A Faithful Service Badge; from the collection
of Poland’s Independence Museum in Warsaw
The ship’s crest*, or the bow ornament of the MS Piłsudski, symbolized her spirit, pride, and courage. In a way, it reinforced the fact that through the will of just a few people, seen as crazy, Poland made a maritime leap from nothing to a luxury passenger ocean liner, the fastest and the biggest on the Baltic.
captain Karol Olgierd Borchardt,
Under the Red Rose
*a crest or the ship’s badge , a decorative plaque at Piłsudski’s bow
The crest decorating the bow of Piłsudski; photo by Henryk Poddębski;
from the collection of The Museum of the City of Gdynia
A huge silver crest on the ship’s bow was fashioned after the Faithful Service Badge established by the order of Józef Piłsudski on August 6, 1916. It was the honour badge of the Polish Legions’ First Brigade, regarded by some historians as the first military valour decoration of the independent Poland. The decoration was designed by Wojciech Jastrzębowski, Chairman of the Arts Subcommittee of the Supervisory Committee for the Construction of the Polish Transatlantic Ships, responsible for the interior design of MS Piłsudski.
Along with the growing patriotic attitudes stemming from the building of the new Polish statehood, the Polish Government developed an expectation for MS Piłsudski to inspire awe and appreciation for her functionality, beauty, and her Polish personality, especially among her foreign passengers.
The menu from the journey to the fjords
of Norway, 1939, the print from the collection
of the National Library of Poland
Aerial photographs of Poland’s architectural
landmarks by Gabriel Milczewski in the reading
room of the MS Piłsudski;
from the private collection of Dariusz Leśniewski
Wall decoration Polish Cities by Edward
Manteuffel and Antoni Wajwód installed
in the third class dining room; from the private
collection of the Wójcikiewicz family
Pavilion of Poland by Józef Czajkowski
at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative
and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925; from the collections
of the National Museum of Poland in Warsaw
The interior of the Pavilion of Poland at the International
Exhibition in Paris in 1925; from the collections
of the National Museum of Poland in Warsaw
The Nativity Chapel by Jan Szczepkowski;
from the collections of the National
Digital Archive of Poland
The interior of the Pavilion of Poland at the International
Exhibition in Paris in 1925; from the collections
of the National Digital Archive of Poland
The Sculpture "Europa" by Tadeusz Breyer
in the Grand Parlor; a picture from the collections
of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk.
The weranda on the Lifeboat Deck, passangers in front of
the tapestry designed by Zofia Stryjeńska; a photo from
the collections of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk
The BGK headquarter in Warsaw in the thirties;
a photo from the collections of the BGK.
Having been deprived of their independent state for 123 years, Poles wanted to lay emphasis on their sovereignty and the value of the Polish cultural oeuvre. In search for the Polish national style, they often reached to the folk tradition, which found its reflection in the interior design and decorative art on MS Piłsudski.
The library was adorned by aerial photos of some magnificent Poland’s landmarks.
Original colored linocuts representing Polish cities embellished the walls of the third class dining room.
Polish artists, especially decorators and designers, who drew inspiration from Polish folk art and tradition, gained success and recognition internationally. Two hundred and twelve awards bestowed on Polish artists at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925 attested to a significant contribution to contemporary arts by the artists of the newly reborn Polish state. Among those represented in Paris were artists who worked on the interiors of MS Piłsudski: Zofia Stryjeńska, Wojciech Jastrzębowski, Bonawentura Lenart, Mieczysław Kotarbiński, et al.
A tapestry by Zofia Stryjeńska featured on the wall of the salon designed by Wojciech Jastrzębowski for the Paris exhibition.
A Polish sculptor, Jan Szczepkowski, won the Grand Prix of the International Exhibition in Paris in 1925 for his Nativity Chapel.
One of the rooms in the Pavilion of Poland featured a chandelier, sconces, and wooden flooring designed by Mieczysław Kotarbiński.
„Piłsudski” was financed mostly from the funds of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland. Polish public institutions supported the construction of the ship, aiming to keep her standards high. The BGK, the nation’s development bank, funded two statues adorning the Grand Parlor: Europe and America, symbolizing the link MS Piłsudski provided. Photographs of the landscapes of Poland embellishing the passengers’ cabins of the ship were also funded by BGK.
Many distinguished artists and architects designed the interiors of MS Piłsudski. Zofia Stryjeńska was among other prominent artists whose works embellished the interiors of the ship. Stryjeńska supplied two paintings, Wanderers and The Musician, and a tapestry picturing Polish folk dances. The artist was also known for her designs of securities issued by BGK.
Chopin’s head by the sculptor, Stanislaw Ostrowski, was another strong link anchoring the ocean liner to BGK. Ostrowski also created the monument of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, which was uncovered in the presence of Ignacy Mościcki, President of the Republic of Poland, on December 15, 1936, on the second floor of the BGK headquarter at Aleje Jerozolimskie in Warsaw.
The sculpture of Our Lady of Ostra Brama by Antoni Kenar
at the chapel of the Grand Parlour; from the Archive collections
of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
Each and every detail of the ship’s fittings, starting with the bow ornament all the way through the tableware was to invoke Poland, her art and culture. The Polish Government gave the project a priority treatment assigning a special Arts Subcommittee headed by Wojciech Jastrzębowski, of the Academy of Fine Arts, to ensure its success.
From the collections of the National Digital Archive of Poland
and the private collections of the Brukalski family
The design visualization of the tourist class smoking
room in the MS Piłsudski brochure; from the private
collection of Grzegorz Rogowski
The design visualization of the tourist class
dining room in the MS Piłsudski brochure;
from the private collection of Grzegorz Rogowski
The design visualization of the third class
dining room in the MS Piłsudski brochure;
from the private collection of Grzegorz Rogowski
The design visualization of the third class
parlor in the MS Piłsudski brochure;
from the private collection of Grzegorz Rogowski
The design visualization of the swimming
pool in the MS Piłsudski brochure;
from the private collection of Grzegorz Rogowski
Prof. Wojciech Jastrzębowski |
Prof. Stanisław Brukalski |
Prof. Lech Niemojewski |
Prof. Tadeusz Pruszkowski |
The Subcommittee included eminent Polish artists, with Wojciech Jastrzębowski, one of the co-creators of the Polish Art Déco interior design, Stanisław Brukalski, the architect representing Functionalism, Lech Niemojewski, architect, and Tadeusz Pruszkowski, president of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts.
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A marble fireplace with the bronze sculpture A girl with a jump rope served as the compositional centerpiece of the tourist class smoking room. The interior was composed of lemon tree wainscoted walls adorned by paintings while at the far end of the room a bar carved of a rare kind of dark mahogany provided a stunning contrast to the light tinted walls.
The dining environment of the MS Piłsudski passengers included attractive inlays representing seafaring history and marine fauna. The walls of the tourist class dining room were also wainscotted with lemon tree wood and covered with beautiful linens.
The third class dining room was also designed in a modern style. The walls covered with white linoleum were carved and colored to create a composition representing the vistas of Polish cities. This was the only such composition in shipbuilding to use the engraving technique for decorating walls.
The light-filled, bright colored, cheerful third class parlor was furnished with the Scottish plaid fabric upholstered arm chairs. One of the walls was covered with an imposing painting of the world map. Adjacent to the parlor was the third class children’s room.
The design of the swimming pool and the adjacent gym also included a guest bar and wicker deckchairs for added comfort. The entire composition featured bright-green tonality enhanced by the contrast of red pillars supporting the ceiling. The swimming pool measuring 4.8x9.0 m (29.5x15.7 feet) was surfaced with green ceramic tiles.
The sculpture A girl with a jump rope by Alfons Karny
located in the tourist class smoking room; from the collections
of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk, Poland
The Subcommittee engaged 79 Polish artists and coordinated the work of interior designers, applied arts (furniture, tableware…) designers, painters, sculptors, decorators, among them such eminent personalities as Tadeusz Breyer, Alfons Karny, Jeremy Kubicki, Antoni Kenar, Zofia Stryjeńska.
A plafond in the Grand Parlor by Wacław Borowski;
a photo from the collections of the Archive of the Polish
Academy of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
„Europe” – the scuplture by Tadeusz Breyer embellished
the Grand Parlor; a photo from the collections of the National
Maritime Museum in Gdańsk
Furniture in the third class smoking room by
Stanisław Brukalski and Lech Niemojewski; a photo
from the collections of the Archive of the Polish Academy
of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
The portrait of the ship patron – Józef Piłsudski
by Zygmunt Grabowski, located in the portrait galery;
a photo from the private collection of the Wójcikiewicz family
The chapel in the Grand Parlor designed by Wojciech Jastrzębowski;
a photo from the collections of the Archive of the Polish Academy
of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
The sculptures of saint Jacek and saint Anthony by Zofia Kamińska,
located in the chapel of the third class dining room; from
the „M/S Piłsudski catalouge of works” by L. Niemojewski;
A Girl with a Jump Rope, the sculpture in bronze
by Alfons Karny; a photo from the collections
of The National Digital Archive of Poland
The metal tableware designed by Julia Keilowa; a photo
from the collections of The Gdynia City Museum
Our Lady of Ostra Brama – the sculpture by Antoni Kenar;
a photo from the collections of the Archive of the Polish
Academy of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
„The Life of a Woman” – an oil painting by Jeremi Kubicki,
embellishing the women’s sitting room; a photo from
the collections of the Archive of the Polish Academy
of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
Visual map of the world by Zygmunt Lipski
in the third class parlor; a photo from
the private collection of Dariusz Leśniewski
Linoleum wall prints „Polish Cities” in the third class dining
room by Eward Manteuffel and Antoni Wajwód; a photo
from the collections of the Archive of the Polish Academy
of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
Furniture in the tourist class dining room designer
by Lech Niemojewski; a photo from the collections
of the Archive of the Polish Academy of Sciences,
the Lech Niemojewski collection
The sculpture Chopin’s Head by Stanisław Ostrowski,
located in the reading room; a photo from the collections
of the Archive of the Polish Academy of Sciences,
the Lech Niemojewski collection
A series of 15 photographs „Landscape and the Polish People”
by Stefan Plater-Zyberk, displayed in the third class smoking
room; a photo from the collections of the Archive of the Polish
Academy of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
The wall decoration in the tourist class dining room, made
by marquetry technique by Jerzy Skolimowski,Eugeniusz Szparkowski
and Andrzej Stypiński; a photo from the collections of the Archive of
the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
The weranda on the Lifeboat Deck, passangers in front of
the tapestry designed by Zofia Stryjeńska; a photo from
the collections of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk
Decoration above the bar in the third class smoking
room by Mieczysław Szymański; a photo from
the private collection of Dariusz Leśniewski
Wall paintings in the tourist class children’s room
by Antoni Wajwód and Edward Manteuffel; a photo
from the collections of the Archive of the Polish
Academy of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
The Sculpture Europa by Tadeusz Breyer in the Grand Parlor;
from the collections of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk, Poland
The Subcommittee decided that the interiors of both ocean liners should show Polish art in a cross section. The selection of artists ensured a representation of all prevailing art concepts and trends including the Polish art déco, modernized Classicism, even the Avant-garde. Every artist had generally one room assigned to him or her to decorate, which raised a chance of the project resulting in chaos. The outcome, however, turned out to be splendid and MS Piłsudski became a gallery of Polish art.
The women’s drawing room; from the collection
of the Archive of the Polish Academy of Sciences;
the Lech Niemojewski collection
The tourist class smoking room; from
the private collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
The cycle of photographs The Landscape
and the Polish People in the third class
smoking room; the Lech Niemojewski collection
The ornamentation of the columns and the ceiling
by Wacław Borowski in the Grand Parlor;
from the collection of the Archive of the Polish
Academy of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
All cabins in tourist class and many common rooms of the ship contained paintings, linocuts, or prints. A great example: the walls of the women’s drawing room covered in decorative fabric and adorned with paintings by Jeremy Kubicki The Life of a woman and The four seasons.
The parlors, the smoking rooms, and the library were adorned by sculptures of such revered sculptors as Alfons Karny, Tadeusz Breyer, and Antoni Kenar. One of the most recognizable sculptures on the ship was A girl with a jump rope by Alfons Karny. The bronze statue was set on the fireplace in the tourist class smoking room.
Polish cities, landmarks, and customs were gloriously presented in the beautiful photographs adorning common spaces on the ship. An excellent example is set by a series of photographs The Landscape and the Polish People by Stefan Plater-Zyberk located in the third class smoking room.
The artists also made numerous adornments in various spaces of the ocean liner. The wall paintings in both dining rooms and in children’s playrooms are among good examples and so are the ornamentations of the walls, columns and the plafond of the ceiling of the Grand Parlor made by Wacław Borowski.
A pitcher as an element of the breakfast set by Julia Keilowa,
1935; from the collections of the museum of the City of Gdynia
Polish artists and decorators composed bright, comfortable, functional, and attractive interiors. It was a sharp stylistic departure from the ocean liners’ interiors of gilded ornaments, mirrors, and heavy drapes symbolizing splendor and luxury.
They were original and functional, and have come to be the subject of many studies on the Polish industrial design. They were a perfect example of the merger of architecture and decorative arts in the interwar period, which arouses wonder and delight to this day.
The bar in the tourist class smoking room;
from the Archive of the Polish Academy
of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
Furniture by Lech Niemojewski in
the third class parlor; from the private
collections of Janusz Ćwikliński
The functional furniture on the veranda
of the Promenade Deck; from the
private collection of Dariusz Leśniewski
The tableware by Julia Keilowa; from
the collections of the Museum of the City of Gdynia
Silverware by Lech Niemojewski; from
the private collection of Grzegorz Rogowski
Tables awaiting passengers in the tourist
class dining room; from the private
collection of Dariusz Leśniewski
Passengers continued to be impressed by the black mahogany bar in the tourist class smoking room by Stanisław Brukalski.
The third class parlor featured furniture upholstered with the distinctive plaid fabric designed by Lech Niemojewski.
The veranda located on the Promenade Deck offered passengers comfortable and attractive wicker armchairs with functional shelves for a cup of tea and a book, or some other objects. The furniture on the veranda was designed by an architectural studio under the Arts Subcommittee.
The elegant art déco breakfast set by Julia Keilowa made by the renowned company Norblin i Ska.
The elegant silverware was designed by Lech Niemojewski and made by the company Fraget.
The china tableware was made by the renowned factory in Ćmielów after designs by professors of Warsaw School of Architecture and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, and under their supervision.
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