MidShipCentury Featured In L.A. Daily News
MaritimeMatters’ co-editor Peter Knego’s home and MidShipCentury venture were featured in the April 23 edition of the Los Angeles Daily News. Writer Sandra Barrera went to Knego’s house in Moorpark, California to interview him amidst some of the fittings rescued from many of the mid-twentieth century’s finest liners and cruise ships after their demolition in Alang, India.
“It was really an honor to be featured in the Daily News,” Knego stated, adding, “I hope the story shines some light on the elegant design and beautiful craftsmanship of the 1950s and 1960s maritime world.”
Accompanying the story is a photo gallery of portions of Knego’s home with elements and artwork that once graced ships like Cunard Line’s IVERNIA (1955), Elder Dempster Line’s AUREOL (1951), Canadian Pacific’s EMPRESS OF CANADA (1961) and EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (1956), Incres Lines’ VICTORIA (1959), Companhia Nacional’s PRINCIPE PERFEITO (1961), Union-Castle Line’s WINDSOR (1960) and TRANSVAAL (1961) CASTLEs, Adriatica’s AUSONIA (1958), Sun Line’s STELLA SOLARIS (1953) and STELLA OCEANIS (1965), Lloyd Triestino’s VICTORIA (1953), Costa’s EUGENIO C (1966), German Atlantik Line’s HAMBURG (1969) and more…
Click here for a link to the story: Mid-century nautical: Moorpark man’s land-locked love affair with the high seas
Click here for a link to Fred Bernstein’s story about MidShipCentury in the New York Times: On A Mission To Save Cruise Ship Decor
Click here for a link to the Midshipcentury website.
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Bravo, Bravisimo, you are certainly one person that indeed deserves all of the recognition that is bestowed upon you for all of your hard and caring work. You are the caretaker, the keeper of ships things for all of us that care as much as you do. Thank you.
p.s. on your mantel, the black plaque, is that the Home Lines MV HOMERIC or ATLANTIC? I have one each of the Homeric and Atlantic.
Hi Kenneth: That took my eye too, it’s actually LEONID SOBINOV, ex SAXONIA, and her builder’s plate is just above. I remember seeing a few times in Southampton, like Peter, I always had an eye for that quartet.
Thanks, Kenneth. Very, very kind of you. I’m just happy I did what I could when I could. 🙂
Martin is correct, the plaque is the LEONID SOBINOV, which goes with the SAXONIA’s buider’s plate given to me by the ship’s chief engineer when I trekked out to Iliychevsk in 1997 to see the LEONID and FEDOR SHALYAPIN in their final days.
Love It! Hey Peter I have to make you a ship’s bridge mantle for that nice firplace. 🙂
BTW, I caught a nice thread on the Grand Princess and Veendam getting butchered up in Freeport. Veen’s getting a new bow, it got hammered in South America. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1400835
It is good to see all your efforts highlighted once again! I love the Finale sofa in the crison velvet against the golden Luzzati “Sun” themed wall sculpture. The wall cabinet is very impressive, which ship did that come from?
Thanks so much, Kevin! The sofa and sun panel are my VICTORIA tribute. That wall cabinet is from the TRANSVAAL CASTLE’s captain’s cabin. What is amazing about it is that the faux books open up to reveal a ‘Speakeasy Bar”. I imagine it contained plenty of spirits to woo various officials in some of the dry ports the ship visited in her Union-Castle and Safmarine days.
Thanks, Glenn! If only I had more room, I could rebuild the IVERNIA’s entire wheelhouse (except the latter day radar and magnetic steering console). The rest of it is in storage.
For shiplovers, Casa Knego is a California treasure on par with Hearst’s Castle farther up the coast. It is a magnificent collection and Peter deserves all the recognition he can get, not only for his writing and photography but for saving these magnificent artifacts.
Good heavens…..my husband was Captain for a while on Island Breeze (I think 1996) and I remember the cabinet (and the hidden bar!) standing beside his desk. The office was quite amazing with its faux fireplace and wood panelling. The bathroom boasted a freestanding tub and black and white floor tiles. What a ship…and thanks for the memories!
By the way, I often wonder what happened to the lovely wooden carved panels (the Four Seasons) in the Captain’s Office on the Topaz? There were only three left in our day (1997/98/99) but I always presumed there must be a third somewhere!
I meant a fourth, of course!
Dear Maggy,
How fantastic is that? Two of the four seasons were still on board THE TOPAZ along with the two paintings of the horses and dogs in the captain’s cabin. I have kept the two seasons in the upstairs hallway and the paintings are for sale on the website.
Thank you for writing and all the best to you and Captain Volovnis!
Peter
Thanks Peter. I am wandering around Greece at present but when we get back to Athens I will try and find photos I took of the Seasons panels..we can work out which one went AWOL last!!
Dear Peter,
May I ask if there is still the possibility to buy ships interiors? I remember that there was the offer some years ago.
We are interested in tables and other accessories.
Thank you for contacting me.
Cheerio
Dennis
Hi Dennis,
Not only is it possible but a new container full of items from the beautiful MV AUGUSTUS has just arrived. You can see many of these things on the facebook page for MidShipCentury — I have not had time to add them to the actual site but will do so in June. Also, if you go to http://www.midshipcentury.com, you will find hundreds of items for sale that I have salvaged from a number of important cruise ships and ocean liners.
All the best,
Peter