One of three playrooms on the Queen Mary : this one was divided into separate areas for boys and girls. It featured, among countless other delights, a chute, a small aquarium and a miniature movie theatre.

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