LusitaniaMauretania 1st Class Dining Room Question

[Robert Bass]

All the photos I've seen of the Lusitania's First Class Dining room showed the long tables and bolted down swivel based chairs.

All the photos I've seen of the Maurentania's First Class Dining room shows smaller individual tables and regular style chairs. Some of these photos also show a (metal?) mesh/grid materal on the upper railing of the dining room's second level. The railing height has also been heightened.

I'm curious if both ships were built with the swivel bolted base chairs and later updated or was this a update for the Mauretania only..after her WWI service?

Cheers,

Robert

 

[Brian R Peterson]

Hi Robert!

To help answer your question you must remember most of the Lusitania's most published and recognized interior photos were taken between 1907 - 1910; it was common then for large interior fixtures such as dining tables and chairs to be secured to the deck. However this was gradually phased out as stability control technology and bilge keels became more widely used and up to date.

Most of the photos showing this layout of the Mauretania First Class Dining Saloon as you speak of it were taken after her return to passenger service post WWI during the 1920's. Just like most of the best-known crystal clear interior views of Olympic those were also taken around the same time and I believe by the same photographer. Both Olympic and Mauretania received several refits to update their interiors for the times and to replace worn out or broken articles. It was probably felt that the long cafeteria like tables and bolted down chairs were crude and out of style, and thus replaced with smaller tables and moveable chairs as shown.

As for the heightened railings, you will notice a similar occurrence upon viewing Olympic's Grand Staircase in later life. This being that an extra handrail has been added to all the wooden handrails, these refits and add-ons were done on most pre WWI liners and would explain why it appears on Mauretania as well.

Best Regards,

Brian