25/10/2026
A smiling woman in a pale yellow summer dress raises her white-gloved hand in greeting, while a red and black scarf flutters around her neck. Behind her, RMS Queen Mary lies before New York’s golden skyscrapers. The ship’s black hull and three red funnels stand out against the blue background, and the small tugboats emphasise the ocean liner’s impressive size.
With the wording “America this year by R.M.S. Queen Mary”, the poster advertises Cunard White Star’s transatlantic voyages. Tom Curr combines the promise of the city with the pleasure of the journey itself in a colourful design from the golden age of passenger liners. The large, shadowed lettering gives the shipping line’s name a prominent position at the bottom of the composition.
Queen Mary made her maiden voyage in 1936 and became one of the best-known ships on the transatlantic route. The design is dated to around 1939, shortly before the war changed the ship’s role from passenger liner to troopship.
This example measures 31.8 × 50.8 cm. Tom Curr’s printed signature appears at the lower left of the image area. The broad lower paper margin bears the code A.2492. and the words “Printed in England”. The printer’s name and the exact printing year of this example have not been confirmed.
#1939
