Information Included in Passenger Lists

Front Cover, SS Werra Cabin Class Passenger List of the Norddeutscher Lloyd from 3 May 1890. | GGA Image ID # 2323d206a3

🚢 Introduction

The GG Archives holds one of the most significant collections of digitized passenger lists available online. With nearly two thousand documents dating from the 1880s through the 1960s, these lists capture the stories of travelers who crossed the Atlantic, Pacific, and beyond. Whether emigrants seeking new lives, tourists exploring the world, or business leaders bridging continents, these lists preserve the names, journeys, and contexts of millions.

🗂️ How the Collections Are Organized

Our passenger list holdings are arranged for ease of access:

By Steamship Line – From Cunard and White Star to Anchor Line, North German Lloyd, and beyond.

By Ship – Individual vessels often have multiple voyages represented, allowing researchers to track repeat crossings.

By Date of Voyage – Chronological arrangement highlights patterns of seasonal travel and migration waves.

Cruise Voyages – While our primary focus is transatlantic travel, select cruise passenger lists illustrate leisure travel trends in the early 20th century.

📑 Common Features in Passenger Lists

Names of Passengers — often organized by class (Saloon, Second Cabin, Steerage).

Home Addresses (sometimes included, especially in German lines).

Ship & Company Information — details about the vessel, its fleet, or services.

Meal Times & Regulations — helping passengers adjust to shipboard life.

Senior Officers & Staff — captain, purser, surgeon, and sometimes stewardess.

Fleet Lists — highlighting the broader line’s services and routes.

Advertisements — ranging from future sailings to luxury hotels abroad, railroads, or connecting steamships.

Track Charts & Memorandum of Log — unique to many Cunard and White Star lists.

Photographs or Illustrations — Graphic artwork and typography that make each list a collectible artifact.

🎁 Passenger Lists as Souvenirs

Every cabin passenger usually received a printed copy, often distributed in the saloon shortly after departure. Some lines even handed them out at the gangplank, so friends could follow the names of travelers and speculate about their voyages.

These keepsakes were cherished long after arrival, serving as reminders of the voyage and as valuable aids in forming — or avoiding — social connections on board.

📰 Onboard Publications

On larger vessels, miniature newspapers were sometimes printed during the voyage. They included:

“Local” gossip and anecdotes.

Passenger-contributed articles.

Reports of concerts, games, and other entertainment.

List of Saloon or FIrst Class Passengers

These ephemeral papers, paired with the lists, capture the unique culture of life at sea.

📚 Why This Matters

Passenger lists are invaluable for a wide range of audiences:

Genealogists can locate ancestors, track family migrations, and uncover new leads.

Historians gain insight into immigration, tourism, and the evolution of ocean travel.

Educators & Students use these lists to illustrate the realities of migration, social class, and cultural exchange.

Collectors treasure the design, artwork, and ephemera of a bygone era.

🌍 Scope of the Collections

The Archives includes voyages across the major oceans and to key destinations:

Transatlantic Crossings – The heart of immigration to North America.

Transpacific Voyages – Connections between the U.S. and Asia.

Colonial Routes – Linking Europe with Africa, Australia, and South America.

Leisure Cruises – Early examples of tourism before the modern cruise industry.

💬 Conclusion

While not every list contained the same details, each one was a carefully crafted document that blended recordkeeping with marketing and memory. Today, these lists remain prized by collectors and indispensable for genealogical and historical research.

Together, these collections provide a sweeping view of global mobility during the steamship era. Organized for researchers, educators, genealogists, and enthusiasts, they highlight the human side of maritime history while preserving the artistry and cultural context of passenger list ephemera.

The GG Archives remains committed to expanding and enriching this resource, ensuring future generations can explore the journeys that shaped the modern world.

Example Page Listing Cabin Class Passengers From the Ss Werra, 3 May 1890, That Shows the Name and Home Town of the Passenger. Note: “Do." Is Ditto the Line Above With the Same Hometown. | GGA Image ID # 23243bf17a

🔗 Related Links

Information Included in Passenger Lists
– What details were recorded, from names and addresses to voyage charts and shipboard advertisements.

Passenger Lists by Steamship Line
– Organized access to collections from Cunard, White Star, Anchor Line, and many others.

Passenger Lists by Year
– Chronological navigation from the 1880s through the 1960s.

Immigrant Passenger Lists
– Resources focused on migration and settlement in North America.

Ephemera & Design in Passenger Lists
– Learn about the artwork, typography, and advertising that made these lists collectible souvenirs.