Le Normandie

29 May 1935, Port of Havre. Sirens blare from Le Normandie cruise liner. One of the first floating palaces takes off for America. In the felted atmosphere of the dining rooms, no less than 40 000 pieces of silversmith from the Maison Christofle await the most fortunate visitors. 

The adventure begins in 1933 with the first drawings by Luc Lanel, creator of the Maison Christofle collections. Inspired by the sphere, which is quite elongated, this is innovative in an era where lines are square and angled. Each piece of silversmith, like in hotels, is made of silver metal to withstand the test of time.

For the event, Luc Lanel stylized the CGT logo, Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. The three letters are interwoven in a harmonious pattern on each page. As with the rest of the Maison's collections, the Christofle hallmark is used till the smallest of the covers. 

If passenger sea transportation to America began at the end of the 19th century, it will take until the early 20th century for it to take off. However, the travel conditions have nothing to do with today's maritime transportation.

Le Normandie, inspired by the Titanic of 1912, is designed as a floating castle. Passengers discover the luxury of France's finest maisons on board. The splendor of crystal, the elegance of porcelain, and, without a doubt, Christofle, the most valuable of all silversmiths.

Passengers adore the collection designed by Luc Lanel. Christofle quickly incorporates it into his catalog so that his customers can have the pieces of silvermith that have accompanied them on their journey at home. 

In August 1939, on the eve of the Second World War, the boat was requisitioned and converted into a hospital ship. Its furniture, decorative elements, and silverware were removed from the vessel. Unwilling to see this remarkable collection disappear, Christofle decided to repurchase it. Safeguarded in France, some of these pieces would later be used aboard the new ocean liner France when it entered service in 1962.

Even today, it is not uncommon to find cutlery, serving cloches, or cups from the famous 40,000-piece service created for the legendary Normandie appearing at auction. A rare opportunity to encounter a collection that is more than a century old, yet whose elegance and relevance remain as striking as ever.