HUBERT HERKOMER (1881-?) "NORMANDIE" / THE WORLD'S MOST PERFECT SHIP / FRENCH LINE. 1939.
40x24 3/4 inches, 101 1/2x63 cm. Hill, Siffken & Co., London.
Condition A-: minor repaired tears and restoration in margins; creases in image.
Launched in 1935, the Normandie captured the Blue Riband on her maiden voyage, for making the fastest Atlantic crossing to date. Her interiors exemplified the finest French craftsmanship of the era, reflecting the prevailing Art Deco style in every aspect of her fittings. Not only was she one of the most famous ocean liners in the world, but she also benefited from the best graphic advertising, immortalized by A.M. Cassandre, Paul Colin and in this design, by Herkomer. Seen here, the vessel is stunningly illuminated at night departing New York Harbor. Her lights are completely eclipsing the sparkling city seen in the background. Her career was cut short by the outbreak of World War II, at which point she was docked in New York, and was interned by the U.S. Government on September 3, 1939. In 1941, she was taken over by the U.S. Coast Guard and renamed the USS Lafayette. In 1942, during a refitting to make her suitable as a troop transport, she caught fire and eventually capsized under the weight of the water used to extinguish the blaze. This poster, arguably the last to be done before the end of her career, is also considered to be one of the rarest. La Mer p. 155.