My Cunard Heritage Trail - Part III Click on the links for larger images or go directly to the Photo Index
	Continuing the guide to the Cunard Line heritage items aboard QE2:- Quarter Deck:- In the Princess Grill life-size statues of the four elements - fire, earth, air & water by Janine Janet are made entirely of marine items such as shell & coral. Outside the entrance to the Britannia Grill is a small model of the paddle steamer Britannia 1840. On D Stairway, the approach to the Caronia Restaurant is a large model of Mauretania, sadly a number of pieces are broken and even the lights inside the forward section had failed by the end of our cruise. It needs a bit of attention! On the starboard side is a large canvas of Mauretania leaving the Tyne on her maiden voyage by Tom Hemy in 1908, and a silver plaque commemorating a visit by Nelson Mandela in 1998. Model of Mauretania The excellent Library contains a sectioned model of Aquitania 1914, and a painting of the Queen Mary by J Gifford. The Bookshop next door contains a wealth of reference books along with those for purchasing and models [to buy] of the Cunard ships. In the Chart Room there is a frieze with the words of TS Elliot, Sir Francis Drake and John Masefield created by Brody Nevenshwander, and the backdrop to the bar shows the steamship routes across the North Atlantic Ocean. An embossed leather picture depicting old sailing ships originally hung in the German steamer Kaiser Wilholm der Grosse. It was presented to Cunard by Lloyd Werft to commemorate the re-engineering of QE2 in 1986/7. Along with the many navigational instruments on display in the Chart Room is a brass armillary sphere, presented to Cunard by the Institute of London Underwriters, but the centre piece is the Piano, formerly used in the Flamenco Room on Queen Mary. Brass Armillary Sphere HM Queen Elizabeth II The Queens Room contains a bronze coloured bust of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, created by Oscar Neman. Royal Standards at each end of the room were flown at the mastheads of ships visited by Royalty. A carved wooden crest is that of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Top G Stairway contains a display giving an impression of the 1930's style which characterised both Queen Mary & Queen Elizabeth. An excellent [but somewhat dusty] model of Queen Mary along with a life buoy from the ship are the centre pieces. The Lido contains artwork by Giancarlo Impigalia which was introduced during the 1994 refit. One Deck:- The Pavilion contains more artwork by Giancarlo Impiglia. Two Deck:- The Forward Lobby, outside the Computer Learning Centre, contains 2 display cases full of Cunard Publications dating back to the turn of the beginning of the 20th Century [provided by the Ocean Liner Museum of new York]. A large wooden plaque [with a nasty crack through it] on the starboard side was presented by First Sea Lord, Sir John Fieldhouse, to commemorate the Falklands Campaign.   Queen Mary's Life Buoy Spirit of the Atlantic   At the forward entrance to the Midships Lobby is a bronze figure 'Spirit of the Atlantic' by Barney Seale, which was commissioned for the 2nd Mauretania 1939. Around the Midships Lobby are four large panels by British artist Peter Sutton, illustrating the key eras in the Cunard Line [Commissioned in 1994]. Here lies a wonderul silver model of Queen Elizabeth 2, made by Asprey of Bond Street, London circa 1975. The existence of the model was unknown until an old photograph was found by accident in 1997. It took a year to track down the model's wherabouts, but it was finally placed on the ship in 1999. D Stairway holds a silver cup commemorating the first ever World Cruise in 1922-23 by the Cunard Liner Laconia; while E Stairway supports a series of Cunard posters extending down to Four Deck, telling their own story of some of the greatest ships to sail the Atlantic. G Stairway, covering a number of decks, is lined with Paintings and limited edition prints of Cunard ships by marine artists Card, Fisher, Crossley, Cummings and Young. Can someone tell me the name of the ship please? Lusitania 1907 Three Deck:- In the D Stairway is Queen Elizabeth 2's brass ship's bell, which has occasionally been used as a font for christenings. On New Year's Eve it is used in the Grand Lounge to ring the old year out and the new in. Above the bell is a painting [in an imaginary setting] by Stephen Card of Queen Elizabeth 2 with Britannia 1840. There are other items aboard, in private quarters which I couldn't view. The original bells from Aquitania & Franconia, Engine Room Telegraph from Mauretania & QE2's builder's plate, amongst others. Photographs of QE2's public areas, open decks, exterior views, our cabin & other items I came across, can be seen in the various Photo Galleries here.