July 1914 Rare Original R.M.S. LUSITANIA Cunard Line MENU Cruise Ship Ephemera

Description

Rare 1914 Lusitania menu dated
just nine days before the outbreak of World War I
DELAYED SHIPPING NOTICE
: This auction ends on the night of Monday, August 30. However, I will be out of town and will be unable to ship until after I return on Wednesday, September 8. Please take this into account and ask any questions prior to bidding.
Rare and fantastic original printed menu card from the Cunard liner R.M.S. Lusitania, July 19, 1914, cream cardstock folded into four panels, the front panel gilt- and blind-embossed in the Art Nouveau taste with "Cunard Line" in an elaborate frame of stylized lilies surmounted by Cunard's rampant lion crest, one interior panel printed with a bill of fare for "Miss Meyer and Party," 4-1/2" x 3". Back panel with mounting remnants (small, unobtrusive spot of skinning to blank background of front panel); otherwise clean, crisp, and near fine overall.
A scarce ephemeral survival from the ill-fated ship which was torpedoes by a German U-boat less than a year later, on May 7, 1915. (The menu is dated just nine days before the Austrian declaration of war on Serbia, marking the start of hostilities in World War I, on July 28, 1914.) Changeable and time-sensitive items of this nature—e.g., menus, music and religious programs, newsletters, etc.—were typically printed on board ship using a letterpress on blank decorative stock. "Miss Meyer and Party" perhaps suggests either a private affair aboard ship or simply a reserved table in the dining room.
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PAYMENT/SHIPPING:
Successful U.S. bidder pays for carefully packed and insured First Class shipping. Please see my other auctions for rare and vintage books, historical and advertising ephemera, photos, artwork, and mid-century design.