1935 Olympic Auction Catalogue

Description

This fascinating document contains details of over 4000 individual lots, from the luxurious to the mundane and functional. An incredible snapshot of all the material that made up a working ocean liner

243 page PDF including linked table of contents

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A brief history of the RMS Olympic

AFTER nearly a quarter of a century^’s distinguished service in peace and war time, the “ Olympic ” is about to close her career in the most appropriate way by bringing fresh life to the shipyards of Jarrow. The fine quality of the fittings now to be dispersed recalls that on her maiden voyage in June, 1911, she was the most luxurious liner afloat, and contained many amenities until then unknown in Atlantic travel. Her swimming pool and squash rackets court were outstanding innovations at that time, whilst when she was recondi­tioned after her war service, the latest improvements were naturally introduced, and the furnishings and fittings then put into her were of the finest and most up-to-date.

Until the recent laying down of the “ Queen Mary,” the “ Olympic ” was the largest passenger ship built in the United Kingdom, and she still remains the biggest triple-screw steamer in the world. Her construction proved of the utmost value to the country, for when war broke out she was still a new vessel, swift, capacious and able to undertake arduous duties. Among her more notable deeds were the rescue of the complement of H.M.S. “ Audacious,” which was sunk by a mine off Western Ireland; the transport of troops to Gallipoli (on one voyage she took no fewer than 8,000) ; the bringing over of Canadian and later of American forces, and their return home. In all she steamed 184,000 miles on war service and carried more than 200,000 souls safely through the hazards of submarines and mines. In May, 1918, with Commodore Sir Bertram Hayes in command, she herself rammed a large enemy submarine in the English Channel.

In 1920, after complete reconditioning, she re-entered the North Atlantic service, and from then until her final homeward voyage in April, 1935, she sailed continuously between Southampton and New York, one of the best-liked liners on the route. The total number of round voyages she has completed is 257, and the approximate total distance covered one-and-a-half-million miles.

Built by Messrs. Harland & Wolff, Ltd., at Belfast, she has a length of just over 882 feet, breadth of 92 feet, and draught of 34 feet, with a gross tonnage of 46,939. She has eleven steel decks, of which seven were devoted to the use of passengers.

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