Cruise Liners Legend : Cruise liner Ile de France kids dinning room

Version française de cet article Cruise Liners LegendNovember 2013, in Deauville France, took place the Cruise Liners Legend Exhibition.

 

Cruise Liners Legend : Cruise liner France Main LoungeMaxime Old contributed to the glamourous Cruise Liners Legend. First with the cruise liner Atlantique in 1930, it reached its peak with the France in 1961. Many anecdotes would be interesting to deepen, for instance:

  • In 1930 while Maxime is working for Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, why is he authorized to compete, win, realize, sign of his name, independently, one of the Atlantique first class suites? Knowing Ruhlmann’s authority and ego, working himself on that prematurely lost ocean liner?
  • Why in 1960 is Maxime Old the winner for the realization of the Paquebot France first class main lounge, obviously the most prestigious part of that superlative liner, heir to the Normandie? All the most famous decorators of that time are there, the political turn taken by the competition is easily imagined, but politics are not Maxime’s grounds.

Would Gérard Boucher be able to answer these questions? Without any doubt as he has become enthusiastic and expert about everything related to liners.
What is for sure is that in 2009 Gérard Boucher is offering the only remaining pairs of each of the two types of armchairs of the main lounge: the “relaxing” armchair, yellow coloured on the left of the picture, and the “light” armchair, white in the forefront, but also mustard yellow, tobacco and blue in the background.

Cruise Liners Legend : Cruise liner Ile de France kids seats

Cruise Liners Legend : Cruise liner Ile de France kids restored seats

Those willingly coloured harmonies are one of Maxime Old’s signatures. The picture of the children first class dining room onboard the Ile de France would testify of close choices as far back as 1949, if it were coloured. So as to understand perfectly, let us recall that the Ile de France, launched in 1927 was magnificent (tea room, first class gallery, grand staircase and foyer by E.J. Ruhlmann). Commandeered during the war to be used as troop transport, the ocean liner is brought back into commercial use in 1949 with a decoration completely remade, in which Maxime Old is participating.

The picture of the children first class dining room realized by Maxime Old sets his style for the young audience he was quite fond of.

 

Gérard Boucher found four of the armchairs we see on this picture. Used by adults they are now covered by their original red leather (right handside picture). The former blue paint is gone, the natural wood is visible, yet it still appears on the spheres that were originally golden in addition. And here they are, on the left handside picture, after a particularly scrupulous restoration as new, made from Gérard Boucher researches.These armchairs are proposed in Deauville by the exhibition-sale Ocean Liners Legend (In French La Légende des Paquebots).

Are you looking for certified present releases of Maxime Old Modern Art Furniture? All about them is here.