Ellis Island Passenger Lists - 1953
Norwegian America Line Eastbound Passage Contract dated 14 July 1953 for First Class Passage on the SS Oslofjord from New York to Bergen for $295. The return voyage on the Oslofjord from Kristiansand to New York costs $350.00. In 2022, the relative values of $295.00 from 1953 range from $2,590.00 to $19,500.00. The Real Price of that Commodity is $3,230.00. (Samuel H. Williamson, "Seven Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount, 1790 to present," MeasuringWorth, 2023.) From the Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives Passage Contracts Collection. GGA Image ID # 205c55829c
Passenger lists for 1953 represent the souvenir list provided to the passengers of each cabin class (and other classes). Many of these souvenir passenger lists have disappeared over the years. Our collection primarily covers North American and European ports and ports in Australia and South Africa.
Our collection contains samples of passenger lists produced and printed by the steamship lines. They are often used to illustrate family history books for immigrants from this period in time.
Coveted by collectors and genealogists, souvenir passenger lists often offered beautiful graphical covers and information not found in official manifests because they focused on the journey rather than the destination.
![GGA Image ID # 11c6cb31a2 Front Cover, SS Empress of Scotland Passenger List - 21 January 1953.](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CanadianPacific-CPOS/EmpressOfScotland/1953-01-21/FirstClass-Tourist/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-01-21 SS Empress of Scotland Passenger List
Steamship Line: Canadian Pacific Line
Class of Passengers: First Class and Tourist
Date of Departure: 21 January 1953
Route: Southampton to Halifax, NS and New York via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain C. E. Duggan, R.D., A.D.C., R.N.R.
![GGA Image ID # 12c6bd0e38 Front Cover, Norwegian-America Line SS Stavangerfjord First, Cabin, and Tourist Class Passenger List - 10 February 1953.](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/NorwegianAmericanLine/Stavangerfjord/1953-02-10/AllClasses/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-02-10 SS Stavangerfjord Passenger List
Steamship Line: Norwegian-America Line
Class of Passengers: First, Cabin, and Tourist
Date of Departure: 10 February 1953
Route: Oslo to New York via Copenhagen and Kristiansand
Commander: Captain Olaf Bjørnstad
![GGA Image ID # 172a54279f Front Cover of a Tourist Class Passenger List from the RMS Scythia of the Cunard Line, Departing 20 March 1953 from Southampton to Halifax via Le Havre](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CunardLine/Scythia/1953-03-20/TC/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-03-20 RMS Scythia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 20 March 1953
Route: Southampton to Halifax via Le Havre
Commander: Captain A. MacKellar, R.D., R.N.R.
![GGA Image ID # 1670e71404 Front Cover of a Tourist Class Passenger List from the RMS Queen Mary of the Cunard Line, Departing 28 March 1953 from New York to Southampton via Cherbourg](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CunardLine/QueenMary/1953-03-28/TC/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-03-28 RMS Queen Mary Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 28 March 1953
Route: New York to Southampton via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain C. I. Thompson
![GGA Image ID # 172e7b341d Front Cover of a Tourist Class Passenger List from the MV Britannic of the Cunard Line, Departing 10 April 1953 from Liverpool to New York via Cobh](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CunardLine/Britannic/1953-04-10/TC/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-04-10 MV Britannic Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 10 April 1953
Route: Liverpool to New York via Cobh
Commander: Captain J. W. Caunce, R.D., R.N.R.
![GGA Image ID # 16cbbadf29 Front Cover of a Tourist Class Passenger List from the RMS Queen Elizabeth of the Cunard Line, Departing 11 June 1953 from Southampton to New York via Cherbourg](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CunardLine/QueenElizabeth/1953-06-11/TC/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-06-11 RMS Queen Elizabeth Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 11 June 1953
Route: Southampton to New York via Cherbourg
Commander: Commodore H. Grattidge, O.B.E
![GGA Image ID # 1671366bc2 Front Cover of a Cabin Class Passenger List from the RMS Queen Mary of the Cunard Line, Departing 1 July 1953 from Southampton to New York via Cherbourg](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CunardLine/QueenMary/1953-07-01/CC/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-07-01 RMS Queen Mary Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Cabin Class
Date of Departure: 1 July 1953
Route: Southampton to New York via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain D. W. Sorrell
![Front Cover, SS Stavangerfjord Passenger List - 14 July 1953](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/NorwegianAmericanLine/Stavangerfjord/1953-07-14/AllClasses/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-07-14 SS Stavangerfjord Passenger List
Steamship Line: Norwegian America Line / Den Norske Amerikalinje (NAL)
Class of Passengers: First Class, Cabin, and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 14 July 1953
Route: New York to Oslo via Bergen, Stavanger, and Kristiansand
Commander: Captain Olaf Bjørnstad, R.N.R.
![1953-07-15 SS Maasdam](../../../HistoricalImages/PassengerLists/HollandAmerica/Maasdam/1953-07-15/TouristClass/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-07-15 SS Maasdam Passenger List
Cruise Line: Holland-America Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist
Date of Departure: 15 July 1953
Route: Rotterdam to New York via Le Havre, Southampton, and Cobh
Commander: Captain J. B. Van Gaart
![GGA Image ID # 12c748b4d3 Front Cover, Swedish American Line MS Gripsholm Tourist Passenger List - 17 July 1953.](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/SwedishAmericanLine/Gripsholm/1953-07-17/Tourist/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-07-17 SS Gripsholm Passenger List
Steamship Line: Swedish American Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist
Date of Departure: 17 July 1953
Route: Gotheburg to New York
Commander: Captain S. Ericson
![1953-08-02 Passenger List for SS Independence](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/AmericanExportLines/Independence/1953-08-02/Cabin/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-08-02 SS Independence Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Export Lines
Class of Passengers: Cabin
Date of Departure: 2 August 1953
Route: Naples to New York via Genoa, Cannes, and Gibraltar
Commander: Captain Ernest H. Nelson
![GGA Image ID # 172c237cfd Front Cover of a First Class Passenger List from the RMS Mauretania of the Cunard Line, Departing 4 August 1953 from Southampton to New York Via Le Havre and Cobh](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CunardLine/Mauretania/1953-08-04/1C/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-08-04 RMS Mauretania Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 4 August 1953
Route: Southampton to New York Via Le Havre and Cobh
Commander: Captain D. W. Sorrell.
![GGA Image ID # 167141d9ac Front Cover of a Tourist Class Passenger List from the RMS Queen Mary of the Cunard Line, Departing 12 August 1953 from New York to Southampton via Cherbourg](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CunardLine/QueenMary/1953-08-12/TC/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-08-12 RMS Queen Mary Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 12 August 1953
Route: New York to Southampton via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain C. I. Thompson
![1953-08-21 Passenger List for SS Constitution](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/AmericanExportLines/Constitution/1953-08-21/FirstClass/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-08-21 SS Constitution Passenger List
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 21 August 1953
Route: New York to Naples via Gibraltar, Cannes, and Genoa
Commander: Captain Ernest H. Nelson
![GGA Image ID # 163f2cc204 Front Cover of a First Class Passenger List from the SS Independence of the American Export Lines, Departing 24 August 1953 from Naples to New York via Genoa, Cannes and Gibraltar](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/AmericanExportLines/Independence/1953-08-24/1C/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-08-24 SS Independence Passenger List
Steamship Line: American Export Lines
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 24 August 1953
Route: Naples to New York via Genoa, Cannes and Gibraltar,
Commander: Captain Hugh L. Switzer
![GGA Image ID # 1167709650 Front Cover, SS Empress of France First Class and Tourist Passenger List - 15 September 1953](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CanadianPacific-CPOS/EmpressOfFrance/1953-09-15/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-09-15 SS Empress of France Passenger List
Steamship Line: Canadian Pacific Line
Class of Passengers: First Class and Tourist
Date of Departure: 15 September 1953
Route: Liverpool to Québec and Montréal
Commander: Captain C. L. Bell, R.D., R.N.R.
![GGA Image ID # 167175c90d Front Cover of a Tourist Class Passenger List from the RMS Queen Mary of the Cunard Line, Departing 16 September 1953 from Southampton to New York via Cherbourg](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CunardLine/QueenMary/1953-09-16/TC/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-09-16 RMS Queen Mary Passenger List
Steamship Line: Cunard Line
Class of Passengers: Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 16 September 1953
Route: Southampton to New York via Cherbourg
Commander: Captain D. W. Sorrell
![GGA Image ID # 1f423a84f3 Front Cover of a First Class Passenger List from the SS Gripsholm of the Swedish American Line, Departing 22 October 1953 from Gothenburg To New York](../../../Images600/OT/PL/SAL/Gripsholm/1953-10-22/1C/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-10-22 SS Gripsholm Passenger List
Steamship Line: Swedish American Line / Svenska Amerika Linien
Class of Passengers: First Class
Date of Departure: 22 October 1953
Route: Gothenburg To New York
Commander: Captain S. ERICSON
![GGA Image ID # 1f72346711 Front Cover of a First Class, Cabin, and Tourist Class Passenger List from the TSS Nieuw Amsterdam of the Holland-America Line, Departing 5 November 1953 from Rotterdam to New York via Le Havre and Southampton.](../../../Images600/OT/PL/HAL/NieuwAmsterdam/1953-11-05/1C-CC-TC/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-11-05 TSS Nieuw Amsterdam Passenger List
Steamship Line: Holland-America Line / Netherlands American Steam Navigation Company (NASM)
Class of Passengers: First, Cabin, and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 5 November 1953
Route: Rotterdam to New York via Le Havre and Southampton
Commander: Captain C. VISSER
![Front Cover, CPOS Passenger List for the 16 December 1953 Voyage of the SS Empress of Australia.](../../../Images600/PassengerLists/CanadianPacific-CPOS/EmpressOfAustralia/1953-12-16/FirstClass-Tourist/01-FrontCover-250.jpg)
1953-12-16 SS Empress of Australia Passenger List
Steamship Line: Canadian Pacific Line
Class of Passengers: First and Tourist Class
Date of Departure: 16 December 1953
Route: Liverpool to Saint John, NB
Commander: Captain C. L. de H. Bell, D.S.C., R.D., R.N.R.
Other 1953 Passenger Lists Not Digitized
- 1953-06-06 Maasdam, Holland-America Line, Tourist, New York to Rotterdam via Cobh, Southampton and Le Havre, Captain J. B. van Gaart
- 1953-08-01 Ryndam, Holland-America Line, Tourist, Rotterdam to New York via Le Havre and Southampton, Captain J. P. Boshoff
- 1953-08-21 Liberté, CGT-French Line, Cabin and Tourist, Le Havre to New York via Southampton, Captain Paul Kerharo
- 1953-10-06 United States, United States Lines, Cabin, Southampton to New York via Le Havre, Commodore John W. Anderson, Capt., U.S.N.R.
- 1953-10-06 United States, United States Lines, Tourist, Southampton to New York via Le Havre, Commodore John W. Anderson, Capt., U.S.N.R.
Please help us make our passenger list collection more complete. We would appreciate a digital copy if you have an 1953 souvenir passenger list. Please email us at [email protected].