Cunard searches for stories behind photos in anniversary exhibition

To mark its anniversary, the luxury shipping company has collected images from former guests, employees, celebrities and newspaper archives.

Cruise line Cunard is hoping to track down the unsung heroes of a photo exhibition which celebrates 185 years of ocean travel.

To mark its anniversary, the luxury shipping company has collected images from former guests, employees, celebrities and newspaper archives, and hopes to uncover some of the stories behind them.

One of the photos, which will go on display in the Sea of Glamour exhibition in Liverpool in May, shows the army of cleaners on board the QE2 in 1975.

The 26 women, in matching uniforms, posed on the deck of the ship for the newspaper photograph, which was accompanied by a caption explaining they were known as “cyclic cleaners” because of the constant circle of work involved in keeping the ship clean.

A man stands on top of a lifeboat — Cunard hopes to track down David Lawrence, who features in a 1982 photo with a lifeboat from the QE2 (Mirrorpix/PA)

The team behind the exhibition are also keen to track down David Lawrence, who is shown in a picture from 1982 standing on top of the QE2’s lifeboat, which he bought at auction and kept in the driveway of his semi-detached home in Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.

Lee Powell, vice president of brand and product at Cunard: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible response to our call for photos.

“Among the wonderful submissions, these particular images truly stood out to us, capturing some of the behind-the-scenes moments of the curation of our ships and the remarkable people who have helped shape Cunard’s rich history.

A couple lean in for a kiss as British troops are waved off at Southampton in 1982 (Mirrorpix/PA)

Organisers are also hoping someone recognises a couple leaning in for a kiss as British troops bid farewell to family and friends before leaving Southampton on the QE2 during the Falklands War in 1982.

The liner had been converted into a troop ship.

A group of young men shown in 1967 kicking a football around beneath the hull of the QE2 at the shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland, where it was built are also featured in the exhibition.

A group of young men play football beneath the hull of the QE2 in a shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland, in 1967(Mirrorpix/PA) — A group of young men play football beneath the hull of the QE2 in a shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland, in 1967 ( Mirrorpix/PA)

Anyone who recognises themselves, or someone they know, in one of the photos is asked to send their details, with a brief description of the image and the story behind it, to cunardphotography@cunard.co.uk.

The Sea of Glamour exhibition will be curated by photographer Mary McCartney, daughter of Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney, and will launch at the Liver Building on May 28 before sailing around the world on the Cunard fleet.