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SS ILE DE FRANCE
Ocean Liner model
The SS Ile
de France was a French ocean liner built in
Saint-Nazaire, France for Compagnie Générale
Transatlantique (CGT.) The ship was the first major
ocean liner built after the conclusion of World War I
and was considered the most beautifully decorated ship
built by CGT until the
SS Normandie.
Never before had a ship had its own style
of interior design like the Ile de France. During
the past, ships had imitated the shore-style.
The Mauretania, the Olympic and the Imperator had all
shown an interior that celebrated styles of the past
that could be found in manors or châteaux inland. By
contrast, the interiors of the Ile de France represented
something new. For the first time, a ship's
passenger spaces was designed not to reproduce
decorative styles of the past but to celebrate the the
present.
The ship's degree of modernity was unlike that of any
ship previously. The first-class dining room's
decor was simple. The dining room was also the largest
of any ship, rose three decks high, and had a grand
staircase for an entrance.
In addition to the luxurious dining room, there was also
a chapel with a neo-gothic style, a grand foyer which
rose four decks, a shooting gallery, an elaborate
gymnasium, and even a merry-go-round for the younger
passengers. Every cabin had beds instead of bunks, and
even many of the chairs aboard the Ile de France had a
new design.
On June 22, 1927 the Ile de France traveled from Le
Havre for its maiden voyage to New York. Upon its
arrival in New York it received great attention from the
American media and thousands of people crowded the docks
just to see the new ship.
With the contribution made by this splendid vessel, the
CGT ended the year 1928 with record earnings. For the
first time the company's receipts exceeded a billion
francs, and half of this derived from the New York
service. The ship was popular especially among
wealthy Americans. It quickly became the chosen
ship of the youthful, the stylish, and the famous. Its
popularity was such that by 1935, the ship had carried
more first-class passengers than any other transatlantic
liner.
SS Ile de France pioneered the quickest
mail-system between Europe and the United States. In
July 1928, a seaplane catapult was installed at the
ship's stern for trials with two CAMS 37 flying boats
that launched when the ship was within 200 miles, which
decreased the mail delivery time by one day. This
practice proved too costly, however, and in October 1930
the catapult was removed and the service discontinued.
In 1935 the Ile de France and the Paris were joined by a
new mate, the new superliner
SS Normandie.
With these three ships the CGT could boast of having the
largest, fastest, and most luxurious ships traveling the
north Atlantic.
This
primarily wood model of the SS
Ile De France features:
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Plank-on-frame hull
- Windows and portholes are cutouts (not black decals),
uniform, and on straight lines.
- Captivating
lighting, with and green/red navigation
light that will light up your special evenings. LED light powered by standard 9v
battery for your convenience.
A ship is not an ocean liner without beautiful lighting.
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Click
here to learn more about authentic ocean liner
models.
For a smaller model
please click this link:
Ile de France
ocean liner.
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