"The Aquitania will bulge," wrote Jazz Age author Carl van Vechten - describing the popularity of this most classic of all four stacked liners. She "bulged" in every way: with beauty, passengers, troops and years. The longest serving Cunarder, "the ship beautiful" as she came to be known was launched as the largest ship in the world in 1914, and saw illustrious service as a troop ship in both World Wars. Following the loss of White Star's Titanic in 1912, Cunard was at pains to stress the safety of their new Aquitania . As if shadowed by disaster, Aquitania's maiden voyage was somewhat subdued: coming the day after the sinking of The Empress of Britain with a loss of 1400 lives. A year later would see the sinking of her Cunard running mate, Lusitania¸ also with the loss of more than 1000 souls. But, luck was with this most-successful of British ships. Withdrawn from service in 1949, she was broken up in Faslane, Scotland - a sad and anti-climatic farewell to an ocean-going legend. All that remains is one of her venerable funnels, now smokeless: a novelty rooftop adornment for British nightclub
For more information on Aquitania and the other 14 four-stacked ships of the late 19 the and early 20 th centuries, click here
