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I (E Argyle)always assumed the original source of the ship on the Belgian stamp of 1929 depicting a 4-funnelled Cunarder, was a composite engraving featuring the Mauretania's bridge with the remainder of the vessel being the Aquitania. Now the mystery has been cleared up. My friend Mr. I. McRoberts, well-known to readers of Sea Breezes for his articles, produced for my inspection a copy of the 1913 summer number of the "Cunard Daily Bulletin" in which a reproduction of an oil painting by C. E. Turner appears. It is the "Q.S.T.S. AqUitania", painted from, presumably, the naval architects' drawings of the vessel as she would appear. Obviously there must have been some later changes in the plans, after the artist had painted his picture. As readers can see from the reproduction illustrated, the stamp has been very carefully engraved after Mr. Turner's oil painting as far as the Cunarder Aquitania is concerned, but the stamp designer has given as the vessel's background the port of Antwerp, which was a little off the Aquitania's beaten track. However it is nice to know that it is the famous old Cunarder, one of the loveliest of ships I have ever seen, that is actually shown on the postage stamp. SG556
by shipstamps » Mon Aug 25, 2008 1:13 pm 
