Art Deco Dream

    I just spent the night on the Queen Mary that has been parked in the port of Long Beach, Ca since 1967.  I was there with my daughter and some friends celebrating the 75th birthday of that ship.  Although I've visited the RMS Queen Mary, I've never had the pleasure to spend the night aboard the ship until a few days ago.  It pretty much satisfied my fantasy of being locked in a museum overnight.  As a history buff, any museum is of interest to me but as an Anglophile, armature historian, and artisan, its almost overwhelming.   

    The ship was built in Scotland and took a little over 3 years to build employing 300,000 craftsman. It was finished in 1936.  Just the thought of 300,000 craftsmen made me contemplate how the world has changed.  I doubt there are 300,000 craftsmen in the US let alone Scotland.  That was the age of Art Deco where the most magnificent decorative work was all done by hand.  As a craftswoman myself, there is nothing more satisfying than completing my part of the project.  I can only imagine what it would have been like to be part of the crew that completed this ship, or and magnificent structure like the Chrysler Building, or the Michelin House.  Without doubt, this economic downturn has been rough on tradesmen, decorative artists, and contractors.  My business is no exception.   The visit, though to the Queen Mary made me realize that I would rather be part of those that create beautiful surfaces then sit in an AIG office any day of the week.