Complete index of artwork and memorobilia on board in 2008

[Rob Lightbody]

Hi all,

In 2011 when I was on board QE2 in Dubai, they were just completing the removal of the artwork and memorobilia from the ship.

At the time I was horrified to start with, but they explained it was to keep everything safe until the ship's conversion was completed, and everything was to be fully documented, indexed and very carefully packaged and stored by Crown Fine Arts.  As far as we can tell, they were true to their word despite all the difficulties, and the vast majority of items have reappeared on board or in the museum.

I have now received the full index (spreadsheets mainly) along with the documentation around this and - amazingly - a photo of almost every item in the catalogue (over 2000 items).  It includes a photo of just about every picture from the wall of every every cabin on board.

I'm not quite sure how I'll handle putting this online, but in the meantime if you want me to try to post an image of the artwork that was in your cabin as a test, I can try to do that!

- Rob

[Rob Lightbody]

I thought I should start sharing some photos from this archive.

Attached are some photos of original furniture, stored somewhere in the bowels of the ship when it arrived in Dubai.

In terms of the cabin artwork photos, it seems like they ran out of time/energy somewehre around deck 3... so if your cabin was 3 or above, I might be able to find a photo of the artwork.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

It would be great to see whether this works!

I would love to have another look at the artwork in cabins 2042 and 2044. Thank you!

[Rob Lightbody]

It would be great to see whether this works!

I would love to have another look at the artwork in cabins 2042 and 2044. Thank you!

It shows these as

"Two women with cats - After CARTH, Larry"

and

"Woman with two dogs - After CARTH, Larry"

respectively, but there's no related photo   

[Twynkle]

This is an amazing collection already, Rob
Guessing the dates for each and almost everything will be from several different 'eras' of the ship's life as well as many differing areas too!
...and by any chance - did you also find any of the Library collection of  maritime books - someone mentioned them being in the "lobby area" of the port terminal...I can't think why lists of ships and shipping might have been of interest to the current younger generation that the "Now" visitors would be interested in?!

[Thomas Hypher]

This is an amazing collection already, Rob
Guessing the dates for each and almost everything will be from several different 'eras' of the ship's life as well as many differing areas too!
...and by any chance - did you also find any of the Library collection of  maritime books - someone mentioned them being in the "lobby area" of the port terminal...I can't think why lists of ships and shipping might have been of interest to the current younger generation that the "Now" visitors would be interested in?!

I went through the library books in the lobby building with a fine tooth comb on my visit just over 3 years ago and most of the library books, except the maritime section, are in the lobby building (formerly Dubai's first ever cruise terminal which QE2 inaugurated on one of her world cruises in the early 2000s). I was hunting for the maritime section of the old library books to try and find books such as "Burning Cold - the story of Prinsendam's sinking" that I used to read back in the old sailing days but to no avail.

I believe at least some of the maritime section of old library books spent some time, in the period since my visit, on either Sun Deck or Signal Deck in a rebuilt lounge type area (along with the model of the ship now in Traveller's Cove) where I think Officers cabins used to be.

Some of the maritime section of the old library books have now shown up in the repurposed Traveller's Cove, including a Berlitz Guide to cruising.

[Twynkle]

Hi Thomas
Thank you for this.
The Old Maritime books contained really valuable information - I always hoped that they might have ended up in somewhere liker the Trinity House "museum" areas
Books well out of print, possibly the only copies - and rather like the fact that as no one writes letters these days, or sends cards - there'll be more glitches in history that wont help the next very many generations!
Call me 'old fashioned' I s'pose!!

[Peter Mugridge]

It shows these as

"Two women with cats - After CARTH, Larry"

and

"Woman with two dogs - After CARTH, Larry"

respectively, but there's no related photo 

I tried to Google Image search these but unfortunately the first just comes up with results about Larry the cat in Downing Street and the second mainly a licensable photo of two young ladies holding two dogs, which I suspect bears no relation at all to the artwork in question.


Edited to correct three typos...

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I tried to Google Image search these but unfortunate;y the first just comes up with results about larry the cat in Dopwning Street and the second mainly a licensable photo of two young ladies holding two dogs, which I suspect bears no relation at all to the artwork in question.

That is a pity... I never took a picture of those works of fairly banal art, but seeing them again would have brought back lovely memories. Thank you for trying, Rob and Peter!