Champagne Bucket, SS <I>United States</I>
date: label: Date made
content: 1950s
name: label: maker
content: International Silver Company
notes: label: Description
content: This champagne bucket was made for use aboard the ocean liner SS <I>United States</I>, the largest and fastest transatlantic passenger liner ever built in the United States. Launched in 1952, the “Big U,” as the ship was affectionately called, was 990 feet long, about the length of five city blocks. On its maiden voyage, the ship broke the speed records for crossings in both directions and captured the Blue Riband trophy, an award for the ship making the fastest round trip passage on the North Atlantic. The time set by the <I>United States</I> on the westbound leg from New York to England was 3 days, 12 hours, and 12 minutes, with an average speed of 34.51 knots, a record that remains unbroken.
label: Description
content: Passengers traveled in one of three classes aboard the ship-- first, cabin, or tourist. Each class had its own dining room, lounge, smoking room, and theater. Storage of food and supplies was located in a central area on D Deck, where separate compartments were designated for dry stores, bulk stores, frozen food, and wines and spirits. A special cooler for champagne was located there as well.
label: Description
content: Although the ship was designed by William Francis Gibbs to be converted to a troop transport in time of war, the <I>United States</I> is remembered by thousands of travelers for the voyages that were enjoyed by celebrities and ordinary families alike. This champagne bucket, emblazoned with the United States Lines’ motifs of an eagle and stars, represents the luxury that passengers experienced aboard the ship.
place: label: Associated Place
content: Atlantic Ocean
topic: label: related event
content: Postwar United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Maritime
label: See more items in
content: Transportation
label: See more items in
content: On the Water exhibit
label: Exhibition
content: On the Water
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: National Museum of American History. On the Water exhibition website
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transfer from US Department of Commerce, Maritime Administration (through R. J. Blackwell)
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TR.335566.11
label: catalog number
content: 335566.11
label: accession number
content: 1978.2219
objectType: label: Object Name
content: bucket, champagne
label: Other Terms
content: bucket, champagne; Maritime
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: silver (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 1/2 in x 10 1/2 in; 21.59 cm x 26.67 cm