Two Piece First Class
Stateroom Bed Frame Set
From SS IVERNIA of 1955

Items from SS SALONA (ex IVERNIA, FRANCONIA, FEDOR SHALYAPIN)

Headboard Measuring 33 Inches Tall by 34 Inches Wide
Footboard Measuring 42 Inches Tall by 36 Inches Wide
All Original Vintage Cunard Materials
Satiny Maple Veneer, Mahogany or Walnut Trim, Original Hardware
Price: $400.00 USD plus shipping

Cunard brochure photos from the 1950s showing two first class staterooms with similar bed frames. Peter Knego collection.

These lovely bed frames are a perfect match for the three piece first class dresser ensemble from the IVERNIA ( http://www.midshipcentury.com/dressersiverniafirstset1.shtml ). As the brochure images from the 1950s reveal, very little was changed in some of the first class cabins on the ship throughout her almost fifty year existence as IVERNIA, FRANCONIA, and FEDOR SHALYAPIN. When she arrived at Alang as SALONA in 2004, it was hard not to want to buy the entire ship, but at least I was able to save samples of most of the original furniture and fittings. Several of these wonderful bed sets sold as soon as they arrived and are now in the homes of loyal Cunard fans around the U.S. There are only a handful left.

The footboard, front and back. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2005.

This twin bed set has two components. This is the footboard with its maple veneered facade and reddish mahogany veneered trim. There are original metal bolts on the back meant to hold the heavy steel bed frames, which are not provided. By attaching two small trusses to the back of the footboard, it can be a free standing unit and placed in front of a twin sized bed with maximum effectiveness. Or it can be carefully bolted to an existing frame, if desired.
As with most of the first class stateroom furniture, the legs are painted black and match the bases of the cabinetry. There is a slight sheer to these frames, which can be easily removed by planing the bottoms, if desired.

Views of the front and back sides of the headboard. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2005.

On the headboard, there has been some skillful repair to the outer trim which blends in nicely and is not obvious unless one is looking for it. Although the patterning of the outer veneer is similar to mahogany, its color is more like a deep walnut. The inner satiny maple veneer is very much like that of the footboard. The board, itself, appears to be made of mahogany plywood and even the back is attractive in its own right.