Press Release
For Immediate Release
21May 2014
Hong Kong Maritime Museum Special Exhibition
“Palaces on The Seas:
The Golden Age of French Ocean Liners”
In the golden age of travelling, fine design and the art of living were an integral part of long haul trips
to the four corners of the earth and especially the Far East!
Hong Kong Maritime Museum will hold an exhibition entitled “Palaces on The Seas: The Golden Age of French Ocean Liners”
from 28 May to 26 August 2014, co-presented with Le French May 2014 and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities
Trust. Come aboard and enjoy the golden age of sea travel on French ocean liners in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Two famous French cruise lines will be featured in this stunning exhibition: Compagnie Générale Transatlantique and Les
Messageries Maritimes. The exhibition will display more than 200 objects, including posters, drawings, silverware, ship models,
costumes, illustrated books and photographs. Many of these objects are shown to the public in Hong Kong for the first time, offering
visitors a unique travel experience from a bygone age of luxury and style.
Keen to surprise and to satisfy their passengers, both companies invited renowned artists to decorate their interiors, including
architects and designers Dominique, Rulhmann, Lanel and Lalique, French marine painters such as Brenet and Sebille and poster
designers Colin, Cassandre, and Sandy-Hook. Major French manufacturers including Christofle, Ercuis, Puiforcat, Saint Louis, and
Haviland also contributed their creativity and skills to develop these “floating palaces”.
In addition to the exhibition, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum and Le French May 2014 are also collaborating in an array of funfilled, educational activities throughout the exhibition period:
Saturday Talks
“The ‘Messageries Maritimes’: A French Company in Hong Kong during the interwar period”
Date: 31 May (French) & 28 June (English)
Time: 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Speaker: François Drémeaux, Teacher of history and geography at the French International School, Hong Kong and PhD candidate
at the University of Angers, France.
“Building the New Cruise Terminal at Kai Tak”
Date: 12 July (English)
Time: 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Speaker: James Marshall, Design Director, Dragages Hong Kong Ltd
The above talks are free with Museum entrance ticket*.
Public Guided Tours
Join our informative and entertaining 30 minute tours about life on board the French liners, led by trained volunteers.
Date and Time: Every Saturday at 2:00pm & 2:45pm (English), 3:45pm & 4:30pm (Cantonese);
Every Sunday at 2:00pm (English), 3:45pm & 4:30pm (Cantonese)
Free participation. Advance booking required: Le French May Education and Outreach Programme webpage
www.frenchmay.com/education/
Private Guided Tours
$500 for groups of up to 25 persons, arranged on request. Tours for Community Groups are free of charge.
Advance booking required. Please download form at www.hkmaritimemuseum.org
Family Tours
Don’t miss the chance to meet a ‘crew member’ and find out about children on board a French liner. Great fun for the entire family.
Date: Every Sunday
Time: 2:45pm (Cantonese)
Free participation. Advance booking required: Le French May Education and Outreach Programme webpage
www.frenchmay.com/education/
DIY Cruise Postcard
Before the Internet travellers sent many more hand-written postcards from the places they visited. Try out this traditional way of
sending your greetings by designing, illustrating, writing and posting your own postcard about the highlights on a cruise.
Date and time: Available during exhibition opening times.
Free with Museum entrance ticket*.
Workshop: Design Your Own Luxury Cruise Cabin
Explore your creativity with local artist Sharon Cheung and create a miniature cruise cabin to take home in the style of the golden
age of French passenger liners.
Date: Selected Sunday (15 & 29 June; 6, 13, 20, & 27 July; 3, 10, 17 & 24 August)
Time: 3 sessions per day at 2:00pm, 3:00pm and 4:00pm
Free with Museum entrance ticket*. Advance booking required, places are limited. Please download form at
www.hkmaritimemuseum.org
School Activities
Join fun-filled activities to find out more about the golden age of French passenger liners. For Primary and Secondary students in
Cantonese or English.
Date: 28 May - 25 August
Free but advance booking required. Please download form at www.hkmaritimemuseum.org
*Museum entrance ticket: Adult - HK$30; Senior (aged 60 and above), Child (aged 18 and below) and People with disabilities (and 1
accompanying minder) - HK$15
Exhibition Period
Period
:
28 May to 26 August 2014
Time
:
9:30am – 5:30pm (Monday to Friday) &
10:00am – 7:00pm (Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays)
Venue
:
Special Exhibitions and Events Gallery, Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Central Pier No. 8
Media Interviews
Date
:
27 May 2014 (Tuesday)
Time
:
11:00am – 1:00pm; 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Media Preview & Press Briefing
Date
:
27 May 2014 (Tuesday)
Time
:
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Opening Reception
Date
:
27 May 2014 (Tuesday)
Time
:
6:30pm – 8:30pm
About Hong Kong Maritime Museum
Ideally located on the picturesque Victoria Harbour at Central Pier No. 8, the non-profit Hong Kong Maritime Museum (HKMM)
founded in 2004 is a registered charity supported by the Hong Kong Government and the Hong Kong Shipping industry. It houses
more than 5,000 artefacts, comprises 15 galleries including a special exhibition & events space, a resource centre, a roof-top café, a
gift shop and nautical antique gallery.
HKMM provides visitors with a variety of public programmes including but not limited to guided tours, workshops, public talks and a
family corner. The Museum promotes Hong Kong’s maritime heritage, spanning the past and present to the future, with a focus on
showcasing Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta’s maritime connections to the world in a local, regional and international context in particular the development of Hong Kong as an international port and shipping hub.
It’s time to voyage:
www.hkmaritimemuseum.org
About Le French May (www.frenchmay.com)
Organised by the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, Le French May has attracted over 5 million visitors since
its inception in 1993.
With more than 120 events spanning two months, Le French May is the most diversified festival in Asia: from exhibitions and
performances to cinema and gastronomy, the Festival is a cultural platform that showcases the finest art forms and cultural
exchanges.
Le French May aims to present a whole range of events, from dance and design to cinema and paintings, covering classical and
contemporary genres: the Festival offers a selection of the best of French creativity.
Le French May wishes to spread this creativity everywhere: from concert halls to public spaces, from the streets to shopping malls,
and from museums to the racecourse.
Le French May is conceived for everyone, to reach the widest audience while pursuing actions towards art education: from guided
tours to master classes, from students’ tickets to public lectures, it brings art to the entire community.
As a bridge between East and West, Le French May actively collaborates with the local arts scene to create specific programmes
featuring the best blend of our cultural differences.
This exhibition is one of the exciting programmes funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust’s HK$7.34-million donation.
It is the third year that the Trust has been the major partner of this all-encompassing festival.
For further press information, please contact:
Hong Kong Maritime Museum:
Ms. Polly Wan
Tel: 3713 2508 email：[email protected]