The Queen Mary's Long Gallery: A Corridor to the Golden Age, slated for restoration
- Brendan Ryan
- Aug 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 28
Running along the port side of Promenade Deck, the Long Gallery was never just a hallway. At 118 feet long, it was conceived as a glamorous lounge where first-class passengers could pause between the Ballroom and the Main Lounge.
From her maiden voyage in 1936, the Long Gallery quickly became a favorite spot for conversation, reading, and simply admiring the ocean views. The walls and ceiling were paneled in white figured ash, glowing softly in natural light, with doors trimmed in makoré and maple burr. Elegant Deco light fixtures and plush seating made it feel more like a private club than a passageway.
A Gallery in More Than Name
Original Paintings by Algernon Newton & Bertram Nicholls
Cunard treated the Long Gallery as a floating art salon. Two oil paintings were commissioned especially for the space: Evening on the Avon by Algernon Newton and Sussex Landscape by Bertram Nicholls. These serene landscapes gave travelers a sense of calm and connection to home, and both still hang in the Long Gallery today; a rare continuity stretching back to 1936.
Wartime and Renewal
From Ocean Liner's Luxury Lounge to WWII Allied Troop Quarters
When the Queen Mary was drafted into service in 1939, many of the Queen Mary's furnishings and paintings were removed for safekeeping. In their place came rows of bunks as the “Grey Ghost” ferried troops across the Atlantic.
After the war, the space was restored. The paintings returned, the seating was refreshed, and in keeping with the times, a bar for first-class passengers was added. Above this bar hung "The Mills Circus" by Dame Laura Knight, relocated from a private dining room. Through the 1950s and 60s, the Long Gallery remained a stylish lounge, untouched by the cinema conversion that altered the opposite Starboard Gallery.
The Long Gallery after the Queen Mary's Long Beach Conversion
Bank Of America, Candy, Conference Rooms and a Coffee Shop
When the Queen Mary retired to Long Beach in 1967, the Long Gallery survived; though in a divided and shortened form. The forward section was adapted for retail (first a bank, later a candy shop, and today a café), while the aft portion became meeting and event space. The Long Gallery kept its original wood paneling, some of its lighting fixtures, and, most importantly, its two commissioned paintings. Until Recently the Mills Circus hung above the coffee shop.
The Upcoming Restoration of the Gallery
The Long Gallery is the next major milestone in the restoration of the Queen Mary
The Long Gallery is a survivor. It has seen the Queen Mary through luxury crossings, wartime service, and decades in Long Beach. Its reduced footprint, is reduced today, until recently the most significant touchpoint to give visitors an idea of the space was a sign in the coffee shop with period photos. This is about to change. On August 23rd the long awaited news that the space was slated for restoration came; to the elation of Ocean Liner fans everywhere. Soon visitors and guests will be able to walk through the same glowing wood, art deco atmosphere that first-class travelers enjoyed nearly ninety years ago. Queen Mary Heritage board member John Thomas, the ship's preservation advisor is stewarding elements of the restoration. We will continue to share updates on the restoration of the Queen Mary's Long Gallery as it progresses.
Fun Fact: Earlier this month, in this very room; The Queen Mary Hertiage Foundation signed an MOU with the City of Long Beach, becoming the City's nonprofit partner in restoring the Queen Mary.
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