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Dinner menu from EMPRESS OF ENGLAND

Maker Canadian Pacific Steamship Company (1891 - 1971)

Date19 July 1962

Object number00000815

NameMenu

MediumInk on paper

DimensionsOverall: 266 x 210 mm

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from M L Breaden

Terms

DescriptionThis dinner menu from the British ocean liner, EMPRESS OF ENGLAND, features a drawing of one of Leonardo da Vinci’s creative visions, the Flying Machine, c 1486.HistoryEMPRESS OF ENGLAND was built for Canadian Pacific and launched in 1956 by Vickers–Armstrong Ltd, Newcastle. It served as a cruise ship for passengers sailing between England and Canada, however, by the early 1960s, passenger numbers dwindled. By 1970, after travelling from British ports to South Africa and again to Canada, EMPRESS OF ENGLAND was renamed OCEAN MONARCH and recommenced sailing to various new destinations including Australia and New Zealand. There are a large number of these menus in the museum collection. They generally feature an illustration or design reflecting the key attributes of the ship, the ports or countries visited during the journey. This menu series portrays the history of travel through the illustrations and accompanying descriptions, which would have been read by passengers during the evening meal. The description accompanying this particular menu reads: 'This composite drawing is built up from one of Leonardo’s many projects for flying machines. On this one the wing movements were to be performed by the hands in rising and by the feet in descending. The contrast with Canadian Pacific Airlines is extreme. Comfort and serenity are our speciality. Flying at its most efficient is something we take for granted.'SignificanceAfter her launch in 1956, EMPRESS OF ENGLAND served as a cruise ship operating between Liverpool and Montreal. Shipboard menus were the most common type of souvenir collected by passengers. This particular menu illustrates how Canadian Pacific Airlines capitalised on the initial popularity of the luxury cruise liner by providing promotional material for their air service.