Hoertz, Frederick J. “Cunard White Star Line, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Largest and Fastest Ocean Liners in the World”

Frederick J. Hoertz (1899-1977).  “Cunard White Star Line, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.  Largest and Fastest Ocean Liners in the World.” 

1948.  31 ¼ x 39 ½.  Off-set color lithograph.  Signed and dated in image by the artist.  Some fading of color, particularly both ships funnels which are supposed to be red, due to exposure to sunlight.  Scattered irregularly shaped fine bends/soft creases in image with some loss of color; in-painted as best as possible.  Tear into margin left hand side repaired with archival tape.  Light cockling of paper.  Else, good condition. A/A

This advertising poster commemorates the resumption of two ship weekly express service in 1948 following the Second World War.  The scene shows the Queen Elizabeth in the foreground passing the Queen Mary in mid-ocean.  These two ships dominated the transatlantic passenger trade well into the 1950s, and which were highly profitable for Cunard, until the late 1950s when the airplane became the preferred way to cross the Atlantic Ocean. 

In 1933, Cunard and White Star Lines merged due to financial difficulties caused by the Depression.  Under the merger, Cunard was the majority partner until 1949 when Cunard acquired White Star’s shares and the name reverted once again to Cunard Line.  Cunard sold the Queen Mary in 1967 as it was too expensive to operate and the ship today is docked in Long Beach, California as a museum and hotel.  The Queen Elizabeth, was retired a year later but was lost to a fire in Hong Kong harbor in 1972.  In 1990s, the remains of the hull were incorporated into a land reclamation project to extend docks further into the harbor.