Luxury Gallery

Silver Cross advertisement

Advertisement for Silver Cross prams (or baby coaches), featuring an immaculately turned out young 1950s mother wearing an off the shoulder pink dress with pearls, heels and long yellow gloves, pushing a happy looking little baby in the world's most exclusive baby coach'. A smiling policeman sees them across a zebra crossing, while a Rolls Royce waits for them to cross

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Fortnum & Masons Christmas Box for soldiers, WW1

Advertisement for quintessential London department store, Fortnum & Mason, in particular their Thirty Shilling Xmas Box of selected provisions which could be sent to the front for lucky soldiers (though probably officers!). Latest date for dispatch to France was 14 December 1917 and a war catalogue was available upon application. The box contained a fine selection of food including real turtle soup, roast goose, brandy sauce and cherries in brandy. Date: 1917

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

The swimming pool on board the Berengaria

A "Bath Club" at Sea: the modern liner's land-like buildings. Roman luxury aboard a giant liner crossing the Atlantic: a swimming bath modelled on that of Pompeii built of tiles and marble, with massive pillars and a glass roof. The swimming pool on board the Cunard ocean liner, Berengaria measuring 64 feet long by 41 feet wide, constructed of tiles and marble with mosaic work and fittings of bronze. Round the sides is a colonnade of massive pillars, supporting a glass roof which rises to the height of three decks above the bottom of the tank. Over the dressing rooms was a wide, upper gallery for spectators. A continuous cascade of fresh water entered the pool from a cascade at one end. The depth was graduated and 9 feet at its deepest. The ILN comments on the air of modern liners being akin to a palatial building on land and likens the pool to a similar one on board the White Star liner Majestic. Date: 1922

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans