1935 Normandie's Maiden Voyage | La Mer | Chantal Chamberland

Music: 1945 La Mer | Chantal Chamberland 2008
Video: 1935 Normandie's Blue Riband Maiden Voyage | Le Havre to New York
1930s playlist: t.ly/TxIW
"The SS Normandie was a French ocean liner (paquebot) built in Saint-Nazaire, France, for the French Line Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT). It entered service in 1935 as the largest and fastest passenger ship afloat, crossing the Atlantic in a record 4.14 days, and remains the most powerful steam turbo-electric-propelled passenger ship ever built.
Normandie's novel design and lavish interiors led many to consider it the greatest of ocean liners. Despite this, it was not a commercial success and relied partly on government subsidy to operate. During service as the flagship of the CGT, she made 139 westbound transatlantic crossings from her home port of Le Havre to New York City.
During the Second World War, Normandie was seized by U.S. authorities at New York and renamed USS Lafayette. In 1942, the liner caught fire while being converted to a troopship, capsized onto its port side and came to rest on the mud of the Hudson River at Pier 88, the site of the current New York Passenger Ship Terminal. Although salvaged at great expense, restoration was deemed too costly and Normandie was scrapped in October 1946." (Wikipedia)
* * *
"Normandie's maiden voyage was on 29 May 1935. Fifty thousand saw it off at Le Havre on what was hoped would be a record-breaking crossing. It reached New York City after four days, three hours and two minutes, taking away the Blue Riband from the Italian liner Rex. This brought great pride for the French, who had not won the distinction before. Under the command of Captain René Pugnet, Normandie's average on the maiden voyage was around 30 knots (56 km/h) and on the eastbound crossing to France, she averaged over 30 knots (56 km/h), breaking records in both directions.
During the maiden voyage, the CGT refused to predict that their ship would win the Blue Riband. However, by the time the ship reached New York, medallions of the Blue Riband victory, made in France, were delivered to passengers and the ship flew a 30-foot-long (9.1 m) blue pennant. An estimated 100,000 spectators lined New York Harbor for Normandie's arrival. All passengers were presented with a medal celebrating the occasion on behalf of the CGT." (Wikipedia)
* * *
The blue clock near the end of the video
"This rare pale blue tinted moulded glass clock, produced with the collaboration of René Lalique and fitted with ATO movement, is one of a few that were only given to first class passengers on the inaugural Transatlantic voyage of the famous ocean liner. The glass panel is very stylish and of purest Art Deco form, simple but striking, depicting featuring the bow of the vessel rising on the waves, with the letters NORMANDIE spelling out 9 of the clock face numbers. The ATO and company logo Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, are to the rear in moulded lettering, 15cm high."
(www.bonhams.com/auctions/1633...)
* * *
"Although Normandie was a critical success in her design and decor, ultimately North Atlantic passengers flocked to the more traditional Queen Mary. Two of Normandie's greatest attributes, in reality, turned out to be two of its biggest faults.
Part of Normandie's problem lay in the fact that the majority of its passenger space was devoted solely to first class, which could carry up to 848 people. Less space and consideration were given to second and tourist class, which numbered only 670 and 454 passengers respectively. As a result, the consensus among North Atlantic passengers was that Normandie was primarily a ship for the rich and famous. In contrast, in Queen Mary, Cunard White Star had placed just as much emphasis on decor, space, and accommodation in second and tourist class as in first class. Thus Queen Mary accommodated American tourists, who had become numerous in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of these passengers could not afford first-class passage yet wanted to travel with much of the same comfort as those experienced in first. As a result, second and tourist class became a major cash source for shipping companies at that time. Queen Mary would accommodate these trends.
Another of the CGT's greatest triumphs also turned out to be one of Normandie's greatest flaws: her modern Art Déco interiors. Queen Mary, although also decorated in an Art Déco style, was more restrained in her appointments and was not as radical as Normandie, and proved ultimately to be more popular with travellers." (Wikipedia)
* * *
"''La Mer' ('The Sea') is a song by French composer, lyricist, singer and showman Charles Trenet. The song was first recorded by Roland Gerbeau in 1945. Trenet's 1946 version became an unexpected hit, and has remained a chanson classic and jazz standard ever since." (Wikipedia)