February 19, 2020
Pictured: The ship’s famous Steinway & Sons piano from the SS United States ’ first class ballroom, on display at Steinway Hall. Photo courtesy of World Piano News.
As we announced in our previous update, the Steinway baby grand piano which formerly resided in the Grand Ballroom of the SS United States is currently on public display for the very first time!

This magnificent instrument—which legendary bandleaders including the great Duke Ellington used to fill the Grand Ballroom with wonderful music—was acquired by the Conservancy last year, thanks to the generosity of Mark Perry and Robert Forbes (both members of our board of directors).

Now, thanks to the combined efforts of the Conservancy and Steinway & Sons, it is available for public viewing at Steinway Hall in Manhattan.

Since our last update, this story has been covered by numerous publications, including BroadwayWorld and World Piano News . Unsurprisingly, there is a great deal of interest in this incredible instrument, due to its historic significance and remarkable design.

The Conservancy would again like to express our appreciation to Steinway & Sons for providing a home for this incredibly beautiful piano as our plans for a future shipboard museum advance. It will be on display through the end of February.

Don't miss your chance to see this one-of-a-kind instrument! CLICK HERE for Steinway Hall's address and hours of operation.
A framed artist's sketch of the SS United States , donated for this auction by renowned maritime artist Robert Lloyd. The sketch raised $2,070 for America's Flagship.
Our many thanks to all who participated in the opening round of our 2020 Online Flagship Auction! With your generous support, we raised a total of $8,370, which will help us continue our mission to save the SS United States , while preserving her legacy for future generations.

We'd like to express our gratitude to the Pollin Group for enabling us to auction off an unforgettable Rhine River Cruise. Later this year, we'll be teaming up with Pollin Group once again to present our Maritime History and Stewardship Cruise ( CLICK HERE to learn more).

We also extend our deepest appreciation to artist Robert Lloyd, who contributed an original painting as well as a highly collectible artist's sketch to this auction. Interested parties can purchase prints of Lloyd's work through his website .

If you weren't one of the lucky auction winners, fear not! Following the success of the opening round, the Conservancy is planning to auction off some new and exciting items in the near future, including sketches by Crossing on Time author-illustrator David Macaulay (like the one pictured below). Stay tuned...
" The Big U is an iconic symbol of the age when we built and did big things, and hopefully, the potential will not be squandered. "  —  Wayne Yanda, Anamosa, IA
At the opening gala for the "Finding Home" exhibit, Greg Van Houten admires a model of the SS United States , on loan from the Conservancy and donated by the family of Douglas F. Bushnell. Photo courtesy of Tom Basile.
Greg Van Houten is a Vermont-based singer-songwriter and graphic artist, who recently lent his design talents to the current Norman Rockwell Museum exhibit, "Finding Home" — an artistic celebration that features the work of David Macaulay alongside artifacts from the Conservancy's permanent collections.

It was at the November opening of the "Finding Home" exhibit that we first encountered Greg, and where we learned of his moving musical tribute to the SS United States .

The penultimate track on his 2019 album, You're the Only One Who Thinks You're Funny , "The United States" is Van Houten's ode to the Big U, from her glory days sailing across the Atlantic to her current status as a "lady in waiting" in South Philadelphia.

"The engineering marvel of New York Harbor was something my dad and I shared, and I wanted to see it shared with future generations," Van Houten says. "My father passed in 1987, a few years after the closing of United States Lines shipping, but the legacy of the ship lived on in our family."

Here is a sampling of the song's deeply moving lyrics:

She is the SS United States
The pride of the American fleet
She traversed the Atlantic 800 times
With elegance, grandeur, and speed

She is the SS United States
She's trying to find her way home
40 years dodging the scrap dealer's torch
Awaiting her verdict unknown

For more on Greg's personal connection to the ship—and to hear his inspiring song in full— visit our blog .
Photo courtesy of Emerson Jones.
As mentioned earlier in this newsletter, the Conservancy is working diligently to grow our curatorial collection, with the goal of establishing a future shipboard museum aboard the redeveloped SS United States . As the Conservancy’s Curatorial Associate, Emerson Jones plays an important role in growing our permanent collections.

" I grew up hearing stories of the SS  United States  from my dad, whose family had a stormy Atlantic crossing aboard her in 1969," Emerson says. "As I learned more about the ship, I was inspired to get involved in the effort to save her."

Emerson graduated from Columbia University with a degree in the History and Theory of Architecture, excavated at Hadrian’s Villa outside of Rome, and has taken part in the sail training program at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Emerson Jones' experiences with the Conservancy, which began with a fulfilling college internship and now include documenting the stories of passengers, crew, and even artists who have contributed to the rich legacy of America's Flagship.
Help Us Save America's Flagship!
" You can’t set her on fire, you can’t sink her, and you can’t catch her. "  —  William Francis Gibbs, Designer of the SS  United States  (1886-1967)