Jan Lorys, CADS member and former Director of the Polish Museum of America will introduce the audience to two impressive Polish transatlantic ocean liners that rivaled both American and European luxury standards and which incorporated the moderne style of the decade -- art deco.

Both the M/S Pilsudski, launched in 1933, and the M/S Batory, unveiled in 1935, cruised between New York and their home port of Gdynia. Both ships embraced state-of-the-art ship technology and modern interiors. These liners were to Poland what the Queen Mary was to Great Britain.

The presentation will begin with a short historical background of interwar maritime Poland and its port, Gydnia, a now thriving city which developed in 1926 as an art deco city from the mere fishing village of Gydnia. This visual “tour” of the city is to set the scene and times in order to put the two ocean liners in context. Following this will be the heart of the presentation -- illustrating the impressive art deco features of the two liners’ interiors and accoutrements. The ships’ 1930s depictions on a selection of postcards, posters, brochures, and advertisements also will be shown. The conclusion of the presentation will be a brief synopsis of the two ships’ experiences through the end of their service lives.