1955
1954
MAKING WAVES
COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE
TRANSATLANTIQUE,
better known as the
French Line, operated
vessels that were the envy
of competitors in decor,
amenities and—bien
sÛr—cuisine. Passengers
were treated to classic
French food and service so
elite even their dogs had
multicourse dinners.
The Ile de France was
the first art deco-styled
liner, and ushered in a
French Line heyday that
lasted until the late 1930s,
when its fleet was pressed
into service for World
War II. After 1945, the
company struggled to
rebuild. But it had the
Liberté, a sleek German
liner seized for war
reparations, and the stylish
Flandre, which featured a
novelty—air conditioning—
when it launched in 1952.
The ads here, all from
National Geographic,
reflect the French Line’s
1950s renaissance, when
sophistication was de
rigueur. Two are original
works by known artists,
Charles Cobelle (far left),
who studied with Marc
Chagall, and Bernard
Villemot (near top left),
whose lively posters
typified French panache.
Subsidies from its home
government kept the
French Line afloat and its
rates competitive. You
could snag a first-class
ticket on the Flandre for
$290 in 1953.
But when the aid ended
in the 1970s, the company
floundered and soon had
to merge with another line.
BY MARY-LIZ SHAW