Introduction

This book looks at the process of designing the interiors of ocean liners. This has never

been attempted before, as histories of liners tend to celebrate the image of glamorous

travel, on a trajectory of modernity viewed within the schemata of technological

determinism. I consider the process of the design of the liners, from the commis-

sioning of the designers, through to execution and reception. Key changes in design

trends are illustrated by the analysis of representative examples. The work is situated

within the developing field of the history of interior design, and as such, it considers

the work of the designers in the context of the power and ownership of the shipping

lines and the developing sense of national identities, the boundaries of social class and

the challenge of modernity. The central theme is an exploration of the developing role

of the interior designer, from local decorating firm to international designer heroes,

which is mapped against the clearly demarcated social hierarchies of liner interior

design.