***THIS ITEM IS SOLD***
Etched Glass Panels and Doors From SS STATENDAM Indoor Pool Area By D. Ten Hoedt. Made in 1957 and NOW FULLY RESTORED!

Items from MV HARMONY (ex SS STATENDAM, SS RHAPSODY, MV REGENT STAR, MV SEA HARMONY)

The ensemble now fully restored by X21 Modern (info@x21modern.com) of San Francisco.

The ensemble as seen on the ship when she was operating as REGENT STAR in 1995. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 1995.

Two panels measuring 64 inches wide by 77.25 inches tall
Two doors measuring 32 inches wide by 77.25 inches tall
Total dimensions of ensemble: 16 feet wide by 6.43 feet tall
Price: SOLD by X21 Modern (info@x21modern.com), 890 Valencia Street SF, CA 94110, (415) 647-4211 Ph., (415) 695-0797 Fax.

SS STATENDAM in an early official photograph. Peter Knego collection.

In 1957, when the SS STATENDAM debuted, she became an instant hit on North Atlantic crossings from Rotterdam to New York and in seasonal cruising. STATENDAM was mainly a tourist class vessel, but one of the keys to her success was the quality of her accommodation, which aspired to first class standards. For a predominantly tourist class ship, she was miles ahead of the competition and a vastly improved version of the pioneering, mainly tourist twins RYNDAM and MAASDAM that came before her.

1950s era official photograph showing the ensemble from the pool area. Peter Knego collection.

On stormy Atlantic crossings or in the cold weather that inevitably greeted the working liners of yesteryear, outdoor lidos and swimming pools were often unusable. Any Atlantic liner worth her salt had a dedicated indoor pool, most often located on the lowest passenger deck. On STATENDAM, the pool, which would be shared by both classes, had to suit the small number of first class passengers the ship carried. Thus, its decoration would need to be of the highest standard. At the entrance, two large glass screens were located on either side of a pair of glass doors. Framed in brass, the panels and doors were part of one large undersea motif etched into the glassworks by Amsterdam-based artisan D. Ten Hoedt. His signature can be found in the corner of one of the panels.

D. Ten Hoedt signature in the corner of one of the panels. Photo and copyright Martin Cox 2005.

When STATENDAM was rebuilt for permanent cruise service in 1972, the pool area was wisely spared modernization. The panels were just too lovely to alter. In 1982, the ship became Paquet Cruises RHAPSODY and in 1986, she became Regency Cruise Lines REGENT STAR. Both companies left the few original areas of the ship as is, knowing that the quality and standard of the art and materials could not be replicated. REGENT STAR was laid up in 1995, following the collapse of Regency Cruises. She lay at anchor in Eleusis, Greece (technically renamed SEA HARMONY) looking very forlorn until being sold for scrap as the HARMONY in 2004. When the ship arrived at Alang, I went through great effort, risk and expense to purchase these panels. Under the supervision of my agent, they were safely removed from the ship, lowered by hand into pontoons, transferred to a lorry, and carefully packed for shipment to California. None of the glass was damaged, quite amazingly, in the process.

One of the large panels is safely uncrated, top. Views of each of the doors. Photos and copyright Martin Cox 2005.

A few of the details, showing the quality of the design, craftsmanship and artistry. Photos and copyright Martin Cox 2005.

In October of 2007, once it became clear that Holland America Line (a company that markets its heritage) was, mystifyingly, not interested in these panels, they were consigned to X21 Modern for a complete restoration. Photos by and copyright Peter Knego 2006.