Passenger Ships of the World (1963): A Global History of Steamship Travel by Eugene W. Smith

📌 Explore the legacy of transatlantic, transpacific, and global ocean liners with Eugene W. Smith's 1963 maritime reference. A vital resource for genealogists, educators, and maritime historians.

Front Cover and Spine, Passenger Ships of the World, Past and Present by Eugene W. Smith, 1963. GGA Image ID # 2057fb44a0

Review & Summary: Passenger Ships of the World – Past and Present by Eugene W. Smith (1963)

🎓 “A Global Voyage Through Steamship History for Historians, Genealogists, and Maritime Enthusiasts”

📖 Overview

Eugene W. Smith’s Passenger Ships of the World – Past and Present (1963) is a masterfully curated encyclopedic reference that charts the rise, peak, and transformation of ocean-going passenger ships through nearly two centuries. Expanding upon his earlier Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific works, Smith offers a global maritime panorama that includes ships serving the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Oceania, as well as Canal routes and California-Hawaii shuttle lines.

🧭 This book is an essential resource for:

• Maritime historians seeking design evolution and fleet data
• Genealogists tracing voyages and shipping lines
• Educators and students studying transoceanic migration and tourism
• Ship modelers, naval architects, and enthusiasts interested in dimensions, tonnage, and speed

Synopsis

Passenger Ships of the World, 1963, represents an incredible resource covering passenger ships that are Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Pacific, Trans-Pacific via Panama Canal, Latin American, Africa and the Eastern Oceans, and California-Hawaii.

The book also includes a Fleet List by Steamship Line, Ship Pictures, Distances between Ports, Conversion Table of Knots into Miles per Hour, Longest Passenger Ships in the World, and a Comprehensive Index to Passenger Ships, Past and Present (through 1962).

Foreword

The author's two previous books, entitled "Trans- Atlantic Passenger Ships—Past and Present" and "Trans-Pacific Passenger Ships" are now out of print. When the stock of those two books had dwindled to a relatively few copies, it was decided to bring out a new book of worldwide scope. This new volume is the result of that decision. Although this new book contains much material that appeared in the original publications, it has been completely revised and enlarged. Two additional significant parts have been included to make the work eligible for the descriptive title of ocean-going passenger ships of the world, past and present.

The pictorial section of representative ships is arranged chronologically to show the general development of design from the early days of steam to the present era. As steamship travel peaked during the 1890-1914 period, more ship pictures of this time are shown.

In the fleet list, I have endeavored to include all the principal passenger ship lines engaged in the various services that come within the scope of this book.

The explanatory notes given in the back part of this volume are provided to answer some of the questions that arise in a work of this kind.

The appendix has been provided to handle the list of passenger ships regularly employed in the shuttle service between California and Hawaii. It also includes a composite listing of all ship pictures that appear in the author's three published books. A general index has been added at the end of the book for cross-reference purposes.

The writer would like to express his appreciation to the many people who so kindly supplied information. Among those who contributed much help, I should particularly like to mention Mr. Osgood Williams and Mr. Arthur D. Fay of The Peabody Museum of Salem, Massachusetts, to Mr. John L. Lochhead of The Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia, who has been most helpful in providing scrapping dates of specific ships, and to Contre-Amiral M. Adams of France, and Mr. L. L. von Munching of the Netherlands, who have given much valuable data for this book. I am also much indebted to Professor John Haskell Kemble of Pomona College for his help preparing the transpacific passenger ship section.

My acknowledgments would be incomplete without thanks to the steamship lines' generosity and cooperation in supplying photographs to illustrate this book.

I have been fortunate to live near the Peabody Museum of Salem. Their extraordinary sources of historical and statistical data, along with my extensive files of facts, enabled me to carry on with the project I set out to accomplish many years ago.

Since this book's subject matter covers the world's principal sea lanes, one might wonder why the numerous coastal liners are not included. In the author's opinion, it would be better to leave the seaside and the similar cross-channel type of passenger ship to this book, as they would make the already sizable volume too cumbersome. The ideal way to handle the matter is to add a companion volume, as this method distinguishes between these two kinds of services.

In closing, I wish to convey my thanks to the many readers of my previous books, who, with their support, have made possible the feasibility of bringing out this new volume.

Eugene Waldo Smith
Melrose, Massachusetts, June 4, 1962.

Contents

• Foreword
• Part I Trans-Atlantic Passenger Ships
• Part II Trans-Pacific Passenger Ships
• Part 11-A Trans-Pacific Passenger Ships via Panama Canal
• Part III Latin American Passenger Ships
• Part IV Passenger Ships to Africa and the Eastern Oceans
• Part V Fleet List
• Part VI California-Hawaii Ships
• Part VII Pictorial Section of Passenger Ships of the World
• Appendix [A]: Distances Between Ports
• Appendix [B]: Conversion Table of Knots Into Miles per Hour
• Appendix [C]: Longest Passenger Ships in the World, Past and Present
• Index

Ship Picture List

Composite list of ship pictures appearing in books by the author.

* Denotes different view of ship.

Book: Passenger Ships of the World—Past and Present

Code (A, B, or C)

• A Trans-Pacific Passenger Ships
• B Trans-Atlantic Passenger Ships (1st and 2nd printings)
• C Trans-Atlantic Passenger Ships (3rd printing—Pictorial section revised)

▓▓▓ "A" ▓▓▓

1. Abangarez (1909) United Fruit Co
2. Adriatic (1872) White Star Line
3. Aller (1886) North German Lloyd B
4. America (1848) Cunard Line B
5. America (1884) National Line
6. America (1940) United States Lines A* B C
7. Amerika (1905) Hamburg-American Line B
8. Amérique (1864) French Line B C
9. Andania (1913) Cunard Line B
10. Andre Lebon (1913) Messageries Maritimes
11. Andrea Doria (1952) Italia Line A
12. Aorangi (1924) Union S.S. Co. of NZ A
13. Aquitania (1914) Cunard Line B C
14. Arabic (1903) White Star Line
15. Aragon (1905) Royal Mail Line
16. Araguaya (1906) Royal Mail Line B C
17. Arandora Star (1927) Blue Star Line
18. Arcadian (1899) Royal Mail Line
19. Asama Maru (1929) N. Y. K. Line A
20. Ascania (1911) Cunard Line
21. Athenia (1923) Anchor-Donaldson Line B
22. Atlantic (1927) Home Lines
23. Auguste Victoria (1888) Hamburg-American Line B
24. Augustus (1952) Italia Line
25. Aurania (1883) Cunard Line B
26. Aurania (1924) Cunard Line
27. Austral (1881) Orient Line
28. Australia (1861) Oceanic Steamship Co A
29. Avon (1907) Royal Mail Line

▓▓▓ "B" ▓▓▓

1. Baltic (1904) White Star Line B
2. Barbarossa (1896) North German Lloyd B
3. Batavia (1870) Cunard Line
4. Bavarian (1900) Allan Line B
5. Belgenland (1917) Red Star Line
6. Bergensfjord (1956) Norwegian-America Line
7. Berlin (1925) North German Lloyd B C
8. Bermudian (1904) Quebec Steamship Co
9. Bothnia (1874) Cunard Line
10. Brazil (1928) Moore-McCormack Lines
11. Brazil (1958) Moore-McCormack Lines
12. Bremen (1929) North German Lloyd B C
13. Bremen (1939) North German Lloyd
14. Britannia (1840) Cunard Line B C
15. Britannic (1874) White Star Line B
16. Britannic (1930) White Star Line C

▓▓▓ "C" ▓▓▓

1. Caledonia (1904) Anchor Line B
2. Caledonia (1925) Anchor Line B
3. California (1923) Anchor Line B
4. Campania (1893) Cunard Line
5. Canberra (1961) P & O-Orient Lines
6. Canopic (1900) White Star Line B
7. Cap Arcona (1927) Hamburg-South American Line
8. Cap Lay (1921) Chargeurs Reunis
9. Carnarvon Castle (1926) Union-Castle Line
10. Caronia (1905) Cunard Line B C
11. Caronia (1948) Cunard Line A
12. Carpathia (1903) Cunard Line B
13. Caspian (1870) Allan Line B C
14. Celtic (1901) White Star Line C
15. Centennial State (1921) U. S. S. B
16. Champlain (1932) French Line B C
17. Chichibu Maru (1929) N. Y. K. Line A
18. Chimborazo (1871) Orient Line
19. China (1889) Pacific Mail Steamship Co A
20. Christian Huygens (1928) Nederland Line
21. City of Berlin (1875) Inman Line B
22. City of Chicago (1883) Inman Line B
23. City of Montreal (1872) Inman Line
24. City of Peking (1874) Pacific Mail Line A
25. City of Richmond (1873) Inman Line B
26. City of Rome (1881) Anchor Line B C
27. Clyde (1890) Royal Mail Line
28. Columbia (1889) Hamburg-American Line C
29. Columbia (1901) Anchor Line
30. Columbus (1922) North German Lloyd B
31. Constitution (1951) American Export Lines
32. Conte Biancamano (1925) Italia Line
33. Conte di Savoia (1932) Italia Line B
34. Corsican (1907) Allan Line C
35. Cristobal Colon (1923) Spanish Line B
36. Cuzco (1871) Orient Line

▓▓▓ "D" ▓▓▓

1. Dakota (1865) Pacific Mail Steamship Co A
2. Dante Alighieri (1914) Transatlantic Italiana
3. Darmstadt (1890) North German Lloyd B C
4. De Grasse (1924) French Line B
5. Deseado (1912) Royal Mail Line
6. Deutschland (1899) Hamburg-American Line
7. Deutschland (1923) Hamburg-American Line B C
8. Don (1872) Royal Mail Line
9. Duca di Genova (1907) Nav. Gen. Italiana

▓▓▓ "E" ▓▓▓

1. Elbe (1881) North German Lloyd B
2. Empress of Asia (1913) Canadian Pacific Line A
3. Empress of Australia (1914) Canadian Pacific Line A
4. Empress of Britain (1906) Canadian Pacific Line B* C
5. Empress of Britain (1931) Canadian Pacific Line B C
6. Empress of Britain (1955) Canadian Pacific Line
7. Empress of Canada (1922) Canadian Pacific Line A
8. Empress of China (1890) Canadian Pacific Line A
9. Empress of France (1913) Canadian Pacific Line B
10. Empress of India (1908) Canadian Pacific Line
11. Empress of Japan (1890) Canadian Pacific Line
12. Empress of Russia (1913) Canadian Pacific Line A
13. Empress of Scotland (1930) Canadian Pacific Line A
14. Esperanza (1901) Ward Line
15. Etruria (1884) Cunard Line B
16. Excalibur (1944) American Export Lines

▓▓▓ "F" ▓▓▓

1. Finland (1902) Red Star Line C
2. Flandre (1951) French Line A
3. Fort Victoria (1913) Furness-Bermuda Line
4. France (1912) French Line C
5. France (1961) French Line
6. Friesland (1889) Red Star Line B
7. Fürst Bismarck (1890) Hamburg-American Line C

▓▓▓ "G" ▓▓▓

1. Gaelic (1885) Occidental & Oriental S.S. Co A
2. Gallia (1878) Cunard Line
3. Gallia (1913) Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique
4. General von Steuben (1922) North German Lloyd B
5. Géorgie (1932) White Star Line B
6. Germanic (1874) White Star Line C
7. Giulio Cesare (1951) Italia Line
8. Golden Age (1853) Australian Steam Ship Co A
9. Gothic (1948) Shaw, Savill & Albion Co
10. Great Eastern (1858) C
11. Great Republic (1866) Pacific Mail S.S. Co A
12. Grosser Kurfurst (1899) North German Lloyd

▓▓▓ "H" ▓▓▓

1. Henry Chauncey (1865) Pacific Mail S.S. Co A
2. Hibernian (1861) Allan Line C
3. Hikawa Maru (1930) N. Y. K. Line A
4. Himalaya (1949) P. & O. Line
5. Homeric (1914) White Star Line B C

▓▓▓ "I" ▓▓▓

1. Iberia (1954) P. & O. Line
2. Ile de France (1926) French Line A
3. Imperator (1912) Hamburg-American Line
4. Independence (1950) American Export Lines A
5. Infanta Isabel (1912) Pinillos Izquierdo Co
6. Israel (1955) Zim Lines
7. Italia (1928) Home Lines A
8. Ivernia (1900) Cunard Line B

▓▓▓ "J" ▓▓▓

1. Jan Pieterszoon Coen (1915) Nederland Line
2. Japan (1867) Pacific Mail Steamship Co A
3. Jerusalem (1957) Zim Lines

▓▓▓ "K" ▓▓▓

1. Kaiser Friedrich (1898) North German Lloyd
2. Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse (1897) North German Lloyd B
3. Kaiser Wilhelm II (1889) North German Lloyd
4. Kaiserin Auguste Victoria (1905) Hamburg-American Line
5. Kaiserin Maria Theresa (1890) North German Lloyd B
6. Kiautschou (1900) Hamburg-American Line B
7. Koningin Emma (1913) Nederland Line
8. Korea (1901) Pacifie Mail Steamship Co A
9. Kronprinzessin Cecilie (1906) North German Lloyd
10. Kungsholm (1902) Swedish-American Line
11. Kungsholm (1928) Swedish-American Line B

▓▓▓ "L" ▓▓▓

1. L'Aquitaine (1890) French Line B
2. La Bretagne (1885) French Line B C
3. La Champagne (1885) French Line B
4. La Lorraine (1899) French Line B C
5. Labrador (1891) Dominion Line
6. Laconia (1912) Cunard Line B C
7. Laconia (1922) Cunard Line
8. Lady Hawkins (1929) Canadian National Line
9. Lafayette (1930) French Line C
10. Lake Superior (1884) Beaver Line
11. Lapland (1908) Red Star Line C
12. Leconte de Lisle (1922) Messageries Maritimes
13. Leviathan (1914) United States Lines
14. Liberte (1930) French Line A*
15. Lucania (1893) Cunard Line B C
16. Lurline (1932) Matson Line
17. Lusitania (1871) Orient Line
18. Lusitania (1907) Cunard Line B C

▓▓▓ "M" ▓▓▓

1. Maasdam (1952) Holland-America Line A
2. Maheno (1905) Union S.S. Co. of New Zealand A
3. Majestic (1921) White Star Line B
4. Malwa (1908) P. & O. Line
5. Manchuria (1904) Pacific Mail Steamship Co A
6. Manuel Calvo (1892) Spanish Line
7. Mariposa (1932) Oceanic S.S. Co. (Matson) A
8. Marloch (1904) Canadian Pacific Line B
9. Marnix van St. Aldegonde (1930) Nederland Line
10. Maunganui (1911) Union S.S. Co. of New Zealand A
11. Mauretania (1907) Cunard Line B*
12. Mauretania (1939) Cunard Line
13. Media (1947) Cunard Line
14. Medway (1877) Royal Mail Line
15. Megantic (1909) White Star Line B
16. Minnedosa (1918) Canadian Pacific Line B
17. Minnesota (1904) Great Northern S.S. Co A
18. Monte Rosa (1930) Hamburg-So. American Line
19. Monterey (1932) Oceanic S.S. Co. (Matson) A
20. Mooltan (1923) P. & O. Line
21. Morro Castle (1930) Ward Line
22. Moses Taylor (1857) Pacific Mail S.S. Co A

▓▓▓ "N" ▓▓▓

1. Nevada (1867) Pacific Mail S.S. Co A
2. New England (1898) Dominion Line
3. New York (1865) Pacific Mail S.S. Co A
4. New York (1888) American Line B C
5. Niagara (1913) Union S.S. Co. of New Zealand A
6. Nieuw Amsterdam (1906) Holland-America Line C
7. Nieuw Amsterdam (1938) Holland-America Line A
8. Normandie (1933) French Line B C
9. Nova Scotian (1858) Allan Line C

▓▓▓ "O" ▓▓▓

1. Oceanic (1870) White Star Line B C
2. Oceanic (1899) White Star Line B
3. Olympic (1911) White Star Line B C
4. Oranje (1903) Nederland Line
5. Oranje Nassau (1957) Prins Line (Dutch)
6. Orbita (1915) Royal Mail Line C
7. Orduña (1914) Pacific Steam Nav. Co
8. Orient (1879) Orient Line
9. Orion (1935) Orient Line
10. Ormuz (1886) Orient Line
11. Oronsay (1951) Orient Line
12. Orontes (1902) Orient Line
13. Oropesa (1920) Pacific Steam Nav. Co.
14. Orotava (1889) Royal Mail Line
15. Orsova (1954) Orient Line
16. Oslofjord (1949) Norwegian-America Line A
17. Osterley (1909) Orient Line
18. Otranto (1909) Orient Line

▓▓▓ "P" ▓▓▓

1. Pannonia (1904) Cunard Line C
2. Pasteur (1939) Compagnie Sud-Atlantique
3. Pastores (1912) United Fruit Co
4. Patria (1913) Fabre Line C
5. Pavonia (1882) Cunard Line B C
6. Pendennis Castle (1958) Union-Castle Line
7. Persia (1881) Pacific Mail Steamship Co
8. Pilsudski (1935) Gdynia-America Line B
9. President Cleveland (1947) A. P. L A
10. President Coolidge (1931) A. P. L A
11. President Grant (1907) Hamburg-American Line
12. President Harrison (1921) Dollar Line A
13. President Hoover (1931) A. P. L A
14. President Johnson (1904) A. P. L A
15. President Pierce (1921) Dollar S.S. Lines A
16. President Polk (1921) Dollar S.S. Lines A
17. President Polk (1941) A. P. L A
18. President Taft (1921) Dollar S.S. Lines
19. President Wilson (1921) Dollar S.S. Lines A
20. President Wilson (1948) A. P. L
21. Preussen (1886) North German Lloyd B
22. Principe di Udine (1908) Lloyd Sabaudo B
23. Principello (1907) Great Northern Line C
24. Prinz Eitel Friedrich (1904) N. G. L B
25. Prinzess Irene (1900) North German Lloyd C
26. Providence (1915) Fabre Line

▓▓▓ "Q" ▓▓▓

1. Queen Elizabeth (1940) Cunard Line A* B* C
2. Queen Mary (1936) Cunard Line A* B
3. Queen of Bermuda (1933) Furness-Bermuda

▓▓▓ "R" ▓▓▓

1. Republic (1900) White Star Line B C
2. Rex (1932) Italia Line B C
3. Rhynland (1879) Red Star Line B C
4. Rotterdam (1908) Holland-America Line C
5. Rotterdam (1959) Holland-America Line
6. Ryndam (1951) Holland-America Line

▓▓▓ "S" ▓▓▓

1. Saale (1886) North German Lloyd B
2. St. Paul (1895) American Line B
3. Samaria (1868) Cunard Line B
4. Samaria (1921) Cunard Line C
5. Sannio (1899) Nav. Generale Italiana B C
6. Santa Inez (1929) Grace Line
7. Santa Maria (1928) Grace Line
8. Santa Paula (1958) Grace Line
9. Santa Rosa (1932) Grace Line
10. Santa Rosa (1959) Grace Line
11. Saturnia (1927) Italia Line
12. Savannah (1819) American Owner
13. Savannah (1961) States Marine Lines Frontispiece
14. Saxonia (1900) Cunard Line C
15. Saxonia (1954) Cunard Line
16. Scotia (1862) Cunard Line B C
17. Scythia (1920) Cunard Line B
18. Servia (1881) Cunard Line B C
19. Sierra (1900) Oceanic S.S. Co. (Matson) A*
20. Slavonia (1903) Cunard Line B
21. Statendam (1957) Holland-America Line
22. Stockholm (1947) Swedish-American Line A

▓▓▓ "T" ▓▓▓

1. Tahiti (1904) Union S.S. Co. of New Zealand A
2. Taiyo Maru (1911) N. Y. K. Line A
3. Tenyo Maru (1908) Toyo Risen Kaisha A
4. Teutonic (1889) White Star Line B
5. Thames (1890) Royal Mail Line
6. Tintagel Castle (1896) Union-Castle Line
7. Titanic (1911) White Star Line B*
8. Toloa (1917) United Fruit Co
9. Trave (1886) North German Lloyd C
10. Trent (1901) Royal Mail Line
11. Tunisian (1900) Allan Line

▓▓▓ "U" ▓▓▓

1. Umbria (1884) Cunard Line
2. United States (1903) Scandinavian-American Line
3. United States (1952) United States Lines A*

▓▓▓ "V" ▓▓▓

1. Vaterland (1914) Hamburg-American Line B
2. Ventura (1900) Oceanic Steamship Co
3. Victorian (1904) Allan Line B
4. Volendam (1922) Holland-America Line C
5. Vulcania (1928) Cosulich Line B

▓▓▓ "W" ▓▓▓

1. Washington (1863) French Line B C
2. Washington (1933) United States Lines B C
3. Westernland (1918) Red Star Line C
4. Willem Ruys (1947) Rotterdam Lloyd

▓▓▓ "Y" ▓▓▓

1. Yorck (1906) North German Lloyd

Distances between Ports

Note: The Panama Canal was officially opened to commerce in August 1914.

The Suez Canal was opened to navigation in November 1869.

Nautical Miles

• Boston to Liverpool 2,898
• Capetown to Durban 800
• Capetown to Fremantle, Australia 4,808
• Capetown to Wellington, NZ 8,375
• Capetown to Adelaide 5,786
• Liverpool to Buenos Aires 6,400
• Liverpool to Colon, Panama 4,530
• Liverpool to Cape Horn 7,350
• Liverpool to Halifax 2,509
• Liverpool to Montreal, via Cape Race 2,947
• Liverpool to Sydney, via Panama Canal 12,600
• Liverpool to Valparaiso, via Panama Canal 7,191
• Liverpool to Wellington, via Panama Canal 11,200
• London to Bombay, via Suez Canal 6,300
• London to Hong Kong 9,688
• London to Sydney, via Suez Canal 12,000
• London to Port Said 3,214
• Marseilles to Port Said 1,516
• New York to Antwerp 3,350
• New York to Barcelona 3,750
• New York to Bermuda 700
• New York to Bremen 3,590
• New York to Buenos Aires 5,870
• New York to Colon, Panama 1,974
• New York to Durban, via Cape of Good Hope 7,565
• New York to Genoa 4,045
• New York to Gibraltar 3,192
• New York to Goteborg, Sweden 3,738
• New York to Hamburg 3,536
• New York to Havana 1,186
• New York to Havre 3,170
• New York to Liverpool 3,058
• New York to London 3,282
• New York to Queenstown 2,840
• New York to Rio de Janeiro 4,770
• New York to Southampton 3,120
• San Francisco to Auckland, NZ 5,680
• San Francisco to Hong Kong 6,404
• San Francisco to Honolulu 2,091
• San Francisco to Manila 6,221
• San Francisco to Melbourne 6,970
• San Francisco to Suva, Fiji Islands 4,749
• San Francisco to Sydney 6,448
• San Francisco to Wellington, NZ 5,905
• San Francisco to Yokohama 4,536
• Vancouver to Auckland, NZ 6,205
• Vancouver to Yokohama 4,262
• Vancouver to Sydney 6,840

Conversion Table of Knots into Miles per Hour

Note: The sea mile equals 6,080 feet. The land mile equals 5,280 feet.

• 10 knots equal 11.515 miles per hour
• 15 knots equal 17.27 miles per hour
• 20 knots equal 23.03 miles per hour
• 25 knots equal 28.787 miles per hour
• 30 knots equal 34.53 miles per hour
• 35 knots equal 40.287 miles per hour
• 40 knots equal 46.04 miles per hour

Longest Passenger Ships in the World, Past and Present, Part 1 of 4, 1962. Table Presents Length Overall, Length Between Perpendiculars, Beam, Gross Tonnage, Year Built, Name of Ship, and Owners. Passenger Ships of the World, 1963. GGA Image ID # 20581f9306

Longest Passenger Ships in the World, Past and Present, Part 2 of 4, 1962. Table Presents Length Overall, Length Between Perpendiculars, Beam, Gross Tonnage, Year Built, Name of Ship, and Owners. Passenger Ships of the World, 1963. GGA Image ID # 20588c70cb

Longest Passenger Ships in the World, Past and Present, Part 3 of 4, 1962. Table Presents Length Overall, Length Between Perpendiculars, Beam, Gross Tonnage, Year Built, Name of Ship, and Owners. Passenger Ships of the World, 1963. GGA Image ID # 2058ea97d8

Longest Passenger Ships in the World, Past and Present, Part 4 of 4, 1962. Table Presents Length Overall, Length Between Perpendiculars, Beam, Gross Tonnage, Year Built, Name of Ship, and Owners. Passenger Ships of the World, 1963. GGA Image ID # 20590f6b22

Index to Passenger Ships Referenced in This Book

• "A" - "C" Ships
• "D" - "K" Ships
• "L" - "P" Ships
• "Q" - "Z" Ships

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Passenger Ships of the World, Past and Present

• Main Article
• Ship Index A-C
• Ship Index D-K

• Ship Index L-P
• Ship Index Q-Z

🧠 Most Engaging Content Highlights

📚 Fleet List by Steamship Line

Smith includes an extensive, meticulously compiled Fleet List, covering not only major lines like Cunard, White Star, Hamburg-America, North German Lloyd, and United States Lines, but also smaller and less-documented fleets. This section offers launch dates, tonnage, and operational routes—making it ideal for port-of-entry research or understanding commercial maritime reach.

📸 Pictorial Section: A Visual Voyage Through Time

The Pictorial Section is arranged chronologically, showing how steamship design evolved from early paddle steamers to turbo-electric behemoths like the SS United States and France (1961). Smith’s visual timeline helps educators show how ships mirrored industrial, artistic, and political changes of their eras.

Notable ship photos include:

🚢 Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse – the first true “express liner”

⚓ Titanic (1911) – featured with historical annotations

🌊 Kaiser Wilhelm II and Leviathan – rival icons of the pre-WWI era

🗽 Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth – Queens of wartime and postwar travel

✍️ Longest Passenger Ships in the World

Spanning four pages, this technical appendix includes LOA (Length Overall), beam, tonnage, and year of construction—ideal for comparing generations of liners like the Great Eastern (1858) and France (1961). This aids naval historians and modelers alike.

🌍 Distances Between Ports

A fascinating inclusion for educators and travelers, this chart shows real-world distances—New York to Rio (4,770 nm), London to Bombay (6,300 nm)—highlighting the logistics and stamina of early sea journeys.

🖼️ Noteworthy Images

📷 Image 📝 Description

🖼️ Front Cover & Spine (GGA ID #2057fb44a0)

📝 A classic design befitting a maritime encyclopedia, symbolizing oceanic authority.

🖼️ Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse

📝 Once the fastest and most luxurious liner, she symbolized German industrial prowess pre-WWI.

🖼️ Titanic (1911)

📝 Despite her short service, the most iconic liner in public imagination is prominently illustrated.

🖼️ Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary

📝 Post-war transatlantic giants that represent the last golden age of ocean travel.

🖼️ Tables of Longest Passenger Ships (IDs #20581f9306 to #20590f6b22)

📝 These visuals allow for comparative study of naval engineering over 120 years.

🌐 Relevance for Teachers, Students, Historians, and Genealogists

👩‍🏫 For Educators & Students

This book bridges history, geography, and STEM by illustrating:

🛠️ Engineering advancements in hull design and propulsion

🌍 Global economic and migration patterns tied to shipping routes

📚 Source material for projects on maritime legacy, empires, or immigrant journeys

🧬 For Genealogists

Smith's Fleet Lists and ship index help trace ancestors’ transits:

• Align arrival dates with ships' years in service
• Connect to port records or GG Archives passenger manifests
• Understand the conditions and class distinctions of various liners

🕰️ For Historians

Offers key insights into:

• Colonial and post-colonial shipping networks
• Wartime and peacetime conversion of vessels
• Rise and fall of maritime empires through their fleets

💬 Final Thoughts – Why This Book Still Matters

📘 Passenger Ships of the World is not just a book—it's a porthole into history, charting the rise and transformation of global passenger shipping. From elegant steamers of the 19th century to Cold War-era liners, this volume contextualizes the human story of travel, ambition, and technological change.

With over 400+ ship entries, engineering charts, and a deeply researched index, Smith’s work remains a cornerstone reference in the study of passenger liners—equally at home in classrooms, archives, and personal collections.

🎓 Teachers & Students: Use this resource to support essays on migration, transportation history, or industrial growth.

🔍 Genealogists: Cross-reference passenger manifests from GG Archives with ship details in this book.

📚 Researchers: Trace technological shifts and company histories in one globally minded reference.

⚓ Set sail through the pages of maritime history—one legendary liner at a time. 🌍📖