“When the Queen Mary was first brought to Long Beach, maybe 1986,.....”
I think that was 1968. Transposed numbers I s’pose. Pier “E”, Berth 132 IIRC. Yes, she was most impressive, and they stripped her of almost everything. Sold off all sorts of history. I knew a man that bought much of what was on board for resale.
Shortly after the Mary was moved from that birth it became the temporary home to ITS, which then moved in 1971 to Pier “J” Berth 234.
She might have been berthed at LB since 1968 but my adventure I know was in 1986 because that’s the only year I worked for the company who sponsored the booth at that show. (Maybe end of 1985/start of 1987) I 100% know it was the year the Challenger blew up.
However, it’s more than possible I misused the term “first”....brought to LB. I moved to LA in 1982. I actually have no idea when she was “first” brought there.
When I wandered thru, she was not what I would call “stripped”. There was upholstery on the seats in the bars. There were hinges on doors. All over the place were beautiful handrails with a wonderful nickel-steel patina. There was an eentsy smell of mold/mildew. It was neglected, peeling-paint style, but certainly not vandalized. Heh, today, left open in that condition for 2 weeks it would have 3000+ gang graffiti tags spray painted on every flat surface as well as having everything screwed in ripped out, every piece of glass smashed, and immense piles of trash piled up in every room where there was a place to sit and smoke crack.