Today I am posting the last few remaining slides of the Queen Mary from my collection!
Let's start with this fun shot of a 1985 billboard, featuring a rebus. Can you possibly crack the code?!
Here's a view from the water... I wonder if the photographer was taking a harbor tour. When I win the lottery I'm going to buy an old ocean liner and convert it into a seaside home. I'll wear full captain's regalia all the times (like Captain Bligh), of course.
Up on deck, two girls pose in the bright Southern California sunshine. Wonder what those cylindrical things are sticking up in the foreground? I think they are birds that disguise themselves as cylindrical things to confuse predators.
Inside the Queen Mary, there are many exhibits. Check out this sweet, highly-detailed model of the QM herself. I built many Aurora and Revell models when I was a kid, but this thing is a masterpiece.
Yet another model, this time a battleship of some kind. Does anybody know the significance of the vessel shown here?
I hope you've enjoyed your visit to the Queen Mary!
I believe the model in the last photo depicts the light cruiser HMS Curacoa which sank after colliding with the Queen Mary off the coast of Ireland in October of 1942. The Curacoa was escorting the RMS QM (in full "Grey Ghost" mode) at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe ship mentioned is the USS Long Beach (CGN-9). Long Beach was the first "all-new" cruiser designed and constructed after World War II (all others were completions or conversions of cruisers begun or completed during the war). She was the third Navy ship named after the city of Long Beach, California, and the last ship built on a traditional "cruiser hull" in the US Navy; all subsequent cruisers were built on scaled-up destroyer hulls. This led to the slogan she carried in her later years: "The Only Real Cruiser."
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The Well Informed Mr. Cox has already given you the skinny on the USS Long Beach, but I suspect that the model photos were taken in the mid 70's. I recall the Navy asked for the cruiser model back about 1977, and the Queen Mary model doesn't seem to show any of the damage it picked up when an overhead pipe broke, spilling unspeakable effluvia on her majesty.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rebus puzzle, I leave that to your readership for the moment. I was there so I know the "solution", but I will mention, that it won a prize that year for "Worst Advertising Campaign" by a national Advertising committee.
Seeing that sign makes me wonder why Long Beach got rid of the Spruce Goose? I don't think I ever heard a reason.
ReplyDeleteGreat post today, Major. Made even better by your commentary, LOL!!
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic! The Walt Disney Company aquired the real estate associated with both attractions; the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose in the late 80s. I think after Port Disney was scrapped, they informed the California Aero Club they no longer wished to display the Spruce Goose, so it was moved it to Oregon.
ReplyDeleteDisney gained control of the lease for the Spruce Goose and Queen Mary when it purchased the assets of the Wrather Corporation in 1989. The deal also included the Disneyland Hotel. Disney created a subsidiary company called WCO Port Properties to manage the lease and market the properties. For a while, admission to the SG and QM was included free with a Disneyland passport, but even that didn't bring in many more visitors.
ReplyDelete(if you are a fan of Disney minutae, you can see the WCO Port Properties nametag here.. http://www.nametagmuseum.com/queenmary.jpg )
Nametagmuseum, So did Disney only have the lease on the Long Beach attractions? The story of Disney's involvement with Long Beach is interesting to say the least.
ReplyDeleteThank you, K. Martinez and Nametagmuseum!
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the great models they had there. The cruiser Long Beach was a favorite of mine since I grew up there!
ReplyDelete@ K. Martinez: Walter Wrather signed a 66-year lease with the city of Long Beach, who owned the properties. Disney became the successor-in-interest to the lease when the bought the Wrather Corporation. The lease included an option for Disney to back out after 5 years, which they did after they failed to drum up any interest in the SG and QM.
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