Philadelphia Passenger Lists 1878-1913
Passenger Lists available from the GG Archives from the Port of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Organized by Date of Departure, Steamship Line, Steamship or Ocean Liner, Class of Passengers, Route, and the Ship's Captain.
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the second largest city on the East Coast of the United States. During the 19th century, Philadelphia became a major industrial center and railroad hub that grew from an influx of European immigrants. It became a prime destination for African Americans during the Great Migration and surpassed two million occupants by 1950.
c1878 SS Pennsylvania Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin Class
Date of Departure: circa 1878
Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia
Commander: Captain Thomas R. Harris.
1895-06-15 SS Kensington Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 15 June 1895
Route: Philadelphia to Liverpool
Commander: Captain Robert Bond
1895-09-11 SS Rhynland Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 11 September 1895
Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia
Commander: Captain F. Loesewitz
1901-05-11 SS Westernland Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 11 May 1901
Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia via Queenstown (Cobh)
Commander: Captain C. R. Ehoff
1902-09-06 SS Westernland Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 6 September 1902
Route: Philadelphia to Liverpool
Commander: Captain Chas. R. Ehoff
1903-10-07 SS Haverford Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin Class
Date of Departure: 7 October 1903
Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia via Queenstown (Cobh)
Commander: Captain H. O. Neilsen
1905-08-16 SS Friesland Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Not Stated
Date of Departure: 16 August 1905
Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia
Commander: Captain C. J. Rogers
1906-08-22 SS Noordland Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Not Stated
Date of Departure: 22 August 1906
Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia
Commander: Captain Thomas Deans
1907-07-06 SS Friesland Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 6 July 1907
Route: Philadelphia to Liverpool
Commander: Captain C. J. Rogers
1910-07-02 SS Merion Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Second Cabin
Date of Departure: 2 July 1910
Route: Philadelphia to Queenstown and Liverpool
Commander: Captain J. B. Hill
1910-11-03 SS Brandenburg Passenger List
Steamship Line: Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd)
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 3 November 1910
Route: Bremen to Philadelphia
Commander: Captain H. Morgenstern
1910-11-17 SS Cassel Passenger List
Steamship Line: North German Lloyd / Norddeutscher Lloyd
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 17 November 1910
Route: Bremen to Philadelphia and Galveston
Commander: Captain H. Vogt
1911-05-24 SS Graf Waldersee Passenger List
Steamship Line: Hamburg Amerika Linie / Hamburg American Line (HAPAG)
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 24 May 1911
Route: Philadelphia to Hamburg
Commander: Captain P. Froehlich
1911-08-31 SS Dominion Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 31 August 1911
Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia via Queenstown (Cobh)
Commander: Captain W. L. Mendus
1913-08-27 SS Merion Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 27 August 1913
Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia
Commander: Captain J. Beattle Hill
1913-09-17 SS Dominion Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 17 September 1913
Route: Liverpool to Philadelphia via Queenstown (Cobh)
Commander: W. A. Morehouse
⚠️ About Accuracy in Historical Records Research Tip
Context. The GG Archives presents passenger lists as faithfully as possible to the original documents. While OCR is generally accurate, portions of these collections—especially image captions and some transcriptions—are typed by hand and may include typographical or spelling variations. The original manifests themselves also contained clerical inconsistencies (names recorded phonetically, mid-voyage corrections, etc.).
What this means for your research:
- Search variant spellings of names (e.g., “Schmidt/Schmitt/Smith,” “Giuseppe/Joseph”).
- Cross-reference with immigration cards, passport applications, naturalization files, city directories, and newspapers.
- Treat manifests as primary sources with historical quirks—use them alongside corroborating records.
- For place names, consider historical borders and language variants (e.g., Danzig/Gdańsk, Trieste/Trst).
How to cite. When quoting a name from a manifest, consider adding [sic] for obvious misspellings and include a note such as “spelling as printed in original passenger list.”
Need help? If you spot a likely transcription error in captions, feel free to contact us with the page URL and a brief note—we love community input. 🙏
Curator’s Note
For over 25 years, I've been dedicated to a unique mission: tracking down, curating, preserving, scanning, and transcribing historical materials. These materials, carefully researched, organized, and enriched with context, live on here at the GG Archives. Each passenger list isn't just posted — it's a testament to our commitment to helping you see the people and stories behind the names.
It hasn't always been easy. In the early years, I wasn't sure the site would survive, and I often paid the hosting bills out of my own pocket. But I never built this site for the money — I built it because I love history and believe it's worth preserving. It's a labor of love that I've dedicated myself to, and I'm committed to keeping it going.
If you've found something here that helped your research, sparked a family story, or just made you smile, I'd love to hear about it. Your experiences and stories are the real reward for me. And if you'd like to help keep this labor of love going, there's a "Contribute to the Website" link tucked away on our About page.
📜 History is worth keeping. Thanks for visiting and keeping it alive with me.
