time I have seen these in a photo they are always empty.

Daniel