Inkipedia

SS Normandie Ocean Liner Souvenir

Categories Souvenir
Type Transportation
Material Pot metal
Markings See Narrative
Manufacturer Undetermined
Origin France
Date or Era circa 1935
Measuring 5 ½” x 2 ¾”

This metal inkstand features a glass-covered picture of the SS Normandie with the notation: “LE HAVRE – Paquebot – Normandie”.  Insert is missing.

The SS Normandie was a French ocean liner built by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT) in Saint-Nazaire, France. She entered service in 1935 and held the distinction of being the largest and fastest passenger ship at the time. Her maiden voyage took place on May 29, 1935, and she became renowned for her luxurious interiors and innovative design. Normandie was powered by a steam turbo-electric propulsion system, making her the most powerful ship of her kind. Despite her grandeur, she faced commercial challenges and relied partly on government subsidies to operate.

The SS Normandie operated as an opulent ocean liner, competing with the RMS Queen Mary for the Blue Riband (fastest transatlantic crossing). Unfortunately, her career was cut short during World War II. In 1942, she was seized by U.S. authorities, renamed USS Lafayette, and converted into a troopship. Tragically, while undergoing conversion, a fire broke out, causing her to capsize in New York Harbor. Salvaged but deemed too costly to restore, she was eventually scrapped in 1946

Sold for $61 in May 2024

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