UNITED STATES (1952)

 

Many books and articles have been written about this ship; there's no point trying to compete with them. If you don't know anything about her, Frank O. Braynard's The Big Ship is a very good place to start.

 

This ship was William Francis Gibbs' masterpiece. He had been working on the hull design, off and on, since before World War I. Finally, at the end of World War II, the technology and money were there to see his ideas come to fruition. The United States was arguably the safest ship ever built. Practically fireproof, the only wood on board could be found in the butcher's blocks in the galleys, and the pianos in the lounges. The fabrics and paints used were designed not to burn.

 

Hildreth Meiere and Austin Purves, Jr. assisted Smyth, Urquhart and Marckwald in the selection and supervision of the artists. Purves had some interesting ideas for decor, including cigar store Indians, and at the other end of the scale, Alexander Calder was in the mix of possible artists. (Essay to come.)

 

ARTIST ROSTER

Fred Chance, Erica Egan, Charles Gilbert, Morton Grossman, Charles Harper, Mira Jedwabnik, William King, Michael Lantz, Gwen Lux, Roy Mason, Hildreth Meiere, Edward Meshekoff, Peter Ostuni, R. F. Patterson, Austin Purves, Jr., Louis Ross, Constance Smith, Charles Lin Tissot, Raymond J. Wendell, John Scott Williams, Wheeler Williams, Lewis E. York

 

BASIC STATS

Length: 990'  |  Beam: 101.5'  |  Passengers: 1,750  |  53,330 gross tons  |  Speed: 32 knots