Anna Zinkeisen’s quasi-mythological sequences The Four Seasons, which originally occupied the four corners of the Cabin Class ballroom of the Queen Mary , was removed from this position in the late 1940s. The colours used in the work complemented those in the decorative scheme of the whole room.

This series was commissioned by Fortune magazine in 1936. Yevonde was instructed to photograph the last days of the fitting out of the Queen Mary: a brand new luxury liner. She was one of the largest and fastest ocean liners and represented the pinnacle of ship building. Put into service in 1936, she captured the public imagination and came to represent the spirit of era characterised by elegance and style. Her art deco interior, decorated with specially commissioned works by British painters and sculptors, was renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship. She made her final voyage in December 1967 and is now sited at Long Beach in California.

Madame Yevonde Be Original or Die, The British Council 1998