Byron Company Steamship & Ocean Liner Photographs

A View of the Library on board the Pleasure Yacht Prinzessen Victoria Luise of the Hamburg American Line. Photograph by Byron, New York. Marine Engineering, September 1901. | GGA Image ID #

Discover the history of Joseph and Percy Byron, pioneering freelance photographers of New York City and transatlantic steamships. Learn how their maritime photographs—many now in the public domain—document ocean liner history and remain essential to genealogists, historians, and students.

The Byron Company was one of the most influential photography studios of New York City, producing iconic images of theater, society life, and ocean liners between the 1890s and mid-20th century. Joseph Byron and his son Percy captured ships, crews, and passengers at a time when ocean travel shaped migration, commerce, and culture. For teachers, students, genealogists, and maritime historians, their photographs remain invaluable visual records of the golden age of steamships.

Review & Summary ⚓

Joseph Byron (1847–1923) immigrated from England in 1888 and soon began photographing New York life, opening a studio in 1892. His reputation grew quickly, and his images appeared frequently in newspapers.

Percy C. Byron (1878–1959) followed in his father’s footsteps. After an interlude in Edmonton, Canada (1906–1917), where he co-founded the Byron-May Company (a photo-engraving business), Percy returned to New York and focused almost exclusively on maritime photography.

Percy became renowned as an ocean liner photographer, cultivating relationships with crews and passengers. His career pinnacle was serving as the official photographer on the maiden voyage of the legendary SS Normandie (1935).

The Byron family’s work spanned four generations, but Joseph and Percy defined its maritime focus, leaving a legacy of ship portraits, harbor scenes, and onboard photographs that today serve as historical treasures.

Relevance for Researchers 📚

For Genealogists & Family Historians: Byron photographs may capture ships ancestors traveled on, or even images of specific voyages.

For Teachers & Students: Their work provides a primary visual source for studying migration, ocean travel, and early 20th-century New York.

For Maritime Historians: Byron’s ocean liner images document ship design, passenger life, and key events, such as maiden voyages.

For Archivists: Understanding copyright status is crucial—many Byron photographs are now in the public domain.

Copyright & Public Domain Status 🖋️

Joseph Byron’s photographs (d. 1923) entered the public domain in the U.S. in 1993.

Percy Byron’s photographs (d. 1959) will enter the public domain in 2029 (life + 70 years).

Photographs published prior to 1928 are already in the public domain.

This ensures much of their early steamship work is openly available for study, publication, and teaching.

Key Takeaways 🌟

• Freelance photographers focused on salable, publishable images.
• Percy Byron specialized in steamship photography from 1917 onward.
• The Byron Company documented both New York City life and ocean liners.
• Their photographs are critical for those studying migration, ocean travel, and maritime history.

Related Links 🔗

Passenger Lists: Common Classifications of Passengers (FAQ)

Steerage and Immigrant Travel Conditions

SS Normandie Collection at GG Archives

Ocean Travel: Photographic Collections

🌍 Passenger List FAQ Series – About This Collection

The GG Archives Passenger List FAQ Series provides context, explanations, and historical insights into ocean travel between the 1880s and 1960s. These FAQs help readers understand how passenger lists were created, how they were used, and why they matter today.

Passenger lists were more than just travel records—they reveal immigration trends, social class divisions, maritime history, and cultural shifts. This FAQ series answers common questions researchers often ask, such as:

• Why did steamship companies mostly print First and Second Class passenger lists?
• How did class designations (Saloon, Cabin, Tourist Third Cabin, Steerage) evolve over time?
• What’s the difference between a souvenir passenger list and an official immigration manifest?
• How do maritime photographs and ephemera (like advertisements and menus) complement passenger list research?

By consolidating these insights, the FAQ series serves teachers preparing lessons, students writing essays, genealogists tracing family journeys, historians studying migration, and maritime enthusiasts exploring ocean liner culture.

Portraits of a Time, City Museum Edmonton, Alberta Canada. https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2014/09/25/portraits-of-a-time/

https://prabook.com/web/percy_claude.byron/1718393

New York Daily News. May 17, 1999.

"Playing In The Neighborhood". The New York Times. April 11, 1999. Retrieved 2009-02-11. From stage photography to society event portraits and then ship photography, the Byron Company documented the essence of New York City life from the turn of the century until the beginning of World War II.