It is yet another gorgeous morning day here at the Baldpate, and as I was perusing our amazing key collection I came across a key that I thought would be very interesting for the daily blog post today. It is the key to the infamous Queen Mary ship! This key was donated to us by manager at the Chicago Office for Cunard White Star in June of 1936, and proves to be especially rich in history.
The Queen Mary was an ocean liner that sailed on the North Atlantic from the years 1936-1967. Along with the Queen Elizabeth, these ships were built as a part of Cunard's plan for a two-ship weekly express that would run between South Hampton, Cherbourg and New York City. The Queen Mary first set sail on the 27th of May in 1936, earning the the Blue Riband accolade in August of that same year. When World War II broke out, the Queen Mary was converted into a trooper ship that ferried allied soldiers for the duration of the war.
After the war, the Queen Mary, along with the Queen Elizabeth, continued to dominate transatlantic passenger travel until the jet age emerged in the 1950s. The ship was officially retired from service in 1967, leaving South Hampton and arriving in Long Beach, California, which remains the ship's home to this day. The Queen Mary now serves as a tourist attraction, featuring a museum, restaurants, and a hotel. It also is rumored to be haunted, being ranked by Time magazine as one of the top ten most haunted places in the USA. This is mainly due to the fact that 49 known crew passengers were known to have died on the ship during the ship's service as a luxury liner.
That's all I have for you guys for now, but come on down and enjoy a walk around our key museum and a nice bite to eat on this hot summer day!
Til Next Time,
Hunter
