SECOND MAJOR ART DONATION THIS YEAR

Welcoming a New Museum Piece to Our Collection

The Conservancy is thrilled to announce an incredible new acquisition to our curatorial collection – a stunning mid-century installation mural originally mounted in the Cabin Class Smoking room aboard the SS United States.

This piece, comprised of four panels, was created by abstract artist Lewis York in glazed enamel paint on aluminum. In keeping with the patriotic theme for shipboard artwork, the colorful mural depicts etched bottles and jugs adorned with patriotic renderings including depictions of George Washington, a bald eagle, and one early American bottle labeled “Liberty & Union.”

An anonymous donor acquired this stunning piece from Arlan Ettinger, the founder and president of Guernsey’s Auction House, who generously offered it at a discounted price so that it could be preserved for public display. In 1984, Guernsey’s organized and executed a massive auction of all materials from the SS United State on behalf of a previous owner of the shop. In what stands as the largest auction ever held, over 1 million items were sold to 3,000 bidders paying $1.65 million to own pieces of the Big U.

This piece was listed in the 1984 Guernsey’s Auction House catalog.

Former passengers, crew, and collectors poured in from around the world, purchasing plates, glasses, silverware, linens, and more. Up until recently, Arlan Ettinger was in possession of this Lewis York mural, which hung in his office in New York.

Arlan Ettinger is at work on a memoir, The Art of the Unusual, which will be published by Sourcebooks Random House in the spring of 2027. The book devotes two full chapters to the unforgettable auction of SS United States materials. The Conservancy will be organizing an online program featuring Ettinger's reflections on the SS United States in the coming months.

This donation is the second major gift of original SS United States artwork for the Conservancy this year, following following our acquisition of an applied enamel-on- copper sand painting by Peter Otsuni from the ship's Navajo Lounge donated by Joyce Marchand in memory of her husband Chris Marchand.

Peter Otsuni's panel from the First Class cocktail lounge.

We are so grateful to be the recipients of this dazzling Lewis York piece from the SS United States and we look forward to displaying it in our future SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience alongside our world-class collection of artwork, artifacts, and more.

The Conservancy continues to raise funds to support our work planning our future museum and building our collections. Will you add your support? All donations are tax-deductible, and gifts of any size are greatly appreciated. Click HERE to donate.

THE BIG U, AN AMERICAN ICON

The start of summer marks key moments in the illustrious history of the SS United States. The Big U’s maiden voyage commenced over seventy years ago this month when the ship departed New York on July 3, 1952 carrying 1,600 passengers.

On this eastbound transatlantic crossing, the SS United States officially broke the transatlantic speed record on July 7th upon passing Bishop's Rock off of the British coast. This record was previously set by the Queen Mary in 1938.

Just three days later, the Big U began the return leg of her maiden voyage, departing from Southampton for New York, with a stop at La Havre. Again, the SS United States bested a record previously held by the Queen Mary on July 14th as she passed New York’s Ambrose Lightship.

No ship has ever made crossings in both directions faster than the SS United States – these record-breaking voyages marked the first time an American ocean liner reclaimed this record in over 100 years, and were a celebrated national achievement.

An advertisement, commissioned by United States Lines which ran in Time Magazine August 4, 1952.

As we continue to celebrate America's 250th anniversary, earn more about the Big U’s incredible mark on her namesake nation here.

SHARE YOUR STORIES

This 1956 photo depicts the largest United States Lines ships docked together for the first time in the North River. The SS United States, the largest ship shown at the top of the photo, is next to the SS America, followed by SS Independence, and the SS Constitution.

Photo from the Conservancy’s collection courtesy of Bill Hatrick.

Jo, a former passenger, recalled traveling on two of these liners in the 1960s: "In addition to traveling to Europe on the SS United States, when my father was reassigned to the State, we then traveled on her sister ship, the SS America arriving in New York on my 16th birthday."

Did you travel on the SS United States or the SS America? We would love to hear from you! 

Please email archives@ssusc.org to receive the survey and share your memories. Thank you for sharing your stories with us, they are an integral part of celebrating the SS United States’ legacy! 

CELEBRATE AMERICA'S FLAGSHIP

Celebrate your love of the SS United States with a summer-ready offering from the Conservancy’s online store! We offer t-shirts, hats, and more featuring America's Flagship.

Click here to visit our online store. All proceeds support the Conservancy.