Cruise Talk: Futuristic Ocean Liner circa 1932

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»	Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » Futuristic Ocean Liner circa 1932

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Topic: Futuristic Ocean Liner circa 1932

BrionP
First Class Passenger
Member # 52

posted 08-27-2001 03:09 AM

Thought some of you might be interested in Norman Bel Geddes' vision for the future back in 1939. Look at this:

www.arch.gatech.edu/archhistory/arch2112/html/296.htm

[ 08-27-2001: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

Posts: 35 | From: LA, California | Registered: Feb 99 | IP: Logged

kbozman
First Class Passenger
Member # 642

posted 08-27-2001 10:25 AM

hi Brian,

Wow !!!!!!!! that guy was a visionary ( to put it mildly )and his design was very futuristic.

I was blown away when the image of his Liner popped up on my screen. At first, it looks like a submarine, but after a close look, I realized that many of the newbuilds today, greatly reasemble his design. HHmmmm.....

The only changes I would make is to lenghten the bow, and place the funnel in the middle of the ship. I loved the aft section, with what seems to be numerous " atriums " ?

Funny, if you really look at the overall
design, it's so aerodynamic, if you put wings on it, I believe it could fly !!!

As for the design, it makes you wonder if the builders today had knowledge of this man, and secretly kept the picture of his Liner to model off of. Hhhmmm... ?

Thanks for the great photo. I'll print and save this one !!!

Kbozman.

Posts: 154 | From: Hanover Pa, USA | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 08-27-2001 05:52 PM

Part of that design looked almost exactly like the Crown Princess or the Regal Princess. That Dolphin-dome or what-ever it is called. Obviously an Atlantic Liner, with very little open deck areas.

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

David McIntosh
First Class Passenger
Member # 1737

posted 08-27-2001 06:22 PM

WOW. That is one fantastic looking ship. Thanks for the pix.

Posts: 124 | From: Columbia, SC, USA | Registered: Jan 2001 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 08-27-2001 07:25 PM

Barryboat is right, Princess owe the designer some royalties.

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 08-27-2001 07:54 PM

You make the call...twins seperated by 60 years?

Joe at TravelPage.com

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 08-27-2001 09:36 PM

They sure look alike - mother and daughter maybe?

Apparent lack of deck space was my first observation.

I too think Princess owes the designer some royalties.

Knew the name meant something to me -

"Barbara Bel Geddes was born in New York City on Halloween, 1922. Her father was the noted designer and producer Norman Bel Geddes."

Bit late for royalties!

[ 08-27-2001: Message edited by: Green ]

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

nathan
First Class Passenger
Member # 720

posted 08-28-2001 09:14 AM

I know the name Barbara Bel Geddes, but for some reason can't place her. Could you shed some light?

Posts: 534 | From: Knoxville, Tennessee | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 08-28-2001 10:45 AM

Ship would need a bulbous bow

Industrial Designer Norman Bel Geddes designed much of the 1939 World's Fair.

Another famed Industrial Designer is Raymond Loewy who sketched out ships, and

Henry Dreyfuss designed the timeless looking Independence and Constitution. Like to see her interiors restored to their original form.

My undergraduate degree is in Industrial Design.

for more info on Bel Geddes and others check out
www.idsa.org

[ 08-28-2001: Message edited by: desirod6 ]

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 08-28-2001 03:25 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nathan:
I know the name Barbara Bel Geddes, but for some reason can't place her. Could you shed some light?

Here's the URL...........
http://www.geocities.com/howardkeelhomepage/BarbaraBelGeddes.htm

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 08-28-2001 03:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nathan:
I know the name Barbara Bel Geddes, but for some reason can't place her. Could you shed some light?

Nathan - she was JR's Mother, Miss Ellie, on Dallas - remember that!

[ 08-28-2001: Message edited by: sympatico ]

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

nathan
First Class Passenger
Member # 720

posted 08-28-2001 04:32 PM

Ah, the memories are flooding back. I loved that show.

Posts: 534 | From: Knoxville, Tennessee | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Dolphins
First Class Passenger
Member # 2043

posted 08-28-2001 06:06 PM

Despite the resemblance, Royal Caribbean did not get their design for their circular Viking Crown lounge from this drawing. The architect said he got the idea from the Seattle Space Needle.

Posts: 324 | From: Commack, New York | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

Marlowe
First Class Passenger
Member # 1632

posted 08-31-2001 11:26 PM

Who remembers this futuristic not quite grand dame?

She still sits today praying for a new life and being that it has been in fresh water, word is that the hull steel is virtually 100%.

Posts: 414 | From: mt. vernon, wa, usa | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

titanicsteve
First Class Passenger
Member # 2142

posted 09-09-2001 03:58 PM

Hey now that is a ship!! If the sides were less slanty and the back not as slopey then it would pass for a mega ship! I think maybe the designer was thinking more ahead to it being areodynamic? Maybe he thought some day that a liner could go REALLY fast? Like Concorde it's all airstreamed.... like this ship!It makes me think more along the lines of a super sonic liner......... which would'nt be much of a holiday at the speed it could go at but it would be an experience! And maybe he did not put in decking thinking that the people would get blown away! Those of you who are familair with the 'Seacat' http://www.poirishsea.com/ will know that there are no decks? because it is to dangerous and fast! Maybe I am stupid here but I think this man could see into the future!!!

Thanks for the nice pic!

Posts: 510 | From: Ireland (near Titanic birthplace!!) | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Jesse C
First Class Passenger
Member # 1678

posted 09-09-2001 04:02 PM

They need to replace the Crown Princess' old funnel with a new one.

Posts: 244 | From: Houston, Texas, United States of America | Registered: Nov 2000 | IP: Logged

Guest
First Class Passenger
Member # 1157

posted 09-10-2001 09:50 AM

I saw Regal Princess in 1998, she was in the Panama Canal when we were in there on
QE2. She is a very unique design, but quite attractive in her own special way.

Sadly she was in~front of us so I could only get pictures of her stern. That "future ship"
has got her "dolphin" effect on its bow - perhaps where princess got the idea?

Posts: 1888 | From: Earth | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

nathan
First Class Passenger
Member # 720

posted 09-10-2001 12:40 PM

Crown and Regal Princess were commissioned by Sitmar, weren't they?

Posts: 534 | From: Knoxville, Tennessee | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Guest
First Class Passenger
Member # 1157

posted 09-11-2001 05:34 AM

perhaps where sitmar got the idea

Posts: 1888 | From: Earth | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 01-22-2003 06:44 PM

for Onno

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Onno
First Class Passenger
Member # 3071

posted 01-23-2003 03:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by desirod7:
for Onno

Thanks Desirod, this thread is new to me at least before I joined cruisetalk

Norman Bel Geddes streamlined ship model is a design that is one of my favorites as is Renzo Piano’s Crown and Regal Princess. There are certainly similarities between the ships even though they are designed in complete different eras. As for the Crown’s funnel I have some early graphics of the ship design and the entire ship should even be more streamlined, but eventually this “can” like funnel was chosen because it was the most efficient one. It actually never bothered that much but now that the Crown as the ARosa blu has the curved shields around the funnel I must say it is an visual improvement. The two sisters may have odd and illogic interior spaces her exterior is far superior then compared with ships of the same vintage. Only recently that kind of “visual” designing is returning in little amounts in ships like the Brilliance of the Seas and in a certain degree in Coral princess.

I hope that the two sisters may have long cruising careers.

Best, Onno

Posts: 3583 | From: the Netherlands (Berenbotje ging uit varen...) | Registered: May 2002 | IP: Logged

nzmike
First Class Passenger
Member # 1308

posted 01-23-2003 06:27 PM

Wow - that really is something! But I'm not quite sure that she really is like modern ships. Her superstructure has the same basic shape from a side view, but it slants inwards heavily, has no open prom deck, no lifeboats in the superstructure, and consequently very small top deck space. He seems to have designed something of a "space boat-ship" that fits in well with the streamlining that was also evident in vehicle and locomotive design in the 1930's but a lot of the trends that he has assumed would be superceded have remained the same. I guess that as an indoor Atlantic liner she may be quite suitable as less open deck space would be required, but that inwards slope of the superstructure would make the top decks very narrow and all but eliminate any open deck space (though that could be what the sloping aft decks are for). In some ways she reminds me of the ferry Kalakala. When you consider that Normandie was considered very modern and rakish in 1935 I wonder what people would have made of this ship had she ever been built?!

Posts: 186 | From: Auckland, New Zealand | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

linerlvr
First Class Passenger
Member # 2009

posted 01-26-2003 06:10 PM

I believe that the original photo was taken from a movie in the late 30's called "The Big Broadcast of 1938". I seem to recall that Martha Raye was in the cast and the plot centered on a steamship race across the Atlantic involving the "ship of the future" and a ship that looked an awful lot like the Normandie, which in its day was considered the ship of the future. I remember one scene in the movie where Martha Raye is on the bridge and the captain is speeding through an ice field, a la Titanic, and Ms. Raye faints from all of the close calls.

Does anyone else remember any memorable scenes from this movie??

Posts: 18 | From: Long Beach, CA | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

CGT
First Class Passenger
Member # 3531

posted 01-29-2003 03:52 PM

Yes. It is the movie and the first place Bob Hope sang his signiture tune, "Thanks for the Memories".

CGT

Posts: 2760 | From: New York, New York, USA | Registered: Dec 2002 | IP: Logged

SydneyBoy
First Class Passenger
Member # 2543

posted 01-31-2003 09:32 AM

First thing i thought when i saw the pic was, So thats where they Renzo got his Dolphin ship design from! Very similar characteristics to Sitmars last twins. Then I thought, obviously another unsinkable ship! Seeing no lifeboats what-so-ever!

Also, does anyone know why ships have Bulbous bows? and what the bulb does? I know Titanic didnt have one.....

Posts: 180 | From: Sydney Australia | Registered: Oct 2001 | IP: Logged

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