THE SMOKING ROOM



Traditionally located well aft in British ships, the First-Class Smoking Room, was a male bastion only. The walls were surfaced with mahogany in the early Georgian style; the darkness of the wood relieved by the glimmer of mother-of-pearl inlay work, and gilded sconces and chandeliers. White Star gave the room a modern accent by eliminating the traditional skylight overhead and, in its place, installed naturally illuminated stained glass windows to cover a central ventilating trunk. Outboard windows were screened by leaded and stained glass panels depicting country and nautical scenes.

Designed to resemble the fashionable men’s clubs of London or New York, the room offered several alcoves in which to enjoy an intimate conversation, a pipe or cigarettes and a drink. In other areas, tables were conveniently located for a friendly game of cards --mind those sharks. The White Star Line actually had issued an alert announcing the presence of professional card players onboard who just might be out to bilk the unsuspecting.

Unlike other rooms onboard, the Smoking Room featured a working fireplace fired by coal kept in adjacent hods. To complete the homey feeling, curved deacon’s benches drew sitters close to the fire. Over the mantle was Norman Wilkinson’s painting “Portsmouth Harbour.” Thomas Andrews, Titanic's designer, was seen standing by this painting as the Ship was in its dying moments.

Credit RMSTitanic.net