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Aquitania Request

3K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Mark Chirnside 
#1 ·
I trust I am not breaking any rules by posting this request. Please accept my apologies if I have, as it was entirely inadvertent.

I am writing this request as an appeal to contributors’ generosity. Some of you may know that I am working on an illustrated history of Aquitania, and I am trying to combine an original text (a concise history of the ship’s life including unpublished voyage diaries, anecdotes and other previously unseen material) with a number of rare illustrations. Relegated to the appendices (where it can be ignored or studied away from the main text) is a wealth of unpublished information, including financial and technical data about the liner, passenger lists, voyage and destination listings, and a complete account of the liner’s captains over her thirty-five-and-a-half years in service. It is going well. Information as to the project and my previous work can be found at my website (see my signature link, or my profile). The book is already under contract by Tempus Publishing and will be published in a format similar to my Majestic book, which came out in November 2006. There are well over one hundred images available, yet even more are needed and I want to maximise the quality of the images on offer for the book. After all, Aquitania deserves it!

I have had the good fortune to correspond with a number of generous people who have shared material and illustrations for the project. A particular vote of thanks must go to my editor at Tempus, Campbell, and his wife Janette – without their generosity in sharing images my previous works would certainly not have been up to the standard they were.

It is my hope that if there is anyone out there with images of Aquitania that they might wish to contribute, they would be more than welcome to get in touch with me privately. My e-mail address is available through my profile. All material will, naturally, be attributed and due credit given. There are a number of strengths in the coverage of the images available already, including a large number of photos dating to the later stages of World War II and her post-war Halifax service, yet even here rare photos would be a bonus.

In particular, I have identified several categories of specific interest that are currently under-represented: quality images of first class; photos of second, tourist, and third class accommodation (public rooms and staterooms). As far as exterior shots go, construction and early images would be most appreciated.

Thank you for reading this request, and if you wish to contribute any material I would be more than willing to hear from you.

Thanks for your time.

Best wishes,

Mark.
 
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#5 ·
Ian,

Goodness, this is an old thread.

It looks like Lksimcoe has already answered your enquiry privately. However, let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Best wishes,

Mark.
 
#6 ·
And in a case of shameless plugging, I have purchased a copy of Mark's book "Aquitainia - The Ship Beautiful", and I highly recommend it.

Anyone who has an interest in the Edwardian Cunarders will enjoy this book.

And it makes a great Christmas gift.

I think it is probably the definitive book on the Aquitania
 
#7 · (Edited)
I thought I could hear my ears burning!

Thanks for your extremely kind and generous words, Lksimcoe, although I don't deserve them. In truth, I don't think a single volume can tell her story in a definitive fashion, but I will say I tried my best and I think I did as well as I could have been expected to given the inevitable constraints of the publishing industry. I only wish I'd had a larger format and more pages to fill! Fortunately, I've had the chance to add quite a bit of material to my website as well.

There is a lot of interest out there in Aquitania. After it was published in September 2008, the book was then reprinted in spring 2009 and it looks like another reprint is due shortly.

Best wishes,

Mark.
 
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