Photos from the final eastbound transatlantic crossing, 16-22 October 2008

[Brian Baum]

Hello,
I am finishing up work on my new book, QE2: Her Final Crossing, which I plan to release in July. As the title suggests, this book provides a comprehensive, day by day, look at the last eastbound Atlantic crossing by Cunard’s legendary liner. The voyage, made in tandem with Queen Mary 2 from 16 to 22 October 2008, provided a fitting tribute for QE2 as she entered retirement.

I was fortunate to have been on board QE2 for that trip, and more than 100 of my original photographs will bring the entire voyage to life — including the final trip down the Hudson River, and the moving mid-ocean salute between the two great transatlantic liners.

Michael Gallagher has graciously provided me with many exceptional aerial images of the two ships departing New York Harbour, but I am still anxiously looking for photographs taken from Queen Mary 2 looking towards QE2 during the Atlantic crossing.

Ideally, I would like to obtain a selection of publication quality photographs of QE2, shot each day of the eastbound crossing. In return, I would offer you credit at each photo, a mention on the acknowledgments page, and a personalized copy of the finished book.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me.

I appreciate any assistance you can provide. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Brian Baum
bgbaum@comcast.net

[Thomas Hypher]

Hello Brian,

My Parent's, a few relatives, and I were on QM2 for this final tandem and my Dad took a number of photos with his DSLR of QE2 during the crossing (that we recently rediscovered he'd taken but I digress) along with 1080p video footage on his video camera of the final New York departure, during the crossing (with QE2 on different sides of QM2 as we swapped positions), and from the final sea day when we came closer and saluted (including close up footage of QE2's decks and bridge during the whistle salutes). Would high resolution screenshots of the original video footage (not compressed a lot as on YouTube for example) be workable if required/useful?

I can speak to my Dad about your book and that you are after a QM2 perspective if the above would be suitable?

Here are a couple of YouTube links to some of my Dad's video camera footage from this voyage. I have also attached one of my Dad's DSLR camera photos:

[Brian Baum]

Hello Thomas,

Thank you for your reply. Because of the resolution quality required for publication (approximately 6" x 9" at 300dpi), I believe the DSLR photos are ideal.

If a few video stills from the departure and mid-ocean salute wouldn't be too much work for you to send, I would be interested in seeing how they look. Thank you.

I'll be sure to send you and your Dad copies of the book upon publication.

Enjoy the weekend.

Sincerely,
Brian Baum

bgbaum@comcast.net

[cunardqueen]

Keep us posted on your publication, l was on for the round trip crosssing on QE2 . And would be very keen to buy a copy,
Were you aware of how we seemed to drift for longer than normal after leaving the berth in NY before we turned to sail down the Hudson. As l was intransit that day by the time l got back to QE2 and reboarded the Terminal was empty and no last ever Embarkation photo . 

I did wonder if any of the photos taken by the helicopter were published anywhere. i cant recall seeing any photos of QE2 from the air , l guess we missed all the press features in the newspspers, were they any ?

Did you take part in the Cabin Cavalcade. I had helped organise the cavalcade on the farewell UK trip and the outward voyage , linked mainly through the Cruicecritic forum. It kicked off in the midships lobby  where l had my GA Plans on show and then a crowd of us went round each others cabins ohh and ahhing at how every cabin was different , taking photos of anything and everything..

It was the only time in my life l had wished to be on QM2 only for a short time so that l could see QE2 in all her glory .

[Thomas Hypher]

Hello Thomas,

Thank you for your reply. Because of the resolution quality required for publication (approximately 6" x 9" at 300dpi), I believe the DSLR photos are ideal.

If a few video stills from the departure and mid-ocean salute wouldn't be too much work for you to send, I would be interested in seeing how they look. Thank you.

I'll be sure to send you and your Dad copies of the book upon publication.

Enjoy the weekend.

Sincerely,
Brian Baum

bgbaum@comcast.net

I will see if the video stills/screenshots come out reasonably and send you the best ones by email (probably the best way unless you have Dropbox or similar?).

I will also try to send the DSLR photos by email but may not be able to send many at once due to the attachment file size limits.

Looking forward to the publication of your book given your striking photo of QM2 through QE2's Quarter or Upper Deck windows in this month's forum photo competition and seeing your other original photos - two Ocean Liners in their element! Very kind of you to send both my Dad and I copies of your book too, upon publication. Thank you 

[Thomas Hypher]

Keep us posted on your publication, l was on for the round trip crosssing on QE2 . And would be very keen to buy a copy,
Were you aware of how we seemed to drift for longer than normal after leaving the berth in NY before we turned to sail down the Hudson. As l was intransit that day by the time l got back to QE2 and reboarded the Terminal was empty and no last ever Embarkation photo . 

I did wonder if any of the photos taken by the helicopter were published anywhere. i cant recall seeing any photos of QE2 from the air , l guess we missed all the press features in the newspspers, were they any ?

Did you take part in the Cabin Cavalcade. I had helped organise the cavalcade on the farewell UK trip and the outward voyage , linked mainly through the Cruicecritic forum. It kicked off in the midships lobby  where l had my GA Plans on show and then a crowd of us went round each others cabins ohh and ahhing at how every cabin was different , taking photos of anything and everything..

It was the only time in my life l had wished to be on QM2 only for a short time so that l could see QE2 in all her glory .

Myles,

I seem to recall we held position for quite awhile (no doubt using our GPS system to keep position exactly) after swinging around in our own length, mid Hudson Bay, as some of my Dad's footage above shows.

My Dad also filmed QE2 approaching us from on the foredeck, right under the foghorn (getting deafened each blast). The diaphragm of the foghorn (electric motor powered) can be heard slowing/winding down after each blast - remarkable the video camera's microphone picked that detail up given the very high volume involved. QE2 then replies with her wonderful voice in the distance, the beat frequency being at quite a low rate.

I have attached a video still/screenshot where my Dad was filming me watching QE2 pass from QM2's Boat Deck, with one of the helicopters seemingly used for the aerial photos that Michael has shared on the forum and to Brian for his book, being above QE2's Signal Mast from our perspective in this particular still/frame. Or maybe it was a TV helicopter recording with it's gyro stabilised broadcast camera? Wonder if the footage is around online at all if so?

[Brian Baum]

Hello Thomas,
Sorry for the delay in replying, I was away this weekend.

I do have a Dropbox account. My email address is bgbaum@comcast.net. Please let me know if you need any other information. Again, thank you very much for your assistance.

Brian

[Brian Baum]

Hello Myles,
Sorry for my tardy reply, I was away all weekend.

Of course I will keep you up to date on when the book is published. Thank you. From the photos you posted, it appears we were only a few feet away from each other on the observation deck during the trip down the Hudson.

I interviewed Captain McNaught last week in his office in London. He explained the reason for the drift as we departed the dock was the strong current flowing down the Hudson River. It was pushing the aft end of the ship down river, which required some extra efforts to turn the ship in the right direction.

Michael Gallagher has posted a number of those exceptional helicopter shots on the Forum. Let me know if you have trouble locating them. I reviewed the newspaper clippings from the last voyages in the Cunard archives in Liverpool, but I'm afraid there wasn't much there.

I'm sorry I missed the Cabin Cavalcade... I was probably off somewhere taking photographs!

Yes, I agree that the Queen Mary 2 had the better view.

Sincerely,
Brian Baum
bgbaum@comcast.net

[Brian Baum]

Hello Myles,
Here is a photo of the QE2 leaving the dock from a newspaper clipping.

[cunardqueen]

I set of one of those paper banger things as we departed.
Im not sure l did see the photos on the forum, theres a lot of stuff on here, even for us regulars its tough locating some things.
Thanks for the clip, its very rare to find a photo of QE2, knowing that you were onboard.

edit.. Yes l found them, marvelous photos indeed.. I only wished we could have purchased them onboard.
This was taken going the other way..
Further edit... its quite amazing to see from this photo how far we were drifting !

[Brian Baum]

Myles,

"...its very rare to find a photo of QE2, knowing that you were onboard."

In that case, I really think you are going to like my book. There will be more than 120* photos taken during the final crossing.

*I'm still laying out the pages, so the final photo count isn't in yet.

Brian

[Peter Mugridge]

I interviewed Captain McNaught last week in his office in London.

Now that's a really fantastic office isn't it?  ( I've been in there as well... )

[Brian Baum]

Now that's a really fantastic office isn't it?  ( I've been in there as well... )

Yes, it really is. His view is pretty spectacular, too. So much history in that building.

[Thomas Hypher]

Hello Thomas,
Sorry for the delay in replying, I was away this weekend.

I do have a Dropbox account. My email address is bgbaum@comcast.net. Please let me know if you need any other information. Again, thank you very much for your assistance.

Brian

Hello Brian, sorry for my late reply. It has been an eventful and busy week to say the least. I have shared my Dad's DSLR photos and the edited screenshots from his video footage in separate emails to your supplied email address via Dropbox - fingers crossed it works! Happy to be of assistance (as my Dad is too). Kind regards, Thomas

[Brian Baum]

Hello Brian, sorry for my late reply. It has been an eventful and busy week to say the least. I have shared my Dad's DSLR photos and the edited screenshots from his video footage in separate emails to your supplied email address via Dropbox - fingers crossed it works! Happy to be of assistance (as my Dad is too). Kind regards, Thomas

Hello Thomas,

The photos you sent via Dropbox are EXCELLENT! They will mirror very nicely with the shots I took from QE2 looking towards Queen Mary 2. Thank you so much. The resolution of the edited shots is probably too low to publish, but if you don't mind, I would happily use a few of them on the book's website when it is launched.

Please let me know how you would like these photos to be credited in the book.

Again, thank you so much for the kind use of these photographs. I'll be sure to send some extra copies of the book for your use.

All the best,
Brian