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Upfor auction is this rare beautifully preserved circa 1927 book titled To andThrough Great Britain. The book was published by the Cunard Line and the London& North Eastern Railway. Although no publication date is listed the booklists the ships in the Cunard Line and all of them were built by 1925, andbefore the merger with the White Line in 1934. In addition, the GreatDepression started in 1929 and greatly curtailed Transatlantic travel.Therefore, I feel comfortable in identifying this book as having been publishedin circa 1927.
Thebook contains a description of travel to and through Great Britain. It alsocontains information on the ships of the line, including photos of publicrooms, and staterooms. There is also a photo of a London & North EasternRailway locomotive.
The51 pages, 4.5 x 7.75 inches, soft cover book is staple bound in illustratedstiff card stock paper covers. The book is profusely illustrated with black andwhite photographs of the ships, and the places in Britain that would be touredby train.
Asyou can see from the scans, the book is in very good condition. There is minoredge wear to the covers and pages. However, the binding is tight, and the pagesare clean bright and unmarked.
Thisbrochure is a must have for an ocean liner, train, or Cunard Line collector.The book appears to be rare. I have only found one other copy of this book forsale on the internet. However, I am starting the auction for this rare piece ofOcean Liner history at a low opening bid, and the schedule is OFFERED WITH NORESERVE.
Iam selling several 1920s, ocean liner, railroad, and travel brochures on eBaythis week. I will be happy to combine shipping if you win more than oneauction.
FromWikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Cunard Line is a British-American cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England,operated by CarnivalUK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc.[1] Since 2011, Cunard and its three shipshave been registered in Hamilton,Bermuda.[2][3]
In 1839 Samuel Cunard, a Halifax, Nova Scotia shipowner, wasawarded the first British transatlantic steamshipmail contract, and the next year formed the British and North American RoyalMail Steam-Packet Company together with Robert Napier, the famousScottish steamship engine designer and builder, to operate the line’s fourpioneer paddle steamers on the LiverpoolHalifaxBoston route. For most of thenext 30 years, Cunard held the BlueRiband for the fastest Atlantic voyage. However, in the 1870sCunard fell behind its rivals, the WhiteStar Line and the Inman Line.To meet this competition, in 1879 the firm was reorganised as the CunardSteamship Company, Ltd, to raise capital.[4]
In 1902 WhiteStar joined the American-owned International Mercantile Marine Co.and the British Government provided Cunard with substantial loans and a subsidyto build two superliners needed to retainits competitive position. Mauretania held the BlueRiband from 1909 to 1929. The sinking of her running mate Lusitania in 1915 was one of thecauses of the United States’ entering the FirstWorld War. In the late 1920s, Cunard faced new competition whenthe Germans, Italians and French built large prestige liners. Cunard was forcedto suspend construction on its own new superliner because of the GreatDepression. In 1934 the British Government offered Cunard loans to finish Queen Mary and to build a secondship, Queen Elizabeth, on thecondition that Cunard merged with the then ailing White Star line to form Cunard-WhiteStar Ltd. Cunard owned two-thirds of the new company. Cunard purchasedWhite Star’s share in 1947; the name reverted to the Cunard Line in 1950.[4]
Upon the end ofthe Second World War, Cunard regained its position as the largest Atlanticpassenger line. By the mid-1950s, it operated 12 ships to the United States andCanada. After 1958, transatlantic passenger ships became increasinglyunprofitable because of the introduction of jetairliners. Cunard withdrew from its year-round service in 1968to concentrate on cruising and summer transatlantic voyages for vacationers.The Queens were replaced by Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2),which was designed for the dual role.[5]
In 1998 Cunardwas acquired by the Carnival Corporation, andaccounted for 8.7% of that company’s revenue in 2012.[6] In 2004, QE2 was replaced onthe transatlantic runs by QueenMary 2 (QM2). The line also operates Queen Victoria (QV) and Queen Elizabeth (QE). Atthe moment,[when?] Cunard is the only shipping company tooperate a scheduled passenger service between Europe and North America.
History
Early years: 18401850
The BritishGovernment started operating monthly mail brigs from Falmouth, Cornwall, to New York in1756. These ships carried few non-governmental passengers and no cargo. In1818, the Black Ball Lineopened a regularly scheduled New YorkLiverpool service with clipper ships, beginning an era whenAmerican sailing packetsdominated the North Atlantic saloon-passenger trade that lasted until theintroduction of steamships.[4] A Committee of Parliament decided in1836 that to become more competitive, the mail packets operated by the PostOffice should be replaced by private shipping companies. The Admiralty assumed responsibility for managingthe contracts.[7] The famed Arctic explorer Admiral Sir William Edward Parry was appointedas Comptroller of Steam Machinery and Packet Service in April 1837.[8] Nova Scotians led by their youngAssembly Speaker, JosephHowe, lobbied for steam service to Halifax.On his arrival in London in May 1838, Howe discussed the enterprise with hisfellow Nova Scotian Samuel Cunard (17871865), a shipowner who was alsovisiting London on business.[9] Cunard and Howe were associates andHowe also owed Cunard 300[10] (equivalent to 24,789 in 2016).[11] Cunard returned to Halifax to raisecapital, and Howe continued to lobby the British government.[9] The Rebellions of 1837 were ongoing andLondon realized that the proposed Halifax service was also important for themilitary.[12]
That November,Parry released a tender for North Atlantic monthly mail service to Halifaxbeginning in April 1839 using steamships with 300 horsepower.[12] The Great Western Steamship Company,which had opened its pioneer BristolNew York service earlier that year, bid45,000 for a monthly BristolHalifaxNew York service using three ships of 450horsepower. While British American,the other pioneer transatlantic steamship company, did not submit a tender,[13] the St. George Steam Packet Company,owner of Sirius,bid 45,000 for a monthly CorkHalifax service[14] and 65,000 for a monthlyCorkHalifaxNew York service. The Admiralty rejected both tenders becauseneither bid offered to begin services early enough.[15]
Cunard, who wasback in Halifax, unfortunately did not know of the tender until after thedeadline.[13] He returned to London and startednegotiations with Admiral Parry, who was Cunard’s good friend from when Parrywas a young officer stationed in Halifax 20 years earlier. Cunard offered Parrya fortnightly service beginning in May 1840. While Cunard did not then own asteamship, he had been an investor in an earlier steamship venture, Royal William, and owned coal minesin Nova Scotia.[9] Cunard’s major backer was Robert Napier whose Robert Napier and Sons was theRoyal Navy’s supplier of steam engines.[13] He also had the strong backing of NovaScotian political leaders at the time when London needed to rebuild support inBritish North America after the rebellion.[12]
Over GreatWestern’s protests,[16] in May 1839 Parry accepted Cunard’stender of 55,000 for a three-ship LiverpoolHalifax service with an extensionto Boston and a supplementary service to Montreal.[9] The annual subsidy was later raised81,000 to add a fourth ship[17] and departures from Liverpool were tobe monthly during the winter and fortnightly for the rest of the year.[4] Parliament investigated GreatWestern’s complaints, and upheld the Admiralty’s decision.[15] Napier and Cunard recruited otherinvestors including businessmen James Donaldson, SirGeorge Burns, and David MacIver. In May 1840, just before thefirst ship was ready, they formed the British and North American Royal MailSteam Packet Company with initial capital of 270,000, later increased to300,000 (24,858,803 in 2016).[11] Cunard supplied 55,000.[9] Burns supervised ship construction,McIver was responsible for day-to-day operations, and Cunard was the”first among equals” in the management structure. When MacIver diedin 1845, his younger brother Charles assumed his responsibilities for the next35 years.[13] (For more detail of the firstinvestors in the Cunard Line and also the early life of Charles Maciver, seeLiverpool Nautical Research Society’s Second Merseyside Maritime History,pp. 3337 1991.)
In May 1840 thecoastal paddlesteamer Unicorn made the company’s first voyage toHalifax[18] to begin the supplementary service toMontreal. Two months later the first of the four ocean-going steamers of the Britannia Class, departedLiverpool. By coincidence, the steamers departure had patriotic significanceon both sides of the Atlantic: she was named the Britannia, and sailedon 4 July.[19] Even on her maiden voyage, however,her performance indicated that the new era she heralded would be much morebeneficial for Britain than the US. At a time when the typical packet shipmight take several weeks to cross the Atlantic, the Britannia reachedHalifax in 12 days and 10 hours, averaging 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h), beforeproceeding to Boston. Such relatively brisk crossings quickly became the normfor the Cunard Line: during 184041, mean LiverpoolHalifax times for thequartet were 13 days 6 hours to Halifax and 11 days 4 hours homeward. Twolarger ships were quickly ordered, one to replace the Columbia, which sank at Seal Island, Nova Scotia, in1843 without loss of life. By 1845, steamship lines led by Cunard carried moresaloon passengers than the sailing packets.[4] Three years later, the BritishGovernment increased the annual subsidy to 156,000 so that Cunard could doubleits frequency.[17] Four additional wooden paddlers wereordered and alternate sailings were direct to New York instead of theHalifaxBoston route. The sailing packet lines were now reduced to theimmigrant trade.[4]
From thebeginning Cunard’s ships used the line’s distinctive red funnel with two orthree narrow black bands and black top. It appears that Robert Napier wasresponsible for this feature. His shipyard in Glasgow used thiscombination previously in 1830 on Thomas Assheton Smith’s privatesteam yacht “Menai”. The renovation of her model by Glasgow Museum ofTransport revealed that she had vermilion funnels with black bands and blacktop.[20]
Cunard’sreputation for safety was one of the significant factors in the firm’s earlysuccess.[5] Both of the first transatlantic linesfailed after major accidents: the British and American line collapsed after thePresidentfoundered in a gale, and the Great Western Steamship Company failed after Great Britain stranded because of anavigation error.[4] Cunard’s orders to his masters were,”Your ship is loaded, take her; speed is nothing, follow your own road,deliver her safe, bring her back safe safety is all that is required.”[5] In particular, Charles MacIver’sconstant inspections were responsible for the firm’s safety discipline.[13]
New Competition: 18501879
In 1850 theAmerican CollinsLine and the British Inman Linestarted new Atlantic steamship services. The American Government suppliedCollins with a large annual subsidy to operate four wooden paddlers that weresuperior to Cunard’s best,[17] as they demonstrated with three Blue Riband-winning voyages between 1850 and1854.[19] Meanwhile, Inman showed thatiron-hulled, screw propelled steamers of modest speed could be profitablewithout subsidy. Inman also became the first steamship line to carry steeragepassengers. Both of the newcomers suffered major disasters in 1854.[4][19] The next year, Cunard put pressure onCollins by commissioning its first iron-hulled paddler, Persia. That pressure may well have beena factor in a second major disaster suffered by the Collins Line,the loss of its steamer Pacific.The Pacific sailed out of Liverpool just a few days before the Persia was due to depart on her maidenvoyage, and was never seen again; it was widely assumed at the time that thecaptain had pushed his ship to the limit in order to stay ahead of the newCunarder, and had likely collided with an iceberg during what was aparticularly severe winter in the North Atlantic.[19] A few months later the Persia inflicted a further blow to the Collins Line, regaining the Blue Riband with a LiverpoolNew York voyageof 9 days 16 hours, averaging 13.11 knots (24.28 km/h).[21]
During the Crimean War Cunard supplied 11 ships for warservice. Every British North Atlantic route was suspended until 1856 exceptCunard’s LiverpoolHalifaxBoston service. While Collins’ fortunes improvedbecause of the lack of competition during the war, it collapsed in 1858 afterits subsidy for carrying mail across the Atlantic was reduced by the USCongress.[19] Cunard emerged as the leading carrierof saloon passengers and in 1862 commissioned Scotia,the last paddle steamer to win the Blue Riband. Inman carried more passengersbecause of its success in the immigrant trade. To compete, in May 1863 Cunardstarted a secondary LiverpoolNew York service with iron-hulled screw steamersthat catered for steerage passengers. Beginning with China, the linealso replaced the last three wooden paddlers on the New York mail service withiron screw steamers that only carried saloon passengers.[4]
When Cunarddied in 1865, the equally conservative CharlesMacIver assumed Cunard’s role.[13] The firm retained its reluctance aboutchange and was overtaken by competitors that more quickly adopted newtechnology.[17] In 1866 Inman started to build screwpropelled express liners that matched Cunard’s premier unit, the Scotia.Cunard responded with its first high speed screw propellered steamer, Russiawhich was followed by two larger editions. In 1871 both companies faced a newrival when the White Star Line commissioned the Oceanic and her five sisters. Thenew White Star record-breakers were especially economical because of their useof compound engines. White Star also set new standards for comfort by placingthe dining saloon midships and doubling the size of cabins. Inman rebuilt itsexpress fleet to the new standard, but Cunard lagged behind both of its rivals.Throughout the 1870s Cunard passage times were longer than either White Star orInman.[4]
In 1867responsibility for mail contracts was transferred back to the Post Office andopened for bid. Cunard, Inman and the German Norddeutscher Lloyd were eachawarded one of the three weekly New York mail services. The fortnightly routeto Halifax formerly held by Cunard went to Inman. Cunard continued to receive a80,000 subsidy (equivalent to 6,500,829 in 2016),[11] while NDL and Inman were paid seapostage. Two years later the service was rebid and Cunard was awarded aseven-year contract for two weekly New York mail services at 70,000 per annum.Inman was awarded a seven-year contract for the third weekly New York serviceat 35,000 per year.[15]
The Panic of 1873 started a five-year shippingdepression that strained the finances of all of the Atlantic competitors.[4] In 1876 the mail contracts expired andthe Post Office ended both Cunard’s and Inman’s subsidies. The new contractswere paid on the basis of weight, at a rate substantially higher than paid bythe United States Post Office.[15] Cunard’s weekly New York mail sailingswere reduced to one and White Star was awarded the third mail sailing. EveryTuesday, Thursday and Saturday a liner from one of the three firms departedLiverpool with the mail for New York.[22]
Cunard Steamship Company Ltd: 18791934
To raiseadditional capital, in 1879 the privately held British and North American RoyalMail Steam Packet Company was reorganised as a public stock corporation, the CunardSteamship Company, Ltd.[4] Under Cunard’s new chairman, JohnBurns (18391900), son of one of the firm’s original founders,[13] Cunard commissioned four steel-hulledexpress liners beginning with Servia of 1881, the first passenger linerwith electric lighting throughout. In 1884, Cunard purchased the almost newBlue Riband winner Oregonfrom the Guion Linewhen that firm defaulted on payments to the shipyard. That year, Cunard alsocommissioned the record-breakers Umbriaand Etruriacapable of 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h). Starting in 1887, Cunard’s newly wonleadership on the North Atlantic was threatened when Inman and then White Starresponded with twin screw record-breakers. In 1893 Cunard countered with twoeven faster Blue Riband winners, Campaniaand Lucania,capable of 21.8 knots (40.4 km/h).[17]
No sooner hadCunard re-established its supremacy than new rivals emerged. Beginning in thelate 1860s several German firms commissioned liners that were almost as fast asthe British mail steamers from Liverpool.[4] In 1897 Kaiser Wilhelm der Groeof Norddeutscher Lloyd raised the Blue Riband to 22.3 knots (41.3 km/h),and was followed by a succession of German record-breakers.[21] Rather than match the new Germanspeedsters, White Star a rival which Cunard line would merge with commissioned four very profitable Celtic-classliners of more moderate speed for its secondary LiverpoolNew York service. In1902 White Star joined the well-capitalized American combine, the International Mercantile Marine Co.(IMM), which owned the AmericanLine, including the old Inman Line, and other lines. IMM alsohad trade agreements with HamburgAmerica and NorddeutscherLloyd.[4]
Britishprestige was at stake. The British Government provided Cunard with an annualsubsidy of 150,000 plus a low interest loan of 2.5 million (equivalent to247 million in 2016),[11] to pay for the construction of the twosuperliners, the Blue Riband winners Lusitaniaand Mauretania, capable of 26.0knots (48.2 km/h). In 1903 the firm started a FiumeNewYork service with calls at Italian ports and Gibraltar. The next year Cunardcommissioned two ships to compete directly with the Celtic-class linerson the secondary LiverpoolNew York route. In 1911 Cunard entered the StLawrence trade by purchasing the Thompson line, and absorbed the Royal linefive years later.[4]
Not to beoutdone, both White Star and HamburgAmerica each ordered a trio ofsuperliners. The White Star Olympic-class liners at 21.5 knots(39.8 km/h) and the Hapag Imperator-class linersat 22.5 knots (41.7 km/h) were larger and more luxurious than theCunarders, but not as fast. Cunard also ordered a new ship, Aquitania, capable of 24.0 knots(44.4 km/h), to complete the Liverpool mail fleet. Events prevented theexpected competition between the three sets of superliners. White Star’s Titanic sank on its maiden voyage, bothWhite Star’s Britannicand Cunard’s Lusitania were war losses, and the three Hapag super-linerswere handed over to the Allied powers as war reparations.[5]
In 1916 CunardLine completed its European headquarters in Liverpool,moving in on 12 June of that year.[23] The grand neo-Classical Cunard Building was the third ofLiverpool’s Three Graces.The headquarters were used by Cunard until the 1960s.[24]
Due to FirstWorld War losses, Cunard began a post-war rebuilding programme including elevenintermediate liners. It acquired the former Hapag Imperator (renamed theBerengaria)to replace the lost Lusitania as the running mate for Mauretaniaand Aquitania, and Southamptonreplaced Liverpool as the British destination for the three-ship expressservice. By 1926 Cunard’s fleet was larger than before the war, and White Starwas in decline, having been sold by IMM.[4]
Despite thedramatic reduction in North Atlantic passengers caused by the shippingdepression beginning in 1929, the Germans, Italians and the French commissionednew “ships of state” prestige liners.[4] The German Bremen took the Blue Riband at 27.8knots (51.5 km/h) in 1933, the Italian Rexrecorded 28.9 knots (53.5 km/h) on a westbound voyage the same year, andthe French Normandiecrossed the Atlantic in just under four days at 30.58 knots (56.63 km/h)in 1937.[21] In 1930 Cunard ordered an 80,000-tonliner that was to be the first of two record-breakers fast enough to fit into atwo-ship weekly SouthamptonNew York service. Work on “Hull Number534” was halted in 1931 because of the economic conditions.[5]
Cunard-White Star Ltd: 19341949
In 1934, boththe Cunard Line and the White Star Line were experiencing financialdifficulties. DavidKirkwood, MP for Clydebank where the unfinished Hull Number 534had been sitting idle for two and a half years, made a passionate plea in theHouse of Commons for funding to finish the ship and restart the dormant Britisheconomy.[25] The government offered Cunard a loanof 3 million to complete Hull Number 534 and an additional 5 million to builda second ship, if Cunard merged with White Star.[5]
The merger tookplace on 10 May 1934, creating Cunard-White Star Limited.Themerger was accomplished with Cunard owning about two-thirds of the capital.[4] Due to the surplus tonnage of the newcombined Cunard White Star fleet many of the older liners were sent to thescrapyard; these included the ex-Cunard liner Mauretania and theex-White Star liners Olympicand Homeric.In 1936 the ex-White Star Majesticwas sold when Hull Number 534, now named QueenMary, replaced her in the express mail service.[5] Queen Mary reached 30.99 knots(57.39 km/h) on her 1938 Blue Riband voyage.[21] Cunard-White Star started constructionon Queen Elizabeth, and a smallership, the second Mauretania, joined the fleetand could also be used on the Atlantic run when one of the Queens was indrydock.[4] The ex-Cunard liner Berengariawas sold for scrap in 1938 after a series of fires.[5]
During the Second World War the Queens carriedover two million servicemen and were credited by Churchill as helping toshorten the war by a year.[5] All four of the large Cunard-WhiteStar express liners, the two Queens, Aquitania and Mauretaniasurvived, but many of the secondary ships were lost. Both Lancastria and Laconia were sunk with heavy lossof life.[4]
In 1947 Cunardpurchased White Star’s interest, and by 1949 the company had dropped the WhiteStar name and was renamed Cunard Line.[26] Also in 1947 the company commissionedfive freighters and two cargoliners. Caronia,was completed in 1949 as a permanent cruise liner and Aquitania wasretired the next year.[4] Cunard was in an especially goodposition to take advantage of the increase in North Atlantic travel during the1950s and the Queens were a major generator of US currency for Great Britain.Cunard’s slogan, “Getting there is half the fun”, was specificallyaimed at the tourist trade. Beginning in 1954, Cunard took delivery of four new22,000-GRT intermediate liners for the Canadian route and the LiverpoolNewYork route. The last White Star motor ship, Britannic of 1930, remained inservice until 1960.[5]
In 1960 agovernment-appointed committee recommended the construction of project Q3, aconventional 75,000 GRT liner to replace Queen Mary. Under the plan, thegovernment would lend Cunard the majority of the liner’s cost.[27] However, some Cunard stockholdersquestioned the plan at the June 1961 board meeting because transatlanticflights were gaining in popularity.[28] By 1963 the plan had been changed to adual-purpose 55,000 GRT ship designed to cruise in the off-season.[29] Ultimately, this ship came intoservice in 1969 as the 70,300 GRT Queen Elizabeth 2.[5]
Within tenyears of the introduction of jet airliners in 1958, most of the conventionalAtlantic liners were gone. Mauretania was retired in 1965,[30] the Queen Mary and Caroniain 1967, and the Queen Elizabeth in 1968. Two of the new intermediateliners were sold by 1970 and the other two were converted to cruise ships.[5] Cunard tried operating scheduled airservices to North America, the Caribbean and South America by formingBOAC-Cunard Ltd in 1962 with the British Overseas AirwaysCorporation (BOAC), but this venture lasted only until 1966.[31] All Cunard ships flew the Cunard flagover the White Star flag until late 1968. This was most likely because WhiteStar Line’s Nomadic remained in service with Cunard until 4 November1968, and was sent to the breakers’ yard, only to be bought for use as afloating restaurant. After this, all remnants of both White Star Line andCunard-White Star Line were retired.
Trafalgar House years: 19711998[edit]
In 1971, whenthe line was purchased by the conglomerate Trafalgar House, Cunardoperated cargo and passenger ships, hotels and resorts. Its cargo fleetconsisted of 42 ships in service, with 20 on order. The flagship of thepassenger fleet was the two-year-old Queen Elizabeth 2. The fleet alsoincluded the remaining two intermediate liners from the 1950s, plus twopurpose-built cruise ships on order. Trafalgar acquired two additional cruiseships and disposed of the intermediate liners and most of the cargo fleet.[32] During the FalklandsWar, QE2 and Cunard Countess were chartered astroopships[33] while Cunard’s container ship Atlantic Conveyor was sunk by an Exocetmissile.[34]
Cunard acquiredthe Norwegian America Line in 1983,with two classic oceanliner/cruise ships.[35] Also in 1983, the Trafalgar attempteda hostile takeover of P&O,another large passenger and cargo shipping line, which was formed the same yearas Cunard. P&O objected and forced the issue to the British Monopolies and Mergers Commission.In their filing, P&O was critical of Trafalgar’s management of Cunard and theirfailure to correct QE2’s mechanical problems.[36] In 1984, the Commission ruled infavour of the merger, but Trafalgar decided against proceeding.[37] In 1988, Cunard acquired Ellerman Lines and its small fleet ofcargo vessels, organising the business as Cunard-Ellerman, however, only a fewyears later, Cunard decided to abandon the cargo business and focus solely oncruise ships. Cunard’s cargo fleet was sold off between 1989 and 1991, with asingle container ship, the second Atlantic Conveyor, remaining underCunard ownership until 1996. In 1993, Cunard entered into a 10-year agreementto handle marketing, sales and reservations for the CrownCruise Line, and its three vessels joined the Cunard fleet underthe Cunard Crown banner.[38] In 1994 Cunard purchased the rights tothe name of the RoyalViking Line and its RoyalViking Sun. The rest of Royal Viking Line’s fleet stayedwith the line’s owner, Norwegian Cruise Line.[39]
By themid-1990s Cunard was ailing. The company was embarrassed in late 1994 when the QE2experienced numerous defects during the first voyage of the season because ofunfinished renovation work. Claims from passengers cost the company US$13million. After Cunard reported a US$25 million loss in 1995, Trafalgar assigneda new CEO to the line, who concluded that the company had management issues. In1996 the Norwegian conglomerate Kvrneracquired Trafalgar House, and attempted to sell Cunard. When there were notakers, Kvrner made substantial investments to turn around the company’starnished reputation.[40]
Carnival: from 1998
In 1998 thecruise line conglomerate Carnival Corporationacquired 68% of Cunard for US$425 million.[41] The next year Carnival acquired theremaining stock for US$205 million.[42] Ultimately, Carnival sued Kvrnerclaiming that the ships were in worse condition than represented and Kvrneragreed to refund USD$50 million to Carnival.[43] Each of Carnival’s cruise lines isdesigned to appeal to a different market, and Carnival was interested inrebuilding Cunard as a luxury brand trading on its British traditions. Underthe slogan “Advancing Civilization Since 1840”, Cunard’s advertisingcampaign sought to emphasise the elegance and mystique of ocean travel.[44] Only the QE2 and Caronia continued under the Cunard brandand the company began Project Queen Mary to build a new oceanliner/cruise ship for the transatlantic route.[45]
By 2001Carnival was the largest cruise company, followed by Royal Caribbean and P&O Princess Cruises, whichhad recently separated from its parent, P&O. When Royal Caribbean andP&O Princess agreed to merge, Carnival countered with a hostile takeoverbid for P&O Princess. Carnival rejected the idea of selling Cunard toresolve antitrust issues with the acquisition.[46] European and US regulators approvedthe merger without requiring Cunard’s sale.[47] After the merger was completed,Carnival moved Cunard’s headquarters to the offices of Princess Cruises in Santa Clarita, California, sothat administrative, financial and technology services could be combined.[48]
CarnivalHouse opened inSouthampton in 2009,[49] and executive control of Cunard Linetransferred from Carnival Corporation in the United States, to Carnival UK, the primary operating companyof Carnival plc. As the UK-listed holding company of the group, Carnival plchad executive control of all Carnival Group activities in the UK, with the headquartersof all UK-based brands, including Cunard, in offices at Carnival House.
In 2004 the36-year-old QE2 was replaced on the North Atlantic by Queen Mary 2. Caronia wassold and QE2 continued to cruise until she was retired in 2008. In 2007Cunard added a large cruise ship, QueenVictoria. She is not a sister for the QM2, beingordered by Carnival as a Vista class cruise ship for the Holland America Line. To reinforceCunard traditions, the QV has a small museum on board. Cunardcommissioned a second Vista class cruise ship, Queen Elizabeth, in 2010.[50]
In 2010 Cunardappointed its first female commander, Captain Inger Klein Olsen.[51]
In 2011 allthree Cunard ships in service changed vessel registry to Hamilton, Bermuda,[3] the first time in the 171-year historyof the company that it had no ships registered in the United Kingdom.[52] The captains of ships registered inBermuda, but not in the UK, can marry couples at sea; weddings at sea are alucrative market.[3]
On 25 May 2015,the three Cunard ocean liners Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth andQueen Victoria sailed up the Mersey into Liverpool to commemorate the175th anniversary of Cunard. The ships performed manoeuvres, including180-degree turns, as the Red Arrowsperformed a fly-past.[53] Just over a year later QueenElizabeth returned to Liverpool under Captain Olsen to take part in thecelebrations of the centenary of the Cunard Building on 2 June 2016.[51]
Fleet
The Cunardfleet, all built for Cunard unless otherwise indicated, consisted of the followingships in order of acquisition:[4]
18401850
All ships ofthis period had wooden hulls and paddle wheels.
Ship Built In service for Cunard Type GRT Notes SS Unicorn 1836 18401846 Express 650 Coastal steamer purchased for Montreal service, sold 1846 Britannia 1840 18401849 Express 1,150 Eastbound record holder, sold to North German Navy 1849 Acadia 1840 18401849 Express 1,150 Sold to North German Navy 1849 Caledonia 1840 18401850 Express 1,150 Sold to Spanish Navy 1850 Columbia 1841 18411843 Express 1,150 Blue Riband, wrecked 1843 without loss of life Hibernia 1843 18431850 Express 1,400 Eastbound record holder, sold to Spanish Navy 1850 Cambria 1845 18451860 Express 1,400 Blue Riband, sold to Italian owners 1860 America 1848 18481863 Express 1,850 Blue Riband, sold 1863 and converted to sail, scrapped 1875 Niagara 1848 18481866 Express 1,850 Sold 1866 and converted to sail, wrecked 1875 Europa 1848 18481867 Express 1,850 Blue Riband, sold 1867 Canada 1848 18481866 Express 1,850 Eastbound record holder, sold 1866 and converted to sail, scrapped 1883 Asia 1850 18501868 Express 2,250 Blue Riband, sold 1868, scrapped 1883 Africa 1850 18501868 Express 2,250 Sold 1868
18501879
Only Arabiahad a wooden hull and only Arabia, Persia and Scotia hadpaddle wheels.
Ship Built In service for Cunard Type GRT Notes Arabia 1852 18521864 Express 2,400 Sold 1864 and converted to sail, sank 1868[54] Andes 1852 18521859 Intermediate 1,400 Sold to Spanish Government 1859 Alps 1853 18531859 Intermediate 1,400 Sold to Spanish Government 1859 Jura 1854 18541860 Intermediate 2,200 Sold to Allan Line 1860, wrecked off Liverpool 1864[54] Etna 1855 18551860 Intermediate 2,200 Sold to Inman Line 1860, scrapped 1896[54] Persia 1856 18561868 Express 3,300 Blue Riband, taken out of service 1868 and scrapped 1872 Australasian
Calabria 1857 18601870
1870-1876 Intermediate 2,700 Built for other owners, sold 1876, scrapped 1898[54] Atlas 1860 1860-1896 Intermediate 2,393 Lengthened and re-engined in 1873, scrapped 1896[54] China 1862 18621880 Express 2,550 Sold to Spanish owners 1880, lost at sea 1906[54] Scotia 1862 18641878 Express 3,850 Blue Riband, sold 1878 and converted to cable layer. Wrecked 1904[54] Tripoli 1863 18631872 Intermediate 2,057 Wrecked on Tuskar Rock, Wexford 1872 Cuba 1864 18651876 Express 2,700 Sold 1876 and converted to sail, wrecked 1887[54] Aleppo 1865 18651909 Intermediate 2,056 Scrapped 1909[54] Java 1865 18651878 Express 2,700 Sold 1878 to Red Star Line, and renamed Zeeland, lost at sea 1895[54] Russia 1867 18671880 Express 2,950 Sold to Red Star Line 1880 and renamed Waesland. Resold and renamed Philadelphia, sank after a collision 1902[54] Siberia 1867 18671880 Intermediate 2,550 Sold to Spanish owners 1880, renamed Manila, wrecked 1882[54] Samaria 1868 18681892 Intermediate 2,550 Sold 1892 Batavia 1870 18701884 Intermediate 2,550 Traded in for Oregon 1884, scrapped 1924 Abyssinia 1870 18701880 Express 3,250 Sold to Guion Line 1880, destroyed by fire at sea 1891[54] Algeria 1870 18701881 Express 3,250 Sold to Red Star Line 1881, scrapped 1903[54] Parthia 1870 18701884 Intermediate 3,150 Traded in for Oregon 1884, scrapped 1956 Bothnia 1874 18741898 Express 4,550 Sold 1896, scrapped 1899 Scythia 1875 18751898 Express 4,550 Sold for scrap 1898[54] Gallia 1879 18791897 Express 4,550 Sold to Beaver Line 1897, scrapped 1900[54]
18791934
Ship Built In service for Cunard Type GRT Notes Catalonia 1881 18811901 Intermediate 4,850 Scrapped 1901 Cephalonia 1882 18821900 Intermediate 5,500 Sold to Russian Navy 1900, sunk Port Authur 1904[54] Pavonia 1882 18821900 Intermediate 5,500 Sold and scrapped 1900[54] Servia 1881 18811902 Express 7,400 First steel liner to New York, scrapped 1902 Aurania 1883 18831905 Express 7,250 Sold and scrapped 1905[54] Oregon 1883 18841886 Express 7,400 Blue Riband, built for Guion Line, purchased by Cunard 1884, sank 1886 without loss of life Umbria 1884 18841910 Express 7,700 Blue Riband, last Cunarders to carry sails, scrapped 1910[54] Etruria 1884 18841910 Express 7,700 Blue Riband, last Cunarders to carry sails, scrapped 1910[54] Campania 1893 18931914 Express 12,900 Blue Riband, sold to Royal Navy 1914 and converted to aircraft carrier, sank 1918[54] Lucania 1893 18931909 Express 12,900 Blue Riband, scrapped after fire 1909 Ultonia 1899 18991917 Intermediate 10,400 Sunk by SM U-53 1917 Ivernia 1900 19001917 Intermediate 14,250 Sunk by SM UB-47 1917 Saxonia 1900 19001925 Intermediate 14,250 Scrapped 1925 Carpathia 1903 19031918 Intermediate 13,600 Rescued survivors from Titanic, later sunk by SM U-55 1918 Slavonia 1903 19031909 Intermediate 10,606 Wrecked 1909 Pannonia 1903 19031914 Intermediate 9,851 Chartered by Anchor Line 1914 for 4 trips, scrapped 1922 Caronia 1905 19051932 Intermediate 19,650 Scrapped 1932 Carmania 1905 19051932 Intermediate 19,650 Scrapped 1932 Lusitania 1907 19071915 Express 31,550 Blue Riband, sunk by U-20 1915 Mauretania 1907 19071934 Express 31,950 Blue Riband, scrapped 1934 Franconia 1911 19111916 Intermediate 18,100 Sunk by SM UB-47 1916 Albania 1900 19111912 Intermediate 7,650 Built for Thompson Line, purchased by Cunard 1911, sold to Bank Line 1912, scrapped 1930[54] Ausonia 1909 19111918 Intermediate 7,907 Ex-Tortona built for Thompson Line, purchased by Cunard 1911, sunk by SM U-62 30 May 1918. Ascania 1911 19111918 Intermediate 9,100 Wrecked 1918 Laconia 1912 19121917 Intermediate 18,100 Sunk by SM U-50 1917 Andania 1913 19131918 Intermediate 13,400 Sunk by SM U-46 1918 Alaunia 1913 19131916 Intermediate 13,400 Sunk by mine 1916 Aquitania 1914 19141950 Express 45,650 Served in both world wars, longest serving liner until QE2 in 2004, scrapped 1950 Orduna 1914 19141921 Intermediate 15,700 Built for PSN Co, acquired by Cunard 1914, returned to PSN 1921, scrapped 1951 Aurania 1916 19161918 Intermediate 13,400 Sunk by SM UB-67 1918 Royal George 1916 19161920 Intermediate 11,142 Served on the Liverpool to New York route. Scrapped 1922. Vauban 1912 19191922 Intermediate 10,660 Chartered from Lamport & Holt Line, scrapped 1932[54] Albania 1920 19201930 Intermediate 12,750 Sold to Libera Triestina 1930 and renamed California, sunk by Fleet Air Arm Swordfish[54] Berengaria 1913 19211938 Express 51,950 Built by Hapag as Imperator, purchased by Cunard 1921, sold for scrap 1938 Scythia 1921 19211958 Intermediate 19,700 Scrapped 1958 Andania 1921 19211940 Intermediate 13,900 Sunk by UA 1940 Samaria 1922 19221955 Intermediate 19,700 Scrapped 1955 Laconia 1922 19221942 Intermediate 19,700 Sunk by U-156 1942 Antonia 1922 19221942 Intermediate 13,900 Sold to Admiralty 1942, scrapped 1948[54] Ausonia 1922 19221942 Intermediate 13,900 Sold to Admiralty 1942, scrapped 1965[54] Lancastria 1922 19221940 Intermediate 16,250 Built as Tyrrhenia, sunk by bombing 1940 Athenia 1923 19231935 Intermediate 13,465 Transferred to Anchor Donaldson, sunk by U-30 1939[54] Franconia 1923 19231956 Intermediate 20,200 Scrapped 1956 Aurania 1924 19241942 Intermediate 14,000 Sold to Admiralty 1942, scrapped 1961[54] Cassandra 1924 19241929 Cargo liner 8,135 Chartered from Donaldson Line, sold 1929, scrapped 1934[54] Carinthia 1925 19251940 Cruise ship 20,200 Sunk by U-46 1940 Ascania 1925 19251956 Intermediate 14,000 Scrapped 1956 Alaunia 1925 19251944 Intermediate 14,000 Sold to Admiralty 1944, scrapped 1957.[54]
The London andNorth Eastern Railway (LNER) was the second largest (after LMS) of the “Big Four” railway companies created by the Railways Act1921 in Britain. Itoperated from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. At thattime, it was divided into the new British Railways’ Eastern Region, North Eastern Region, and partially the Scottish Region.
History
Thecompany was the second largest created by the Railways Act 1921. The principal constituents of the LNER were:
Great Eastern Railway
Great Central Railway
Great Northern Railway
Great North of Scotland Railway
Hull and Barnsley Railway
North British Railway
North Eastern Railway
Thetotal route mileage was 6,590 miles (10,610 km). The North Eastern Railwayhad the largest route mileage of 1,757 miles (2,828 km), whilst the Hulland Barnsley Railway was 106.5 miles (171.4 km).
Itcovered the area north and east of London. It included the East Coast Main Line from London to Edinburghvia York and Newcastle upon Tyne and the routes from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness. Most of the country east of the Pennines was within its purview, including East Anglia. The main workshops were in Doncaster, with others at Darlington, Inverurieand Stratford,London.[1][2]
TheLNER inherited four of London’s termini: Fenchurch Street (ex-London and Blackwall Railway;[3] King’s Cross (ex-Great Northern Railway); Liverpool Street (ex-Great Eastern Railway); and Marylebone (ex-Great Central Railway).[4] In addition, it ran suburban services to Broad Street (London, Midland and Scottish Railway) and Moorgate (Metropolitan Railway, later London Transport).[5]
TheLNER owned:
7,700 locomotives,20,000 coaching vehicles, 29,700 freight vehicles, 140 items of electricrolling stock, 6 electric locomotives and 10 rail motor cars
6 turbine and 36 othersteamers, and river boats and lake steamers, etc.
Inpartnership with the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), the LNER was co-owner of the Midland and Great Northern JointRailway, the UK’s biggestjoint railway, much of which competed with the LNER’s own lines. The M&GNJRwas incorporated into the LNER in 1936. In 1933, on the formation of the London Passenger Transport Board, the LNER acquired the remaining operationsof the Metropolitan Railway Company.
TheLNER was the majority partner in the Cheshire Lines Committee and the Forth BridgeRailway Company.
Itdepended on freight from heavy industry in Yorkshire, the north east of Englandand Scotland, and its revenue was reduced by the economic depression for muchof the early part of its existence. In a bid to improve financial efficiency,staffing levels reduced from 207,500 in 1924 to 175,800 in 1937.[6] For investment to retain freight traffic, newmarshalling yards were built in Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire, and Hull inYorkshire to attempt to retain freight traffic.
SirRalph Wedgwood introduced a Traffic Apprenticeship Scheme to attract graduates,train young managers and provide supervision by assistant general managerRobert Bell for career planning. The company adopted a regional managerialsystem, with general managers based in London, York and Edinburgh, and for ashort time, Aberdeen.[6]
Forpassenger services, Sir Nigel Gresley, the Chief Mechanical Engineer built newpowerful locomotives and new coaches.[7] Later developments such as the streamlined Silver Jubilee train of 1935 were exploited by the LNER publicitydepartment, and embedded the non-stop London to Edinburgh services such as theFlying Scotsman in the public imagination. The crowning glory of this time wasthe world record speed of 126 miles per hour (203 km/h) achieved on a testrun by LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard.[8]
In1929, the LNER chose the typeface Gill Sans asthe standard typeface for the company. Soon it appeared on every facet of thecompany’s identity, from metal locomotive nameplates and hand-painted stationsignage to printed restaurant car menus, timetables and advertising posters.[9][10][11] The LNER promoted their rebranding byoffering Eric Gill a footplate ride on the Flying Scotsman express service; he also painted for it asignboard in the style of Gill Sans, which survives in the collection of the St Bride Library.[12][13][14] Gill Sanswas retained by the RailwayExecutive in 1949 and was theofficial typeface until British Rail replaced it in the mid 1960s with Rail Alphabet.
Continentalshipping services were provided from Harwich Parkeston Quay.[15]
Thecompany took up the offer in 1933 of government loans at low interest rates andelectrified the lines from Manchester to Sheffield and Wath yard, and alsocommuter lines in the London suburban area.[16]
SS Hamburg was aGerman ocean liner owned bythe Hamburg America Line, builtby the Blohm & Voss of Hamburg, Germany and launched in1925. She had a sister ship, SS NewYork. They were similar to the SS Albert Ballin.
During World War II, theship became a naval accommodation ship for the Kriegsmarine in 1940and served with the 7th U-boat Flotilla in Kiel. Reassigned to 3rd U-boat Flotilla on 1March 1941, Hamburg was transferred to 6th U-boat Flotilla in Danzig in October. From June1943, Hamburg was relocated to Gotenhafen andassigned to 8th U-boat Flotilla. On 7March 1945 during the evacuation of Germans from the Eastern Front, shestruck a mine and sank off Sanitz in position 543000N 134202ECoordinates: 543000N 134202E.[1]
The wreckwas raised by the Soviets and converted to a whaler at Warnowwerft, Warnemnde from 7November 1950. Becoming Yuri Dolgoruki, the ship was put inservice on 12 July 1960. She was then broken up in 1977.[1]
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Category: Collectibles:Transportation:Boats and Ships:Cruise Ships and Ocean Liners:Cunard
Location: Reisterstown, Maryland