The sculptor Walter Gilbert developed radically new designs of moulded frosted glass such as this one of the Queen Mary and manufactured by the Birmingham firm of John Walsh in a concerted attempt to keep abreast of continental innovations.

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