Legendary Stars “Captured” Aboard Cunard Line Queens

When you pose for the ship’s photographers during a cruise you are joining a long list of celebrity passengers who have happily done so in the past. For instance, illustrated at left is former-ship photographer Richard (“Dick”) Dawson in front of an image of Elizabeth Taylor that he captured during one of the legendary film star’s many travels aboard Cunard Line. When Dawson photographed Taylor in May 1950, she was traveling on her honeymoon with hotel magnate Conrad Hilton. Dawson recalled thinking at the time that the marriage would never last.

Last Monday, Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 was paid a special visit by the 89-year-old photographer Dawson, who captured several iconic luminaries who sailed during Cunard’s golden age of ocean travel—in addition to Elizabeth Taylor, he also snapped shots of Cary Grant and General Viscount Montgomery.

In 1949, Dawson joined the original Queen Mary as one of the photographers with Ocean Pictures. Many of these classic black-and-white images are dramatically displayed aboard Queen Mary 2 in “Stars Aboard,” a unique, self-guided exhibit which Dawson toured during his recent visit.

Image Courtesy Cunard Line