Never before seen Cunard photos

[Michael Gallagher]

Enjoy...

And can anyone guess roughly which month these were taken?

[Michael Gallagher]

 

[Rob Lightbody]

AWESOME !!!

Thank you!

I can apply a 'fade correction' to these to remove the discolouration from them.  If you'd like me to, email me them and I'll do it and repost them.

[Michael Gallagher]

Thanks Rob. Will do!

[Cunarder Man]

Brilliant. Thank you.

[Rob Lightbody]

Unfaded images attached.  Whether they're better or not, I'll leave up to you!

However if you have an old QE2 photos that have gone a funny colour, photo software can sort it out for you.

[richard.coltman]

Wow, what brilliant photos.  She looks funny without her bridge wings!

[Peter Mugridge]

That has to be only about a month or two after launch?

[Bob C.]

The wheelhouse with no bridge wings is the big clue here, along with the funnel and no mast as well as life boat davits.  But the davits were installed when the funnel was constructed.  Also the forward hatch cover is seen (unpainted) installed and in its open position.  Potter and Frost's book shows the hoisting of the wheelhouse but has no date for it.

[Matteo 91]

Great pics, thanks!

[Lynda Bradford]

Enjoy...

And can anyone guess roughly which month these were taken?

Thanks to Flagship's previously posted photos and information there are some dates to narrow down the month. 

The bridge was added on 5 April 1968
The Funnel was added in two parts on 18 and 22 April 1968
The mast was not added until 4 October 1968

As the funnel can be seen in the photos but not the  mast the photos must have been taken after April 1968 but before October. 

The other clues are the name of the ship can be seen on the side of the ship but not on the back of the ship and the lifeboats have not been added.  If the dates where known for these then that would narrow the month down even further.

The bridge has not been painted so it could be that the photos were taken not long after the Funnel was added which would be end of April or May 1968.

[Bob C.]

I think its also unique to see the drag chain attachment points on the port and STBD sides of the bow which have not been cut/ground off yet.

[Lynda Bradford]

Further to my last post here is some other information:

The City of Glasgow Archives have a photo in their Gallery which show one of the lifeboats being lifted into position on 21 May 1968. 

http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/exhibitions/qe2/qe2photogallery6/oneofthetwentylifeboats/

If this date is correct for the lifeboats being added then the photos would be between 22 April and 21 May 1968.   I am a bit surprised that the lifeboats would have been added as early as May 1968 when she was not due to leave Clydebank until November 1968. 

[Lynda Bradford]

I was looking at this short video footage of the bridge and funnel being lifted into placed that Waverley had posted which I think is further evidence that the photos were taken around April/May 1968.
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,636.0.html

[Twynkle]

These images are fantastic - Rob, your clear pics are good, and Lynda, your research has been very helpful.
Together with your thoughts Lynda, and knowing that there was chartered sailing on the Caledonia in the late spring of 1968 (the weather and light / shadows would be about right too!) - do you think they were taken on or about the  18th May 1968?
Rosie.