It was inevitable that such a glamorous ship as the Caronia would attract the attention of one
of London's top Ladies Fashion houses. The circa 1952 brochure of Strelitz of London, from none
other than Regent Street, features 22 pictures taken on and around Caronia. They provide valuable
information about the ship's interiors that would probably not be found in Cunard brochures.
Since first posting this tour I've been surprised at the favourable reaction of visitors to this
topic. One person has remarked that many of the outfits depicted here were so classic that they
wouldn't be out of place today! As a result, the Strelitz Fashion Tour has been expanded into 4
pages and the pictures re-scanned to a higher quality.
Each picture now carries a detail caption showing full details of the garments and the original price,
which certainly would be very welcome today. To try and put some perspective on this, the wage
for an adult seaman on Caronia in 1952
was £25 per month. It works out to £0 16s. 8d a day! (There were 24 shillings to the pound)
My wage as a lad of 16 in 1963, eleven years after this catalogue was produced, was the princely
sum of £16 a month.
The Purser's Office
The Purser's Office would have been the first place to head for when boarding for the first
time. Rectangular shaped clocks (just visible above the aperture) were a strong feature on
board as of course was all the wood panelling.
At a Purser's Office window
Only a few public areas, outside of staterooms, were carpeted on Caronia, though flooring in public areas
was by no means a small detail. The heavy duty linoleum visible here was carefully assembled from many
small hand-cut pieces. It was certainly craftsmen's work and laid to withstand some very heavy traffic.
The “Laeta Ramage” suit shown is “The Square” in a “Moygashel” fabric. White, Cream,
Honey, Stone, Light Grey, Pink, Ice Blue, Light Green, Gold, Tan, Green, Maroon, Red, Gunmetal,
Light Navy or Navy.
Hip Sizes: 34-42
Prices: from £4. 3s. 4d
Making an Entrance!
Stairwell to the Balmoral Restaurant
The art-deco styling of the main staircase is clearly displayed in this view. This would be
where you'd make your descent from A deck down to the Balmoral Restaurant in all your finery.
The main passenger lifts (elevators) were on either side of this central staircase.
This is a classically tailored suit by “Strelitz” in a “Moygashel” fabric. The jacket is fully
lined. The name of the suit “Grafton.” In White, Cream, Stone, Lemon, Lime, Pale Grey, Ice
Blue, Pink, Duck Egg, Tan, Red, Bottle, Gunmetal, Dark Brown, Navy or Black.
Hip sizes: 34-46
Prices: from £4. 15s. 9d
Again, more fancy wood panelling and another rectangular clock. The easy chairs and the mock fireplace give
an air of the private yacht. The hand cut and laid flooring is once again completely complementary to its surroundings.
“Janette” is the name of this suit by “Strelitz.” Fully tailored from pure wool flannel in Light
Grey with contrasting Mid-Grey on the deep narrow lapels and the pockets. Also in Mid-Grey with
darker contrast.
Hip Sizes: 34-46
Prices: from £9. 2s. 0d
The Crew Deck
Up on the crew foredeck
Plenty of detail in this view up to the bridge from the forward crew deck. With the Scott winch
on the right powering the derrick and many handles securing the rope locker door left of the
stairway, this would have been too dangerous a place for passengers to roam.
This suit is “Skyline” by “Eskra Lake” in a “Moygashel” fabric with fully lined jacket.
Colours: White/Navy, Cream/Black, Stone/Bottle, Light Grey/Gunmetal, Ice Blue/Navy, Duck Egg/Gunmetal,
Tan/Stone, Dark Brown/Stone, Gunmetal/White, Navy/White.
Hips: 42-46 in normal or shorter-waisted fittings.
Also in “Laeta Ramage”
Sizes 34-40
Prices: from £4. 15s. 9d
This is possibly a unique view of the hatch flap in its open position (just glimpsed on the left). The winch
could either be made to operate the derrick, or to haul ropes on the windlass to the left of the motor pillar.
It was always fascinating to watch this in operation, as there was an automatic clutch built in.
The Open Promenade Deck
Posing forward on Prom Deck
In common with most ships of her period, the promenade deck was the only one where you could
do a complete circuit of the ship on the same level. On Caronia there were covered promenades
ahead of a garden lounge on either side, with fully open areas fore and aft.
“Cynthia” a dress from the “Eskra Lake” collection, designed especially for the fuller figure
and available in normal or shorter-waisted fittings. A “Moygashel” fabric in Stone/Navy,
Pink/Umber, Ice Blue/Navy, Light Grey/Gunmetal, Pale Green/White, Gunmetal/Light Grey, Tan/Honey,
Umber/Stone, Gunmetal/White, Navy/White.
Hip Sizes: 42-50
Prices: from £3. 16s. 3d
