CONSTANCE SMITH

When artist Constance Smith was tasked with decorating one of the First Class Suites on board the SS United States, she turned to one of her favorite subjects: Ducks. Smith was no stranger to commissioned work on board United States Lines’ liners, having created popular murals and watercolors on the earlier ship SS America. Smith’s ducks in the First Class “Duck” Suite, were charming and realistic, a contrast to the streamlined and sleek mid-Century modern abstract designs found elsewhere on board the SS United States. In order to blend her more naturalistic painting style with the rest of the modern SS United States, Smith traded her typical watercolors for painting and gold leaf on aluminum panels. Not only did this infuse her work with a metallic, golden sheen, it also served Willam Francis Gibbs’ vision of a fireproof SS United States. 

Constance Smith’s “Duck Suite” became known as the most renowned and luxurious of the first class accommodations on board, a particular favorite of celebrities and even royalty who would travel on board the SS United States. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, who were regulars on the SS United States, particularly favored the Duck Suite on their travels aboard the most modern ocean liner at the time. 

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