The 1st Class Cocktail Bar
The were two cocktail bars on board Caronia, The 1st Class one was known only by that name, whereas, on cruises, the Cabin Class one, on a deck below, became known as the Raleigh Room. The Cocktail Bar was sited just aft of the Observation Lounge at the fore end of the Promenade Deck.
On cruises the Raleigh Room, sited at the aft end of Main Deck, had a much more relaxed and informal atmosphere than the Cocktail Bar. Like the Restaurants, finding good colour pictures of the Cocktail Bar has been quite a struggle.
Usually, it was the Observation Lounge that featured in Caronia's brochures. The exception being this unique photograph found in an early 1950s Plan of Accommodation brochure.
The photograph shows the Cocktail Bar looking across to the Starboard side from beside the Port side entrance. As usual, the art-deco features are complemented by rich veneers. However, quite unlike the Raleigh Room, this room is almost exclusively artificially lit.
Once again, the artistry of the flooring is very evident. The four lozenge-shaped concealed lighting areas around the main lighting panel also makes the deckhead an interesting feature to admire. Along with the elegant bar-stools and the almost mandatory rectangular clock, the whole room shouts late 1940s chic!
[Left:]
Observation Lounge area deckplan
[Images: Gaillard Collection]
As can be seen from the plan, the room was enclosed within the almost horse-shoe shaped Observation Lounge, but as the photograph shows, the window areas were obscured with thick drapes, making the area more private and perhaps a little more intimate.
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