Two young ship hands aboard a sailing ship marvel at the passing of Cunard???s Mauretania, the fastest ship on the Atlantic.British shipping companies had been shocked to have their perennial dominance of the Atlantic speed record smashed by a decade of German dominance, starting in 1897. Cunard responded by commissioning Mauritania and its sister ship Lusitania. The Blue Riband typically changed hands every year or two, but the Mauritania held on to it for an incredible 22 years, from 1907 to 1929, when another German ship, NDL's Bremen, eclipsed her record.
This poster was created by Odin Rosenvinge, the leading posterist for Cunard and an employee of printer Turner and Dunnett in Liverpool, whose clients included many British shipping companies. The date of this poster is unknown, although it must postdate 1912 when Rosenvinge joined T & D.