On July 3, 1952, a crowd of over 13,000 gathered around Pier 86 on Manhattan’s Luxury Liner Row. In awe and admiration, young and old, they gazed upon a modern marvel. At 990 feet, the SS United States was over 100 feet longer than the RMS Titanic. If stood on one end, she’d have measured up to the iconic Chrysler Building.
Shipping Magazine: William Francis Gibbs
Of all the great ship designers, perhaps none is more inextricably linked to a single, exceptional vessel, than William Francis Gibbs and the SS United States. Yet to focus entirely on this culminating achievement, this manifestation of his ‘big ship’ ideal, is to miss out on the life of an extraordinary and complex man.
Shipping Magazine: United States, The Maiden Voyage 70 years ago
Maiden voyage. Two words that conjure up a unique sense of excitement and anticipation. Add the prospect of a record-breaking passage on the most prestigious Transocean crossing of them all and it is easy to imagine the thrilling atmosphere that surrounded SS United States and adjacent Pier 86, on the morning of Thursday 3rd July 1952.