The Ocean Liner France

A symbol of the exchange of ideas and wealth in a world marked by the Cold War, the ocean liner France represents the more egalitarian leisure society, concerned with well-being and security, which appeared after the war. The considerable documentation gathered by Armelle Bouchet Mazas sheds light on the thinking of the designers of the France, confronted with the wishes of the project manager, the constraints of the specifications and the new aspirations of the passengers. We thus see the emergence, between eclecticism and homogeneity, modernity and conservatism, of an image of the liner which calls into question the notion of a floating palace. From the auditorium to the cabins, 132 artists, decorators, ceramists, painters and lacquerers, from pre-war masters to creators of the '50s and '60s, display astonishing inventiveness to create the France style. It is a functionalist, comfortable and luxurious style, in which the omnipresent aluminum and tapestry combine with glass, lacquer and synthetic fabrics in innovative color harmonies that place this masterpiece of naval technology in the 1960s.

23 x 28.5 cm

200 pages

280 black and white and color illustrations

ISBN: 978-2-9155-4203-5

Text in French only

 

The Ocean Liner France