The Queen Mary Style
The Queen Mary features some of the grandest, most intricate and beautiful interior designs ever aboard an ocean liner. Influenced by the Art Deco movement of the 1920s and 30s, the interior design includes strong curves and geometric forms representing elegance, glamour, function and modernity. No two staterooms are alike, and all are full of character.
Art Deco was one of the most popular design styles of the early 20th century. Following on the heels of the Art Nouveau movement, it flourished in the period between WWI and WWII, and in many ways went hand-in-hand with the joie de vivre of the Jazz Age. Art Deco buildings are sleek in style, often painted in bright colors, with dramatic expressions and geometric motifs.
The Ship of Woods
The Art Deco design was further enhanced by the use of over 50 different types of woods from all over the world, which earned the Queen Mary the nickname, the "Ship of Woods." The highly decorative and luxurious woods were used throughout the entire ship – inside and out. Intricate marquetry, carvings and highly decorative murals were featured in every ballroom and salon of the Queen Mary. Accented with modern materials such as glass, marble, metal, enamel and even linoleum, the woods gave the ship an unmistakable grandeur that reflected a blending of classic style with modern age design. A total of 56 types of highly polished veneers appear on the Queen Mary, one for each of the British protectorates at the time the ship was built. Six of those types of woods are now actually extinct making the Queen Mary one of the few places they can still be found.
Art Aboard Queen Mary
Art plays a prominent role in the décor of the Queen Mary with elaborate murals, paintings, sculptures and wood carvings found throughout the ship. Leading proponents of the Art Deco movement were commissioned by Cunard to create unique and contemporary pieces of art work, many of which can still be found on the ship today. Some of the most famous works are murals by Doris Zinkeisen, whose work echoed themes of mythology, animals and nature, abstracted into pure form. Today, the Queen Mary is widely considered one of the best examples and landmarks of Art Deco style in the world.
Films and Shows Featuring Queen Mary
As a prominent fixture in Long Beach, the Queen Mary has been featured in many popular movies and television shows, including New Girls, Ghost Whisperers, SWAT, Reno 911, Being the Ricardos, and 1923. Be sure to take note the next time you are watching any one of these popular films.