Vtg 1935 Ashtray FRENCH LINE SS NORMANDIE France Jean Luce CGT WWII SHIP Green
Item History & Price
1935 FRENCH LINES S.S. NORMANDIE AshtrayFrom the maiden voyage of the S. S. Normandie on May 29, 1935This pale green porcelain, is marked with the concentric monogram CGT, the initials of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique which owned the Normandie.Fully Hallmarked by Jean Luce & Sarreguemines France At the launch of the Maiden Voyage, when the public and passengers were allowed on board in New York to view the ship, these ashtrays disappeared in large numbers.... The French Line's response was to redesign the ashtray by replacing "S.S. Normandie" with the more generic "Compagnie Generale Transatlantique." Until the new ashtrays arrived, the line placed a green (or brown) stripe around the base of the ashtray to conceal the ship's name and prevent theft.
Jean Luce (French, 1895–1964)Art deco, cube shaped ashtray designed by by Jean Luce, manufactured by Sarreguemines. They were available in two colors, green and beige.SarregueminesBottom has Makers Mark Circa 1920 -1950The pottery at Sarreguemines was established in 1784. In 1876 a plant was opened at Digoin in France and the production of earthenware, stoneware and porcelain was carried out there well into the twentieth century. S.S. Normandie The S.S. Normandie was a French ocean liner built in Saint-Nazaire, France, for the French Line Compagnie Generale Transatlantique (CGT). She entered service in 1935 as the largest and fastest passenger ship afloat, crossing the Atlantic in a record 4.14 days, and remains the most powerful steam turbo-electric propelled passenger ship ever built. Her novel design and lavish interiors led many to consider her the greatest of ocean liners. Despite this, she was not a commercial success and relied partly on government subsidy to operate. During service as the flagship of the CGT, she made 139 westbound transatlantic crossings from her home port of Le Havre to New York. During World War II, Normandie was seized by U.S. authorities at New York and renamed USS Lafayette. In 1942, the liner caught fire while being converted to a troopship, capsized onto her port side and came to rest on the mud of the Hudson River at Pier 88, the site of the current New York Passenger Ship Terminal. Although salvaged at great expense, restoration was deemed too costly and she was scrapped in October 1946.
Jean Luce (French, 1895–1964)Art deco, cube shaped ashtray designed by by Jean Luce, manufactured by Sarreguemines. They were available in two colors, green and beige.SarregueminesBottom has Makers Mark Circa 1920 -1950The pottery at Sarreguemines was established in 1784. In 1876 a plant was opened at Digoin in France and the production of earthenware, stoneware and porcelain was carried out there well into the twentieth century. S.S. Normandie The S.S. Normandie was a French ocean liner built in Saint-Nazaire, France, for the French Line Compagnie Generale Transatlantique (CGT). She entered service in 1935 as the largest and fastest passenger ship afloat, crossing the Atlantic in a record 4.14 days, and remains the most powerful steam turbo-electric propelled passenger ship ever built. Her novel design and lavish interiors led many to consider her the greatest of ocean liners. Despite this, she was not a commercial success and relied partly on government subsidy to operate. During service as the flagship of the CGT, she made 139 westbound transatlantic crossings from her home port of Le Havre to New York. During World War II, Normandie was seized by U.S. authorities at New York and renamed USS Lafayette. In 1942, the liner caught fire while being converted to a troopship, capsized onto her port side and came to rest on the mud of the Hudson River at Pier 88, the site of the current New York Passenger Ship Terminal. Although salvaged at great expense, restoration was deemed too costly and she was scrapped in October 1946.
