1935 PHOTOGRAVURE ON BOARD MARKED "THE NORMANDIE FRENCH LINE" FOR TRAVEL AGENTS

Description

IN THIS AUCTION WE ARE OFFERING WITHOUT RESERVE AN ORIGINAL 24 INCH BY 20 INCH IMAGE OF FRENCH LINE MASTERPIECE S.S. NORMANDIE STEAMING WEST.
.I AM NO EXPERT ON OCEAN LINER STYLING, BUT AS AN EDUCATED LAYMAN I STILL FIND NORMANDIE'S LINES TO BE ARTISTICALLY CONTEMPORARY WITH ANYTHING ON THE OCEAN TODAY.
PICTURE ONE SHOWS NORMANDIE ON HER ORIGINAL WOODEN FRAME.. ...NOTE THE SMOKE RISING FROM FUNNELS ONE AND TWO.  LIKE THE RMS TITANIC WHOSE FOURTH FUNNEL WAS A DUMMY, NORMANDIE'S THIRD FUNNEL HOUSED THE SHIPS AIR CONDITIONING AND KENNELS.
PICTURE TWO SHOWS THE ORIGINAL FRENCH LINE MARKINGS ON THE FRAME BOTTOM., "THE NORMANDIE   FRENCH LINE."
PICTURE THREE SHOWS A CLOSE-UP OF THE BOW AREA OF NORMANDIE.  ON 22 JUNE 1936 A RAF PILOT FLYING A BLACKBURN BAFFIN MADE A PRACTICE TORPEDO RUN ON NORMANDIE, STRUCK A CRANE, AND CRASHED ONTO THE SHIP'S BOW. THE PILOT SURVIVED, NORMANDIE SAILED ON SCHEDULE, AND HAD THE WRECKAGE REMOVED FROM HER BOW AT THE NEXT PORT OF CALL.
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PICTURE FOUR SHOWS A VIEW OF THE STERN OF THE NORMANDIE.  FOR THOSE WITH VERY SHARP VISION, THE TINY WHITE DOTS ABOVE THE STERN WAKE ARE NOT SPILLED SALT CRYSTALS BUT SEAGULLS FEEDING IN NORMANDIE'S WAKE.
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PICTURE FIVE SHOWS THE BASSONS PAPER LABEL ON THE VENEER BACK OF THE FRAME.  BASSONS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS PIECE.
PICTURE SIX SHOWS SHOWS A PATCH OF LOOSE VENEER ON A BACK CORNER OF THE FRAME.  NONE OF THIS IS VISIBLE FROM THE FRONT, AND IN THE THIRTY ONE YEARS I HAVE GAZED UPON THIS PHOTOGRAVURE HANGING IN THE HALLWAY OF MY OLD 1883 VICTORIAN HOME, I HAVE NOT FOUND THE LOOSE VENEER TO BE EVEN SLIGHTLY DISTRACTING.
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PICTURE SEVEN SHOWS
BITS AND PIECES OF NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS GLUED ON THE BACK OF THE FRAME BY A PREVIOUS OWNER.  THE LARGE PIECE LAMENTS THE LOSS OF NORMANDIE TO FIRE AND CAPSIZING IN 1946. THE REPORTER AS PART OF HIS OBITUARY OF THE GREAT SHIP STATES
THUS WAS WRITTEN ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE SEVEN YEAR
HISTORY OF THE ERSTWHILE BLUE- RIBBONED NORMANDIE.
SHE GLISTENED ONCE WITH SMART BLACK AND WHITE PAINT;
THIS GAVE WAY TO WARTIME GRAY.  THEN THE FIRE TURNED
THIS TO SHROUD-LIKE BLACK; NOW RED MUD SWIRLS ABOUT
HALF HER HULL AND INNARDS.
Maybe Normandie won blue ribbons I am not aware of, but she did win with the most powerful steam turbines
ever installed the Blue Riband for fastest crossing of the Atlantic. May she rest reverently in the memories of
those fewer and fewer who once knew her.
I have noted the large number of "watchers" on eBay this year.   For them and the unsure, this auction will not be
repeated.  In a week if not sold, this goes back up on my wall and I will let the wife and kids deal with finding it a home
after I am gone.
WINNER MAY RETURN THIS  ANTIQUE WOOD  S.S. NORMANDIE FRENCH LINE PROMOTIONAL TRAVEL AGENCY PHOTOGRAVURE  AT  HIS EXPENSE WITHIN FOURTEEN DAYS OF DELIVERY FOR FULL REFUND OF AMOUNT BID.  POSTAL INSURANCE IS MANDATORY ON ALL OUR AUCTIONS.  AUCTIONS NOT PAID WITHIN FOUR DAYS (96 HOURS) OR HAVING PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS MADE WITHIN FOUR DAYS(96 HOURS) ARE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION.  SHOULD A BUYER WIN MORE THAN ONE AUCTION, PLEASE WAIT FOR OUR INVOICE BEFORE PAYING AS WE WILL COMBINE SHIPPING TO SAVE YOU MONEY.