The Ship in Rare Illustrations

The story of the elegant Aquitania ‘the ship beautiful’, told through rare and unusual imagery

‘An evocative and exciting collection of rare and unusual images of the vessel known as “the ship beautiful”.’ – Shipping Today and Yesterday

RMS Aquitania was in service for decades, and was very much beloved. The third in Cunard Line’s ‘grand trio’ of express liners, running mate of the lost Lusitania and the legendary Mauretania (1907), Aquitania was the last surviving four-funnelled ocean liner.

Aquitania was pressed into service during both world wars and was one of the longest serving passenger liners of the twentieth century. She was also one of the most elegant, nicknamed the ‘ship beautiful’. Maritime authors J. Kent Layton and Tad Fitch have collaborated to put together the most evocative and exciting collection of rare and unusual imagery relating to this historic vessel ever shown.