S.S. Normandie cabin telephone

The SS Normandie, widely considered the most elegant ocean liner of the Art Deco era, was launched on October 29, 1932, but due to the Great Depression, and she didn't embark on her maiden voyage until May 1935. Her sleek, Art Deco stateroom telephones (produced by Le Materiel Telephonique, Boulogne-Billancourt) were a marvel of mid-1930s design, matching the ship's luxurious aesthetic. The phones were typically made of dark brown Bakelite with chromium-plated mounts. They were revolutionary for the time because they allowed passengers to call not only other staterooms and ship services but also—via a high-end radio-telephone link—to connect with shoreside numbers in Europe and North America while at sea. Only about 500 were produced.