RMS Empress of Britain Archival Collection
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- Empress of Britain (1906) Canadian Pacific Line History
- Empress of Britain (1931) Canadian Pacific Line History
- Empress of Britain (1955) Canadian Pacific Line History
- Passenger Lists
- Brochures
- Photographs
- Back Cover Images
- Excerpts from Information for Passengers
- Other Ephemera
- Lights and Distances
- Route Maps, Track Charts, Abstract of Logs
- Advertisements
- Sailing Schedules
- Books
Empress of Britain (1906) Canadian Pacific Line
Built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 14,189. Dimensions: 548' x 65' (570' O.I.). Propulsion: Twin-screw, 20 knots. Quadruple expansion engines. Masts and Funnels: Two masts and two funnels. Passengers: 310 first, 350 second, 800 third. Maiden voyage: Liverpool Quebec, May 5, 1906. Note: First "Empress" of the North Atlantic service. Made the Liverpool-Halifax run in 5 days, 18 hours, 18 minutes. World War I Service: Converted to auxiliary cruiser. Post War Service: Resumed regular service in March 1919. Service speed listed as 18 knots. Renamed: Montroyal (1924). Fate: Sold to Norwegian shipbreakers in April 1930. Sister ship: Empress of Ireland.
Empress of Britain (1931) Canadian Pacific Line
Built by John Brown & Co., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 42,348. Dimensions: 733' x 97' (758' o.l.). Propulsion: Quadruple-screw, 24 knots. Steam turbines. Masts and Funnels: Two masts and three funnels. Top of masts were 208 feet above water line. Funnels measured 27 feet across at widest part and 35 feet fore and aft. Cost $15,000,000 to build. Passengers: 452 first, 260 tourist, 470 third. Laid down: November 28, 1928. Launched, June 11, 1930. Maiden voyage: Southampton-Cherbourg-Quebec, May 27, 1931. Spent much time as a cruise ship. Fate: Disabled by German bombers off the Irish coast, October 26, 1940, and two days later, on the 28th, she was sunk by German submarine "U-32" while being towed. The largest Allied liner lost in World War II.
Empress of Britain (1955) Canadian Pacific Line
Built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 25,516. Dimensions: 600' x 85' (640' o.l.). Propulsion: Twin-screw, 20 knots. Two steam turbines. Masts and Funnels: Single mast and one funnel. Laid down: September 30, 1953. Launched: June 22, 1955. Maiden voyage: Liverpool- Quebec-Montreal, April 19, 1956. Sister ship: Empress of England. Similar to: The new (1961) Empress of Canada.
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1908-06-26 Empress Of Britain Passenger List
Steamship Line: Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
Class of Passengers: Second Cabin
Date of Departure: 26 June 1908
Route: Liverpool to Quebec
Commander: Captain J. A. Murray
Sailor in Blue Uniform Plays the Bugle Adorns this Second Cabin Passenger List.
1909-04-09 RMS Empress of Britain Passenger List
Steamship Line: Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
Class of Passengers: Saloon
Date of Departure: 9 April 1909
Route: Liverpool to St. John, NB (Landing Mails at Halifax)
Commander: Captain J. A. Murray
An Embossed Sailor Playing the Bugle Figure Adorns this Saloon Passenger List.
1913-04-18 RMS Empress of Britain Passenger List
Steamship Line: Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
Class of Passengers: Second Saloon
Date of Departure: 18 April 1913
Route: St. John, NB to Liverpool
Commander: Captain Jas. A. Murray
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Empress of Britain World Cruise 1937
The Empress of Britain World Cruise from New York, January 9, 1937. Sailing Eastward for a Complete Circuit of the Globe. 30,000 Miles, 125 Days, 29 Ports, 22 Countries Including Bali. One Management--Ship and Shore. Canadian Pacific -- World's Greatest Travel System.
RMS Empress of Britain, World's Wonder Ship - 1938
This 1938 Brochure is Noteworthy Due to Its Use of Vivex Natural-Color Photographs. It includes Stunning Images of Many of the Public Spaces and Staterooms.
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Notable Steamers of 1907 - The Canadian Pacific Railway Company's RMS Empress of Britain. Photos Top to Bottom, Left then Right: First Class Café; First Class Smoking Room; Second CLass Dining Saloon; First Class Music Room; First Class Stateroom; and First Class Dining Saloon. GGA Image ID # 141b99c526
A Space to Live and a Space to Play on the RMS Empress of Britain. World Cruise 1936. GGA Image ID # 1e7916f2a6
Dancing Your Way Around the World on the RMS Empress of Britain. World Cruise 1936. GGA Image ID # 1e7944e00a
Sunbathers on the Spacious Sun Deck of the RMS Empress of Britain. World Cruise 1936. GGA Image ID # 1e796b52b1
Passengers Enjoy Walking on the Promenade Deck of the RMS Empress of Britain. World Cruise 1936. GGA Image ID # 1e79b9ec8f
Cozy Café in a Parlor Adjoining the Tennis Court on the RMS Empress of Britain. World Cruise 1936. GGA Image ID # 1e79cef3eb
Relaxing on a Deck Chair, Enjoying a Cup of Bouilion in the Morning With Fellow Passengers on the RMS Empress of Britain. World Cruise 1936. GGA Image ID # 1e79dc5bf7
The Salle Jacques Cartier, the Famous Dining Saloon on the RMS Empress of Britain. World Cruise 1936. GGA Image ID # 1e7a08e3a4
Collage of Scenes on Board the Empress of Britain. World Cruise 1936. Modern Barber Shop for Gentlemen, Turkish Bath, Frigidarium, a Beautician for Your Permanent Wave, and Ample Space for Deck Golf, Ping Pong, Quoits, and Other Deck Games. GGA Image ID # 1e7a476d46
The Empress of Britain Passing By the Famous Chateau Frontenac Hotel, Québec City, PQ. World Cruise 1936. GGA Image ID # 1e7ab5f296
The Empress Room, Designed by Sir John Lavery, R.A. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 21384ea855
The Mall, Designed by P. A. Staynes and A. H. Jones. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 2138652803
The Cathay Smoking Lounge, Designed by Edmund Dulac. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 21388ab973
The Salle Jacques Cartier, Designed by Frank Brangwyn, R.A. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 2138ac864e
Mayfair Lounge, Designed by Sir Charles Allom. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 2138c17a7f
The Grand Staircase, the Mall. Maurice Greiffenhagen's Great Historical Painting, " Champlain Welcomes His Bride to Quebec," Is at Its Head. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 21390f89f9
Knickerbocker Cocktail Bar, Designed by Heath Robinson. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 213913fb81
The Olympian Swimming Pool. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 213928e7aa
One of Many Moderately Priced Apartments With These Rooms, as With 75% of Apartments, Passengers Can Choose One With a Private Bathroom. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 213972ae6e
Suit No. 120-122 Consisting of Bedroom, Sitting Room, and Bath. Vivex Natural Color Photograph, Designed by P. A. Staynes. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 2139f0f431
Room 331 Is One Type of Single Apartment. Vivex Natural Color Photograph. Empress of Britain: The World's Wonder Ship, 1938. From the Chris Crofts Collection. GGA Image ID # 213a8ab85b
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Back Cover of Second Cabin Passenger List for the RMS Empress of Britain of the Canadian Pacific Line (CPR). GGA Image ID # 19f40db81e
Back Cover, Empress of Britain World Cruise 1937. GGA Image ID # 1e7d22f198
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Information for Passengers - 9 April 1909
Worth Knowing
The line of the Canadian Pacific Railway extends across Canada from St. John, New Brunswick, on the Atlantic Ocean, to the City of Vancouver on the Pacific Ocean, and it is the only transcontinental railway in America whose Passengers are carried without change of, cars from tidewater to tidewater.
It is the only system of railway "from Ocean to Ocean" under one management. Upon the Atlantic, this company operates a fleet of 14 ocean liners to and from Europe, and on the Pacific, a fleet of io steamships between Vancouver and China and Japan and Australia.
The recent great development or the Canadian Pacific System carries it beyond mere local interest to a position commanding the interest and admiration of the whole world. The Canadian Pacific Royal Mail Service, "The Overseas Mail " between London and Yokohama, Japan, and Hong Kong, China, is faster than by way of the Suez Canal.
The voyage from London and across the Western Hemisphere to Vancouver is made inside 11 days; from London to Yokohama. 23 days, and from London to Hong Kong, 29 days. The voyage from Liverpool to St. John, N.B. [the point of debarkation in winter] is 300 miles shorter than from Liverpool to New York. The Company already land Passengers from England to all interior points on the American Continent quicker than is done via New York.
The Natural advantages of the Canadian Route, the excellence of the accommodation provided on the C.P. R. Steamships and Railm ay, under one aggressive management, combine to make the C.P.R. route between Europe and the Orient the most attractive.
Marconi Wireless Telegrams.
Office on Board.
Rates at which messages can be transmitted by Marconi Wireless System, with which !Airship is equipped.
United Kingdom.—The Marconi rate via Crookhaven or other stations in the United Kingdom or through the medium of a passing steamer is sod. per word without minimum every word in address, text, and signature counted; landline charges additional; all fees must be prepaid.
Ship To Ship.-8d. per word without minimum; every word in address, text, and signature counted; all fees must be prepaid.
Canada.—The minimum Marconi rate via Quebec, Grosse Isle, Father Point, Clarke City, Fame Point, Heath Point, Whittle Rocks, Point Rich, Point Amour, Belle Isle, Cape Ray, or through the medium of a passing steamer and one of these stations, is 8s. .yd. for ten words. Each extra word, 6d. The minimum rate through the Cape Race station, or through the medium - of a passing steamer and this station, is 1,is. 6d. for ten words; each extra word, 9d. Text only counted; address and signature free; landline charges additional. All charges must be Prepaid.
Any further information can be obtained from the Purser or the Agent of the Marconi Company on board.
Source: RMS Empress of Britain Passenger List - 9 April 1909
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Information for Second Saloon Passengers Included in the 18 April 1913 Passenger List for the RMS Empress of Britain. GGA Image ID # 158430c467
Return Accomodation
It is necessary that passengers who have reserved return accommodations, confirm these reservations at any of the following C.P.R. Offices:
- Royal Liver Building, Pier Head, Liverpool
- 62 and 65 Charing Cross, London, S.W.
- 67 and 68 King William Street, London, E.C.
- 120 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland.
- 41 Victoria Street, Belfast, Ireland,
- 18 St. Augustine's Parade, Bristol, Eng.
- Winchester House, 4 Victoria Square, Coimore Row, Birmingham, Eng.
- Civic BIdgs. 1 Mount St., Manchester, Eng.
as early as possible after reaching England. This is important.
PASSENGERS MAIL. Representative wearing C.P.R. official badge meets all incoming and out-going steamers, and will solicit from passengers any Telegrams for immediate despatch.
A Canadian Pacific Railway Ticket Office on Board
This office is situated on the deck below the Saloon deck, where all in formation regarding railway tickets may he had.
Motor Tours in North Wales
"Special arrangements can be made for use of of Motor Char-a-banc (parties of not exceeding 30), for day tours from Liverpool through Chester and North Wales. For particulars apply to Purser."
Information About the Marconi Wireless Services for Passengers Onboard the RMS Empress of Britain in 1913. GGA Image ID # 15843ad37a
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Lights Approaching Liverpool via North of Ireland or via South of Ireland, 1913. GGA Image ID # 1584dce2db
Listing of the 23 Lights Approaching Canada, 1913. GGA Image ID # 1585051dda
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Unused Track Chart Included in the 18 April 1913 Second Saloon Passenger List for the RMS Empress of Britain. GGA Image ID # 1585924ae8
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Empress of Britain, New Luxury Liner. SS Empress of Canada First and Second Class Passenger List, 12 June 1930. GGA Image ID # 2173aa786c
The Canadian Pacific Steamships have in course of construction at Clydebank, near Glasgow, Scotland, a magnificent steamship of 40,000 tons, which will be engaged in service between Quebec, Southampton, and Cherbourg during 1931. The new ship will have de luxe accommodation hitherto not available. The vessel is expected to cross the Atlantic in five days and be named EMPRESS OF BRITAIN.
Advertisement: Empress of Britain, "Canada's Challenger." Canadian Pacific Five Day Atlantic Giantess. Tonnage 42,500. Speed 24 Knots. Launched by HRH The Prince of Wales, 11 June 1930. Sailings from Québec for 1931: June 6, June 27, July 18, August 5, August 19, September 5, September 26, October 14, and October 31. RMS Duchess of York Passenger List, 28 March 1931. GGA Image ID # 1e7ac17db5
Advertisement, The Short St. Lawrence Seaway to Europe and the Mammoth New Empress of Britain. RMS Duchess of York Passenger List, 28 March 1931. GGA Image ID # 1e7ad6442c
Empress of Britain 128-Day World Cruise. Four Full Months of the "Supreme Travel Experience." 57 Days Ashore -- 108 Ports and Places Including the Mediteranean, Egypt, the Holy Land, and a Trip to Peiping. RMS Duchess of Atholl Passenger List, 24 September 1937. GGA Image ID # 1e7b26de7a
Advertisement: Canadian Pacific Cruises for 1938-1938. Ships Included the Montcalm, Montclare, Empress of Australia, Empress of Britain, Duchess of Richmond, and Duchess of Atholl. SS Duchess of Richmond Cabin and Tourist Class Passenger List, 17 August 1937. GGA Image ID # 21310c993c
Empress of Britain World Cruise, 1938, Four Months of Supreme Travel Experience. Ports Included Monaco, Naples, Phaleron Bay for Athens, Palestine, Egypt, Bombay, Colombo, Penang, Singapore, Bangkok, Java, Bali, Manila, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chinwangtao for Peiping, Beppu, Kobe, Yokohama, Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Nageles, Balboa, Cristobal, New York. SS Duchess of Richmond Cabin and Tourist Class Passenger List, 17 August 1937. GGA Image ID # 21301c5323
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RMS Empress of Britain Sailings, 1913, Liverpool-St. John During the Winter Season and Liverpool-Montréal-Québec (St. Lawrence Route) from May through October. RMS Empress of Britain Passenger List, 18 April 1913. GGA Image ID # 1e7b7b4d58
Sailing Schedule, Liverpool-Québec-Montréal, Glasgow-Québec-Montréal, Southampton-Québec-Montréal, Antwerp-Québec-Montréal, Le Havre-Québec-Montréal, Trieste-Québec-Montréal, and Naples-Québec-Montréal, from 6 September 1921 to 3 November 1921. Ships Included the Corsican, Empress of Britain, Empress of France, Melita, Metagama, Minnedosa, Montreal, Pretorian, Scandinavian, and Tunisian. SS Metagama Passenger List, 6 September 1921. GGA Image ID # 1ec0341981
Sailing Schedule, Québec and Montréal to Liverpool, Glasgow, Southampton, Hamburg, or Antwerp, from 13 July 1923 to 18 August 1923. Ships Included the Empress of Britain, Empress of France, Empress of Scotland, Marburn, Melita, Metagama, Minnedosa, Montcalm, Montclare, Montlaurier, and Montrose. SS Montcalm Passenger List, 13 July 1923. GGA Image ID # 1ec219e521
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A Century of Sea Travel: Personal Accounts from the Steamship Era
This book is a voyage through the life of the passenger steamship, a voyage described by travellers who sailed on these vessels, and it carries within it their thoughts and experiences, mirrored here in words and pictures.
Classic Ocean Liners, Volume 1: Berengaria, Leviathan, & Majestic
An absorbing and detailed account of the three ships: Berengaria, Leviathan, & Majestic, 50,000-ton dinosaurs of the transatlantic lines in the years before World War I.
Doomed Ships: Great Ocean Liner Disasters
Naval historian William H. Miller, Jr. recounts the dramatic stories behind various ill-fated passenger ships. He takes readers beyond the newspaper headlines and formal inquiries, offering firsthand accounts of heroic rescues, daring escapes, and tragic losses.
The Fabulous Interiors of the Great Ocean Liners - 1984
Some 200 superb photographs—in long shots and close-ups—capture exquisite interiors of world's great "floating palaces"—1890s to 1980s: Titanic, Île de France, Queen Elizabeth, United States, Europa, more. Informative captions provide key details.
Here is the story of twentieth-century passenger shipping, from the first of the superliners — the German Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse — to Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary, right up to Queen Elizabeth 2.
Great Passenger Ships of the World 1858-1912
This initial volume deals with Ships from 1858-1912, from the first passenger ship of over 10,000 GRT to be placed in service (the Great Eastern) to those unforgettable sister ships, the Olympic and Titanic — the first of more than 40,000 GRT.
Great Passenger Ships of the World 1924-1935
Volume 3 in the series covers the years 1924-1935 and includes the introduction of the well-known superliners Normandie and Queen Mary, both of which successfully competed for the prestigious Blue Riband award for the fastest transatlantic crossing.
Great Passenger Ships of the World 1951-1976
This volume, covering the years 1951-1976, embraces a period of dramatic change in ocean travel, the growth in airline travel causing a sharp decline in passenger liner building and existing liners being increasingly used in the cruising role.
Liverpool and the Mersey, Vol. 1: Gladstone Dock and the Great Liners
More than 190 rare archive photographs and maps, many never before published, recount the story of this most famous dock and the Great passenger Ships that were once a regular sight there.
Majesty at Sea: The Four Stackers
The opulent and luxurious four-funnel passenger liners, of which only fourteen have ever been built, are unsurpassed in maritime history. Built between 1897 and 1921, these great vessels vied with each other in their standards of comfort, spaciousness, and speed, and great was the rivalry between their owners.
This book recreates the ambiance of the ocean linereraby showing the actual objects used on board. Each piece of ocean-liner memorabilia is like an aladdin's lamp, releasing wondrous memories of that grand style of travel.
Ocean Liners - Precursors, Apotheosis, Post War
Ocean Liners is a detailed look at nearly fifty fabulous ships that have provided pleasure, practicality, and fascination since the beginning of the century.
Ocean Steamers: A History of Ocean-Going Passenger Steamships 1820-1970
A history of the steam-powered passenger ship that details its story from the SS Savannah of 1819 to the SS Hamburg of 1969. It contains historical details of all civilian vessels built in the intervening years, with numerous illustrations and previously unpublished material.
Passenger Ships of the World - 1963
🎓 “A Global Voyage Through Steamship History for Historians, Genealogists, and Maritime Enthusiasts”
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:
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- Ship modelers, naval architects, and enthusiasts interested in dimensions, tonnage, and speed
Pictorial Encyclopedia of Ocean Liners, 1860-1994
One of the most comprehensive pictorial references on ocean liners ever published, this superb chronicle by noted maritime historian William H. Miller, Jr., depicts and describes virtually every passenger ship of over 15,000 tons built between 1860 and the late 1900s.
Picture History of British Ocean Liners: 1900 to the Present
Over 200 rare black-and-white illustrations provide views of the ships at sea and in port, glimpses of lavish staterooms, lounges, dining areas, onboard photos of celebrities and royalty, and much more.
Picture History of German and Dutch Passenger Ships
Picture History of German and Dutch Passenger Ships is a superbly illustrated volume that documents a long line of great ships--from "floating palaces" such as the Imperator (1913) and the Vaterland (1914) to such luxurious cruise ships as the Statendam (1957), Hamburg (1969), the remodeled Bremen (1990), and the new Deutschland (1998).
Picture History of the Andrea Doria
Graceful, fast, and luxuriously outfitted, the Andrea Doria was one of the most famous ships of the 20th century. On July 26, 1956, three years after its inaugural voyage, the famous Italian liner was assured of an immortal place in maritime history after colliding with another vessel off the New England coast and sinking.
Picture History of the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth
Powerful and fast Atlantic liners of the 1930s, this volume is packed with high-quality vintage photographs of the RMS Queen Mary and RMS Queen Elizabeth, from construction to heyday to eventual decline and their successor ships bearing the same name.
Sailing Seven Seas: History of the Canadian Pacific Line
With a witty and informative style, author Peter Pigott evokes-not only the nostalgic heyday of ocean travel but reveals a slice of almost-forgotten Canadiana.
THE ATLANTIC LINERS will be cherished by all the millions of Americans who love the sea. Frederick Emmons sketches the histories of every ocean liner that sailed between the United States and Europe between 1925 and 1970.
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