|
|
...You know what it is to turn an unpromising street in Amiens or Seville, and then to see, without expecting it, the soaring lines of the masonry of the medieval cathedral builders. We cannot build these cathedrals today. There are attempts at it, but they are joyless. If the fun these ancient craftsmen found in their faith when lifting those pinnacles can be matched in our age of machines, it is only in the graciousness of the sheer and moulding, and the audacious ascent of her mass, of this latest Atlantic liner. [1936] She lifts as buoyantly as the ascent of Chartres. —C.W.R. Winter, Queen Mary engineer, |
|
|
John Ruskin, British art critic, poet and journalist, integrated aesthetics, science and morals in his architectural essays. The story of the Queen Mary's construction is a tangible example of principles extolled in his book, The Seven Lamps of Architecture, in which he states: "...Therefore when we build, let us think that we build forever. Let us not be for present delight, nor for present use alone, let it be for such work as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, 'See! This our fathers did for us' ". "A great building becomes a lamp of ineffable love".
|
 |
French novelist and poet, Victor Hugo, described Notre Dame Cathedral as "a vast symphony in stone". Hugo often wrote about architecture's power to communicate. "When man has touched wood or stone, it is no longer wood or stone, but takes on something of man. An edifice is a dogma, a machine is an idea".
The craftsman imparts his soul to his creation. This energy does not fade with time. Like a musical composition, the feelings of the composer are born anew each time the piece is played. In this way, the Queen Mary speaks to all who listen.—Diane Rush
|
 |
|
A visitor to the Queen Mary staying in stateroom M123 discovered the following message inscribed on the underside of a drawer:
Sept. 3, 1994. As a present for our 3rd wedding anniversary, Steve Cody and Heather Simmons reserved us a room, room number M123. We have sat around drinking and having a Hell of a wonderful time!! My wife and I spent our honeymoon on board Aug. 17, 1991. Long Live the QUEEN MARY!
Perhaps the thousands of memories and messages contained within the Queen Mary are the most credible endorsements of the ship's value.
|
 |
|
Long Beach's street market banner depicts the shoreline city as a wonderous place. Ocean Boulevard appears as a piano keyboard; the Queen Mary, Arena and First National Bank seem vivified by the music-filled air. This example of folk-art illustrates that architecture represents the dreams and values of people in a community. |
|