Exhibit Unveils New Cunard Archives

An exhibition of Cunard’s archive opened on March 23, 2023 at the Victoria Gallery & Museum at the University of Liverpool.

The Cunard exhibit “Travel in Style – Iconic Cunard Advertising in the 1920s and 1930s” was created to showcase the cruise line’s seafaring heritage, according to a press release. Documents and original advertising materials from the past 100 years are on display.

The exhibition beautifully illustrates Cunard’s timelessness as one of the chief innovators of the golden era of ocean travel, said Lee Powell, vice president of brand and product at Cunard. Today’s guests value luxury, sophistication, and glamour as much as they did a hundred years ago.

When planning for the future, we use our heritage for inspiration as well as for inspiration. “Queen Anne is the next in a line of exceptional ships from Cunard and she will be overflowing with breath-taking moments around every corner, all infused with subtle references to our past.”

Gallery 5 at the museum will be the venue for the opening of the exhibition on March 25.

There are many records dating back to the early 1900s in Cunard’s wider archives at the University of Liverpool library.

“The Cunard archive contains most of the surviving business records produced by Cunard since the company became a limited company in 1878,” said Siân Wilks, archivist at the University of Liverpool Library. Uniquely valuable as a source of information about the Company’s history and thousands of people’s lives impacted by Cunard, including its crew, office staff, and passengers, the archive provides rich insight into Cunard’s past.

Until now, Cunard travel posters have been unavailable due to their large size and preservation requirements. Visitors to Liverpool will have the chance to view a selection of original Cunard travel posters. Members of the public are invited to donate memorabilia, including advertisements and ephemera, which can reflect their personal experiences of traveling with Cunard.”