Be sure to give the video a like, it really helps me out.

I love the Queen Mary's interiors, and especially how they aren't all uniform. They're complementary but each room has its own personality. Even QE feels a lot more like one artistic vision and not as lived-in as QM. It's apt when people describe the ship as being like a (fancy) grandmother's house.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

I agree!

3:56 "You may have even noticed that the bar itself resembles a giant barrel..." I had genuinely never caught that detail before. That's a spectacular bit of decorating.

“Exquisite !!!” Nothing but nothing for me has more appeal than the ART DECO style, especially the soft rounded curves and the soft well placed lighting. There is absolutely nothing about this era and styling that I don’t care for. I hope that I may find heaven appointed in this manner 😇.

Seeing I believe the dining room being used in the Netflix show “Griselda” made me so happy to see the ship being used

We see some of the beautiful leading lines and variations of color the original flooring complemented to the spaces and people will be truly awed and impressed and brought back into yesteryear. I’m so happy they’re bringing back the lighting as intended. It’s a slow process, but that streamlined moderne with a British accent is slowly returning. Beautiful showcase of some of her finest Art Deco features.

Thank you, Alex, for this very enjoyable video about the Queen Mary's Art Deco design. I've visited the ship many times and have always enjoyed its beautiful interiors. 👍

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Glad you liked the video!

Live in San Diego, but would go to Anaheim often for conventions, and would often stop by the bar in QM because I loved it so much. Took many friends by there.

I visited the Queen this month and a new candy shop opened next to the first gift shop that opened on port side. It's a real treat to check out 😁🍬🍬

It's been said that one of the reasons Queen Mary was so popular was its interior decor; the high Art Deco design of her competitor, Normandie, was felt to be too imposing for many travelers.

Thank you for a memorable video!!!!

What a great way to start the weekend, a new video from Alex the Historian. The Mary is a floating piece of art from stem to stern. Were finely going to take a tour sometime after Christmas. Thanks for the time and work you are giving to the Queen Mary.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Oh nice! Enjoy your tour!

@jetsons101

8 ай бұрын

Just checked online, boy is parking expensive now.... LOL@@AlextheHistorian

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

It really is, and they don't validate. But the money you pay for parking goes directly to the ship's maintenance and not the ship's operating expenses lol

@jetsons101

8 ай бұрын

I'll be more than happy to pay if it helps the Mary in anyway........@@AlextheHistorian

i was just on the Queen Mary early fall 2023. It was a nice stay, nice restaurant and my room was comfortable. I didn't feel any ghosts and was comfortable the moment I stepped on board. The staff was very courteous, food was good and service was good. I would stay on Queen Mary again. I'm glad that they have the hallways lit much better now. I saw pictures of the hallways before the upgradeded lighting and it was too dim. The ocean liner is nicer than I expected and I know it will continue to be upgraded to be even more beautiful.

All the gorgeous wood paneling in the main hall is still there, under the leather. You can see bits of it where some corners of the hide are peeling :D

HI ALEX ,, SUCH A GREAT WAY YOU HAVE ON TELLING A TRUE AND GREAT STORY OF ART DECO,, OF OUR GRAND OLD SHIP THE QUEEN MARY WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE IN LONG BEACH .. THE HARD WORK THAT THE WORKERS HAVE DONE HAVE BROUGHT HER BACK TO LIFE LIKE IN A TIME MACHINE .. IN PERSON AND IN YOUR VIDEO WE CAN SEE SO MUCH ,,NOW !!! THAT WAS CLOSE IN BEFORE AND THE LIGHTING LIKE YOU SAID SHINES HER WOOD .. THIS OLD GIRL THE QUEEN MARY DESERVES ALL THAT SHE IS GETTING AS A GREAT MAKE-UP AFTER ALL THE YEARS SHE HAS GIVING TO US IN SERVICE IN WWII MAKING USA FREE FOR ALL.. THANK YOU!!! VETERAN...

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it Ronald!

0:40 This Ocean Liner RMS Queen Mary Is A Bit Like HMS Belfast From The Imperial War Museum In London In England In The United Kingdom. Thanks Mate. X

Oh, I’ll have to see if i can tour this if i ever make it to the west coast! I really do love Art Deco.

Aha! Loved your take on the cold somewhat intimidating lobby of the Empire State Building, and primarily because it brings up the great debate of the "Queen Mary"' versus the "Normandie", (the ship so many people gush over as being the "finest ever built" etc)....and yet, The "Normandie" was not nearly the commercial success that the "Queen Mary" was, particularly in load factors. By a wide margin. I do believe one chief reason for that was the Mary was a much more warm, inviting ship. She had spectacular interiors, but also they were not as "cold" as Normandie's. Just as one thing to consider; the North Atlantic is grey and stormy more than sunny and calm. Would you rather be comforted in a wood paneled main lounge or one that's to a large extent glass paneled?

Awesome video alex

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Evelyn Waugh loathed the design of this ship. In Part 2, Chapter 1 of “Brideshead Revisited “, he makes some scathing remarks about the interiors of an unnamed ship that is obviously the “Queen Mary”. In the early 80s I visited the Queen, before it had fully developed as a tourist attraction. I swear I was the only person there. Rather than pay for a guided tour, I bought that famous longitudinal cutaway drawing and used that as my guide. I was everywhere, every major room, the pool, even the silver vault and projectionist booth, high in the forward end wall of the main lounge. Ended with a drink in the observation bar. The Spruce Goose was there, too, and I was able to have a leisurely tour of that as well.

wonderful exploration of art history and how the style is utilized in the ship

Observations Bar my favorite room onboard. Hope they get those Sir Winston chairs out and Deco appropriate chairs replaced.

loved this 🙌🏻😻

Really love for you bring at to life, I'm usually uninterested but you do such a great job I watch them all!

@AlextheHistorian

7 ай бұрын

Thank you!

The Queen Mary broke away from the Cunard traditional naming convention. She also pioneered the use of Formica in some of her staterooms. Formica largely fell out of favor in the 1980s but it was state of the art in the 1930s. She ushered the Age of the Queens which we are still living in.

U just made me a fan of art deco. It’s very pretty on the queen Mary

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Oh cool! I'm glad I made you a fan!

AWSOME VIDEO ALEX! 5:52 This is a Long Beach photo what is so cool abt this pic is that 1. they kept the pool filed for a kinda long time. 2. the kept some QM First class pool furniture in there.

Great content as always! Love the channel.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much!

LA needs an Art Deco corridor where all buildings must have Art Deco elements

Wow I am impressed. Nice history.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Thank you!

So good! Thanks for sharing!

Fantastic video 😎👍💯💯💯💯

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Thank you, Alex. This is a great overview episode, capturing the distinctive expression of elegance in the 1930's. I had not realized the delay to 1936 before entering revenue service.

@AlextheHistorian

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for the donation Donald!

It was such a surprise to see the grand salon at its best on the day of the Sunday Brunch opening. It was pretty much a trip back in time. The Queen Mary does give the cozy vibes not the cold vibes of Art Deco. Also, seems like a new tour will be offered in February which will include the spaces of the boiler rooms. And around same time the first class swimming pool will be accessible.

Nice job Alex.

I love videos like this. Amazing!

@AlextheHistorian

7 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Great video! I think art Deco is probably one of the most influential art forms of the last 400 years and a major influence in modern architecture in subtle, and in not-so-subtle ways Today! It mimics humanistic ministic qualities in such ways that ancient societies have also done particularly early in greece.

Great footage and commentary Alex :))) Great job!

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Thank you!

The renovations are gorgeous. This is so wonderful.

Thanks for creating this video. U love Art Deco

This is phenomenal Alex. Just a wonderful video.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

I know you've been waiting for this video!

@docjc1842

7 ай бұрын

@@AlextheHistorian if I haven't reminded you lately you're so talented!

Thank you for this great video. Your focus on deco style and features is enjoyable and educational. It also shows the best of recent sensitive renovations. Your videos inspire me to make the long international journey to see it all for myself!

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

The ship is definitely worth a visit!

The quality of this is incredible! I'm so glad you did stuff about art deco! you make incredible content and i learn something every time you post! thank you!

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

Hey there Alex. I had always thought that the 1947 panels were put on to hide damage incurred to the wood by soldiers in WWII, and that the wood was still there underneath. I am not sure how I came to hear this. Maybe a tour many years back--so I am not sure about the accuracy, etc.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Yeah that was information told on tours, however it isn't true. The wood paneling remained in remarkably pristine condition, there's even footage and photos of workers removing the panels to install the pigskin panels. Cunard simply wanted to brighten the room and bring it into the "modern" age with a more streamline moderne look.

Great video Alex!

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Alex, thank you! I learned quite a bit from this video, and I love the style of the ship.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Glad to hear you enjoyed the video!

I saw a vid that showed inside shots of France's SS Normandie of 1932. Although it had the design of a luxury salon in, say, Paris, it apparently was almost too regal. So I kind of understand why the interiors of the QM appealed to more people. The main staircase of the SS Titanic (immortalized in the movie from the 1990s), however, was admittedly more impressive than the QM's. But other parts of the ship from 1934 offset that. All things considered, it makes sense that the QM is the last ocean liner from the early 1900s to remain standing. Its namesake, the QM2 of 2004, is impressive in more of a Disney-fied or Vegas-y way, which is why it will be fitting as a stationary building in 2037. I can see it working better in Dubai than the QE2 does, which dates from the late 1960s.

BRING BACK THE SYNAGOGUE!!!

Is the Queen Mary I heard expression genuinely loved in her area. With lots support love emotional and financial to keep her going and not lose her. Is she more of advert for city. I read once some guy said no one heard of Anaheim till she came along. As a Scot we have emotional attachment too.

I am A big fan of the Observation bar/lounge..so unique. I wonder if it still has an outside area

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

It does, though technically that outside area used to be the outdoor promenade for passengers to walk.

@airtiki2374

8 ай бұрын

ok good to know thanks

I would imagine the ship’s lighting, fans, etc. were originally powered by 100vdc. I think the British ships were still on that system in the 30s

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

I have a engineering book for QM, I might be able to confirm that later. I'll let you know if I find anything.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

So after carefully reading, what I found was that the ship's electric grid ran on 225volts D.C. This is from the book "The Cunard White Star Quadruple Screw Liner Queen Mary" by Bonanza Books, page 109. This book is a combination of plans and articles about the form and function of everything aboard the ship according to its engineers and builders, and I believe the information originated as a type of blueprint for Cunard maintenance and repair crews to reference when major work needed done.

@davidpar2

8 ай бұрын

@@AlextheHistorian interesting. A voltage level more similar to the mainland at that point. Thanks for the technical info

Wait the Medallion of Queen Mary at the Staircase isn't the original? Why though? where did the real one go? could you please do a video about all of the Replicas onboard?

@AlextheHistorian

7 ай бұрын

The original has been stored in the archives, it was thought that if it was on display it may get damaged or someone might try to steal it. 2 replicas were made from it out of plaster, the one you see above the stairs today, and the other is on display at the hotel front desk/former 1st Class Purser's desk on A Deck. To my knowledge those are the only replica artworks on the ship.

6:51 looks like a different version of the first clasd lounge

@King.of.Battleships

8 ай бұрын

That is the 2nd class main lounge, but I don't know if I'm correct. I might be wrong.

After looking at a bunch of old pictures of the queen marys 1st class dining room there was a wall that had a smaller mural with 4 rectangular lights it was set back a little bit and was below the giant mural looking at new pictures that wall is no longer there do you know anything about that

@AlextheHistorian

4 ай бұрын

Yes, that wall with the lights surrounded the middle funnel shaft. During the conversion to a hotel, all of the funnel shafts were decked-over to create extra floor space. So that wall was removed and the space behind it was converted to a dance floor.

What happened to the two uplights in the first class dining room?

@AlextheHistorian

7 ай бұрын

After the ship came to Long Beach, they were both moved to the Main Hall. As they fell into disrepair, one was cannibalized to restore the other.

At 2:30 why is Queen Mary Of Tech Royal Standard hanging on the wall

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

Because the ship is named after her and was christened by her and the ship was awarded her standard.

@hmybritannia

8 ай бұрын

@@AlextheHistorian Thank You do they still display it on the ship or did it get removed when she died in 1953 2 months before her grandaughter Coronation

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

The royal standard was removed from the ship sometime in the Long Beach years, if I remember correctly, it was under mysterious circumstances. Right now there are plans in place to make a replica of the standard to display in the case.

I'm curious to see how the restoration progresses. I hope all the carpeting will be replaced. Those carpets are horrible. Of course, 30+ years of foot traffic would do that, but still. They look awful.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

The observation bar is awaiting new linoleum that will replicate the original linoleum pattern. As time goes by, more of the carpeting will be replaced throughout the ship

They need to furnish the first class smoking room and not just with yucky, cheap event tables and chairs. Where are the CHESTERFIELD SOFAS??? That is an obvious more intimate and luxurious location for hotel guests to gather. Friends of mine who stayed on the Queen Mary say the one thing they disliked was that they did not have access to places to just be other than their small cabin and restaurants where things got crowded and rowdy with tourists in hot sweaty shorts and t-shirts. Ship managers need to respect the importance of multiple public spaces and access to them by hotel guests, especially!

So the enlisted men were careful and respectful of the ship's art and design, but the officers used paintings in the Veranda Grill's music room as bulletin boards and stuck pins right through them? That sounds about right, sadly.

Ugh the queen would be much better with two things. Furniture and music! They bring things to life and it’s odd seeing everything empty.

@AlextheHistorian

7 ай бұрын

Well they have the music running all over Promenade Deck and parts of M Deck. But they desperately need the furniture.

It feels like Long Beach gutted/changed and ripped out more of the Queen Mary than they preserved. But excellent video as always.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

I dont think so. To me it looks like they preserved much more than they destroyed. And keep in mind, at that time, NO ONE was preserving ocean liners. They had no value to society. So we are actually lucky that Long Beach even preserved as much as they did.

@King.of.Battleships

8 ай бұрын

@@AlextheHistorian I would say the QM has around 50% of her interiors.

@AlextheHistorian

8 ай бұрын

I agree

I feel like youd probaly like the buildings in miami beach

@AlextheHistorian

7 ай бұрын

Funny enough, I don't. The bright colors put me off.

@EnejEneje-db7rw

7 ай бұрын

@@AlextheHistorian lol not even the syle?

@AlextheHistorian

7 ай бұрын

@EnejEneje-db7rw I like the style because it's Art Deco, but...it looks like a neighborhood of neon candy...I just can't stand it lol

elevators **

@AlextheHistorian

7 ай бұрын

Queen Mary is a British ship, in Britain elevators are called lifts. There are even signs aboard the ship that directed passengers to the "lifts".

The Hilton's bought it, disabled it, auctioned otf the basic true interior furnishings. THANK CORPSE KIRK KIRKORIAN.