WORLD SHIP SOCIETY

In Peter Knego’s premier SEA CLOUD presentation, Peter will recall the career of the legendary ship, which was built as Marjorie Merriweather-Post and E.F. Hutton’s private yacht HUSSAR V in 1931.  The SEA CLOUD went on to serve in World War II.  Following, the SEA CLOUD became the state yacht for the Dominican Republic Dictator and his playboy son.  She later fell into neglect and disrepair but was completely and stunningly restored with additional accommodations into what she is now, in the presenter’s opinion, the world’s most beautiful cruise ship.  Peter will also share images of the SEA CLOUD’s original interiors through the years and will show what the ship is like today.

Peter Knego is an ocean liner historian, journalist, photographer, videographer, blogger and lecturer.  With a life-long passion for mid-century modern ocean liners and the treasures that filled them, during nine trips to India, Peter salvaged container loads of materials from a number of ocean liners in the throes of scrapping on the beaches of Alang and simultaneously took the opportunity to record their “last breaths” in two documentary series: “The World’s Passenger Fleet” and “On the Road to Alang.”  Just a few months ago, Peter treated PONY Branch members and friends to a tour of his southern California home turned mid-century modern ocean liner which was created using salvaged ocean liner artifacts.  His home has been featured in The New York Times and elsewhere.  Peter is a recipient of the SSHSA Samuel Ward Stanton Award for Lifetime Achievement in ship preservation.  Ever busy, Peter also operates the website MidShipCentury.com which offers up artwork, furniture and fittings from various ships scrapped at Alang.

(Photo: Peter Knego collection)