the last of her kind
it used to be that magnificent leviathans
glided across the ocean filled with the gifted and gilded.
they were floating palaces, each one more regal and luxurious than the last.
sooner or later it was all doomed to end;
airlines made intercontinental travel much faster and more affordable
and as it did, one by one the luxury liners from the golden era
passed into oblivion – they are all now at the ocean’s murky bottom
or were scrapped long ago. and thus an age ended,
with only one remnant left.
she sits now in the harbor, her insides gutted and her luster faded,
as though waiting for the crowds to come back,
patiently, for she remembers the laughter, the tinkling wine glasses and toasts.
she was magnificent, full of music and spectacle,
and her pride in this is still evident
even if the new generations have forgotten her.
time has not diminished her poise and dignity
she was the fastest cruise ship ever built and
a hundred feet longer than the titanic.
so look upon her now, while you can.
she is the last of her kind.—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-——
more of my work is available on my website, www.abandonedamerica.org
the last of her kind belongs to the following groups:
All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, Dilapidated Buildings, Nautical and Vibrant and Vivid Color Available for sale asGreeting Cards
MarissaBillings
great capture! love the perspective and colors =)
justimagine
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing this image and words.
Katherine Ande...
Wow. You weren’t kidding about this! So amazing!
amarica
Great shot and wonderful writeup!!!!!!!
JohnEvans
Great shot…... always love stories that accompany….especially nostalgia, like yours
ericseyes
Magnificant beauty, a testiment to man’s ever growing hunger for bigger, better and faster. Very nice shot and great story to remeber her by.
Glenn-Patrick ...
Brilliant comp here Matt.
Ariane
Who is She and where is She?
Perhaps someone will buy her and turn her into a hotel – I hope so – it is so sad to see these old beautys slowly crumbling away.
You have captured the feeling of decay and saddness of former glory days very well in your pic.
blackoutangel replied
the SS United States is located in Philadelphia, although it currently is all but impossible to get on board. a good friend with some very high connections worked it out for me, which was very gracious of them. there has been a lot of talk about renovating her but i doubt it will happen. there’s too much money in scrapping, sadly.
Nvision Ink
wow very grand shot!!
Thordis
Great perspective and composition.
Ranald
It’s a shame really. I like this strong capture. You can see the power of the ship but you can also see the power of nature since the wind must have been blowing that chain against the bow for many years, slowly wearing the paint and then the steel away.
blackoutangel replied
ya know, i sort of wondered where that mark came from but wasn’t astute enough to figure it out. thanks for the keen observation.
PolarityPhoto
Nice composition! Great work.
You art never leaves me disappointed. :)
Dafs
Fantastic image and words as always. Clearly from the heart.
sootycat669
Brilliant capture … your choice of composition does her proud, even though she looks sad and forlorn.
robpixaday
Stellar
- she is still strong and imperious -what a wonderful shot. Thank you for shring—I wish she didn’t have to be abandoned….Allen Gray
I thought this old girl had gone the way of the wreckers! The United States was one of the last great liners, last of the Clipper bows and held the coverted Atlantic Blue Ribbon for the fastest crossings of the Atlantic. She’s alongside in Philadelphia I’ve discovered and there is a movement to get her back sailing on a US East Coast-West Coast run. The joys of the Internet!!
Great image and capture of an old girl with a proud history!!
blackoutangel replied
thank you – and i’m impressed by your knowledge about her. it’s hard not to fall in love when you see her and know her history. i hope they do get her sailing again but i somewhat doubt it. the costs – even despite the fact that structurally she’s still fine and the insides have been gutted – would be phenomenal. i hope they do save her though. she deserves it.
Ranald
No worries. It’s a wonderful shot.
Allen Gray
I come from a maritime family, so ships and their histories have always facinated me for some reason!
billyboy
wow.