Normandie growing in popularity

D

Derek Hibbet

Member
Having looked at the recent road show chair find and the cabin telephone on Ebay ( which sold for £4,300 ) its very obvious that the Normandie is becoming quite iconic and main stream in popular culture.

Having a look on you tube, there are hundreds of Titanic offerings, but only a handful of Normandie bits, but they are growing in number.

Here is the best two I have found.


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UfoElKJzVbA

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=j6aZst87lzI

Despite her short working life there are plenty of cheap collectables about still to be had which I think will over the coming decade’s fuel this growing popularity.

Best wishes and a big thanks to those who have posted pics on this site.

Derek
 
Dereck-

I saw the aforementioned Antique Road show episode as well. Honestly I was so much more thrilled with some previouslly seen Normandie paper memorabilia...which included a deck plan!
Also featured on an episode of the roadshow.

The appraiser was quick to note that Normandie
is the most sought after of steamship memorabilia.

As a collector of some 23 yrs., I find that highly unlikely. I can think of Titanic, Olympic, Lusitania, Mauretania and Aquitania beforehand.

Michael Cundiff
NV, USA
 
Hi Michael,
A collector or 23 years , I take my hat off to you. I have been a collector of things most my life, (my wife says I am insecure about something?) but of late generated an interest in the Great Liners. I had long admired Lalique, and collected bits of art deco. Then to find out that a liner had been produced as a Deco masterpiece and Lalique was a contributor was a mix to heady to contemplate.

I am intrigued buy 23 of collecting. Please tell me what are your best finds and you’re best loved.

As a collector myself I know there has to be a market of merchandise, something to be able to own at a reasonable purchase price.

This has long since disappeared for the Titanic and the Olympic, so they are not realistic for the collector, and yet for a fantastic Liner like the Normandie you can get memorabilia for just a few pounds ( for now anyway as I just saw a cabin key sold on E Bay for £277 pounds hummm… )

Here’s my tip, collect now for the Normandie its becoming main stream and its going to rocket.
Cheers
Derek.
 
Derek: By far my best find is the W.T. Stead half-page handwritten letter on his business stationary.
Also in a second-hand store I met a guy that was parting with his steamship paper items. I aquired an OLYMPIC dinner menu from 1923, a CELTIC passenger list from May '12. A MAURETANIA 1 abstract of the *actual* log...dated from the return-half of her maiden voyage. And an item which took a year to aquire from the same gentleman...an actual 8" x 12" sepia-toned photograph of MAURETANIA 1 arriving in Havana harbor... entirely flag dressed for the event which occured 14 Feb. '34. The above items were obtained just a quaint 30 miles from my home in Reno, NV., many years ago.

Michael Cundiff
NV, USA
 
Best thing I found, related to the Normandie, was the maiden voyage photo album kept by one of the Vogue models on board. $500, so it was fairly inexpensive.

Normandie 1938 Rio isodeckplan, mint condition, found in Wagon Wheel Kansas (!)for $50.

Will be selling all but my Normandie photo albums shortly. Am at maximum capacity, and so the herd is beign culled a bit in the interest of space.

Ultimate eBay find, was a pair of oars from the Morro Castle wreck for $1000.00. Or, $500 less than a single oar from that source generally fetches. They had flawless provenance; same family since 1934.
 
Hello Michael & Jim,
(sorry for the belated response have been away for a few days)

Some fabulous items there. A lot does seem to be down to luck, of being in the right place at the right time with the right knowledge.

I menu from the Olympic is a great item, and Jim I am very envious of your picture collection.

I doubt very much that any person getting on the Normandie (or similar liner) would not have had a camera with them, which would amount to ten of thousands of pictures being taken. How many survived and where they are now is another issue.

I have been a collector of items, antiques etc, for 25 years but only of late my attention turned to the great liners when I by chance I purchased an item from the Olympic and had it for several years without knowing. This is what sparked the interest.

The Normandie items are still in the main undervalued, that is a good thing for the collector.

Menus from the Normandie are very cheap and quite plentiful. They are my tip for collectors as they place an experience to an exact time and date in an exact place of the ship. They are also decorative items in their own right.

The price of a door key is a bit scary though.

Jim I think it was very generous placing some of your pics on the site, I have spent many happy hours looking through them. When you thin down your collection will it be on Ebay ?

Best wishes

Derek.
 
Hello,
I am researching the work done by the French designer Jean Pascaud for Normandie. I think he designed the dining room for of the luxury apartments, Deauville and Trouville, or other ones that have private dining rooms.
thanks,emil
 
Welcome aboard Emil!

133269.jpg
 
In John Maxtone-Graham's book "Queen Mary 2 : the greatest ocean liner of our time" I believe I recall seeing some photographs of the Deauville and Trouville apartments in his section on the Normandie. In fact I'm about 85% positive.

Most libraries carry it.

Queen Mary 2 : the greatest ocean liner of our time / John Maxtone-Graham ; photographs by Harvey Lloyd ; with contributions from Michel Verdure and Yves Guillotin.

Personal Author:
Maxtone-Graham, John.

Call Number:
387.2432 MAXTONE-GRAHAM

ISBN:
0821228846

Edition:
1st ed.

Publication Information :
New York : Bulfinch Press, c2004.

Physical Description:
206 p. : col. ill. ; 35 cm.

I don't recall seeing any pictures of the aprtments online.
 
Hi Emil

Les Streater recently put out a 5 volume set on the Normandie. He can be found on the yahoo group- Liners List. I imagine a post to him would elicit a response.

Mike
 
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