Historic Ship Passenger Lists (1880s-1960s): Ellis Island & Beyond
Make the GG Archives Your Source for Ellis Island Passenger Lists, with Ports of Call in the USA, Canada, Australia, and Other World Ports, from the 1880s-1950s.
Early Passenger Lists Were Handwritten, but Once Printing Presses Became Commonplace on Many Steamships, the Ship Manifests Became a Souvenir of the Voyage. The Covers of Many Older Lists Contained Superb Graphics and Were Highly Prized by Collectors.
The GG Archives Has an Extensive Collection of These Passenger Records in Our Maritime Collection. Our Most Comprehensive Ship Passenger Arrival Records Are for the Cunard Line / Cunard White Star Line.
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.
The Lists of Passengers vary between Steamship Lines in Terms of Information Provided to Each Passenger. Additionally, on Many Voyages, Each Class Received a Separate Passenger List. In Contrast, Others Combined Multiple Classes into One or Two Lists for the Same Journey. Newspaper Reporters of the Era Were Usually on Hand to Review Passenger Arrivals for Vips and Other Noteworthy Passengers.
Ship Passenger Lists by Steamship Line
Allan Line Passenger Lists (1891-1913): A Century of Transatlantic Travel, Migration, and History
The Allan Line Passenger Lists (1891-1913) provide an invaluable historical archive of transatlantic travel, immigration, and maritime commerce. This extensive collection of passenger manifests offers a detailed snapshot of travelers, from wealthy elites to emigrants seeking new beginnings in North America. Covering voyages between the United Kingdom and North American ports such as Québec, Montréal, Halifax, Boston, and New York, these lists serve as an essential resource for genealogists, historians, educators, and maritime enthusiasts.
Each passenger list captures a unique historical moment, reflecting the social, economic, and political landscape of the time. From military officers and clergy to academics, business professionals, and entire migrating families, these manifests showcase a diverse mix of passengers whose lives intersected across the Atlantic.
American Export Lines Passenger Lists (1932-1954): Elite Transatlantic Travel & Migration Records
An Unparalleled Archive of Transatlantic Travel 🌍⚓
The American Export Lines Passenger List Collection (1932-1954), available at the Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives, is a goldmine of historical maritime records. Covering over two decades of transatlantic travel, these lists document luxurious voyages, diplomatic missions, wartime evacuations, postwar migrations, and elite tourism.
From the pre-World War II era to the dawn of the jet age, these records provide an invaluable look at the people who shaped history—military leaders, government officials, Hollywood celebrities, aristocrats, business moguls, and intellectuals.
Passenger Lists of the American Line that covered the transatlantic routes between the ports of Southampton and New York, Liverpool and Philadelphia and calling on Cherbourg, Queenstown (Cobh) and sometimes Plymouth.
American Merchant Lines Passenger Lists
As a Division of the United States Lines, American Merchant Lines operated transatlantic services between the ports of New York, Plymouth, and London. They uniquely named their vessels -- all starting with the word "American" followed by other common merchant terms including Banker, Farmer, Merchant, Shipper, and Trader.
Anchor Steamship Line Passenger Lists
The transatlantic voyages of the Anchor Line typically operated between Glasgow, Scotland and New York with stops in Moville, Liverpool, Queenstown (Cobh), and Halifax N.S.
Atlantic Transport Line Passenger Lists
Passenger Lists for the Atlantic Transport Line that operated transatlantic passenger service primarily between New York and London from 1881 to 1936. It was an American owned company that was operated by the British and sailed under the British flag.
Baltimore Mail Line Passenger Lists
The Baltimore Mail Line (Baltimore Mail Steamship Company) was primarily a mail and cargo services line that also carried a limited number of passengers (passenger capacity was about 80 Tourist Class). They operated regular weekly service between the US Ports of Baltimore and Norfolk to the European Ports of Le Havre, France, and Hamburg, Germany. They had the misfortune of being in operation only during the depression years, 1931 until 1938.
Canadian Pacific Line Passenger Lists
All Canadian Pacific Line Passenger Lists from 1908 through 1953, including Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and Canadian Pacific Ocean Services (CPOS).
Cunard Line Passenger Lists from the 1880s-1960 at the GG Archives. Most of these lists cover transatlantic voyages between Europe and North America.
Cunard White Star Line Passenger Lists
The Cunard White Star Line (1934-1949) was formed as a merger of the two once giant steamship lines - The Cunard Steam Ship Company and the White Star Line. See Cunard Line Passenger Lists (for ship names ending with "ia" or the "Queens") and White Star Line Passenger Lists (For ship names ending with "ic").
Dominion Line Royal Mail Steamers offered excellent accommodations for Saloon, Second Cabin, and Steerage passengers at moderate rates. Ports of call included Liverpool, Halifax, Boston, Portland (ME), Quebec, Montreal, Naples, Azores, and Queenstown (Cobh).
Fabre Lines (Compagnie de Navigation Cyprien-Fabre) ports of call included New York, Providence, Horta, Angra (Angra do Heroísmo), Ponta Delgada, Lisbon, Barcelona, Marseilles, Algiers, Naples, and Nice. Established in 1911, the “Fabre Line” a French steamship company of Marseilles, France, turned the Port of Providence into one of the major immigrant arrival destinations in America.
The CGT French Line had regular sailings between New York, Plymouth (England), and Le Havre. They were known for their exquisite graphical covers.
Hamburg America Line Passenger Lists
Hamburg America Line Aka: Hamburg Amerika Linie, Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft (HAPAG). The Hamburg American Line (The Anglicized Name They Preferred) was one of the significant steamship companies to handle the immigrant trade. Their primary route was Hamburg to New York via Southampton.
Holland-America Line Passenger Lists
AKA HAL or N.A.S.M (Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij). Passenger lists from the voyages of the Holland-America Line, a Steamship Company of the Netherlands that covered the transatlantic routes between the ports of Rotterdam and New York, and occasionally calling on the ports of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Plymouth, Southampton, Boston, and Halifax.
Italian Steamship Lines Passenger Lists
Italian Steamship Lines Passenger Lists includes Ships form Italia-Sabaudo, Lloyd Sabaudo, NGI-Italian Line, and Societa di Navigazione Italia.
The Leyland Line formed during the early 1880s sailed between Boston and Liverpool and was one of the pioneers in presenting accommodations for first-class passengers exclusively, on steamers of large tonnage and steady sea-going qualities; and the present success of the Leyland fleet amply confirms the wisdom of this innovation.
North German Lloyd Passenger Lists
Passenger Lists from the Voyages of the Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen (North German Lloyd). The company runs many lines from its headquarters at Bremen; among them are those to New York - a line of express steamers and a line of ordinary mail steamers, all calling at Southampton or Cherbourg.
Norwegian-America Line Passenger Lists
Passenger Lists of the Den Norske Amerikalinje / Norwegian-America Line (NAL). The transatlantic voyages between Oslo and New York were made with the following Ocean Liners: Kristianiafjord, Bergensfjord, Oslofjord, and Stavangerfjord.
Outstanding service is that of the Red Star Line from the ports of New York and Philadelphia to Belgium, via England and France. In this are engaged such splendid steamers as the Belgenland, famous for her winter world cruises, the Lapland and the Cabin class steamers, Pennland and Zeeland.
Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (RMSP) Passenger Lists
Passenger Lists of the R.M.S.P. - The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company that provided transatlantic passenger services to and from Hamburg, Cherbourg, Southampton and New York and on occasion Quebec.
Scandinavian American Line Passenger Lists
Favored by those who cross the Atlantic for pleasure and for business, the Scandinavian-American Line -- the descriptive name under which the company operates its passenger service between the United States and the Scandinavian countries, typifies everything that makes ocean travel a delight.
Swedish American Line Passenger Lists
The Swedish American Line / Svenska Amerika Linien began transatlantic service in 1915 and offered passenger, freight, and mail service direct between New York and Gothenburg, Sweden.
Union-Castle Line Passenger Lists
The Royal Mail Steamers of the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co., Ltd., Sail from Southampton Every Saturday with Passengers and Cargo for Cape Colony and Natal, Calling at Madeira.
United American Lines Passenger Lists
The United American Lines has its principal steamers, the Resolute, Reliance, and Cleveland, under the Panama Flag. They also operated three passenger vessels of the third class in the New York-Hamburg run.
United States Lines Passenger Lists
United States Lines (USL) was the only US Government owned Steamship Line that featured its flagship the SS Leviathan. They sailed between Bremen, Cherbourg, Southampton, and New York.
White Star Line Passenger Lists
The White Star Line Passenger List collection primarily features transatlantic ships between Southampton, Liverpool, and New York from 1889-1939.
Other Steamship Lines Passenger Lists
Small passenger list collections from other steamship lines, including the Aberdeen Line, American Mail Line, Anchor-Donaldson, Donaldson-Atlantic, Donaldson Line, Furness-Bermuda, Grace Line, Home Lines, Inman Line, KNSM, Nordefjeldske, Orient Line, PSNC, Panama-Pacific Line, Royal Mail Lines, State Line, White Star-Dominion, and Yeoward Line.
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Browse Our Collections of Ship Passenger Lists
The option to browse our passenger list collection by the ship's name will assist researchers in focusing their search on a specific vessel without requiring other information such as steamship line or year/date of a voyage to locate the list of passengers.
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Organized by Port of Call, the listings for Digitized Passenger Lists of the GG Archives typically include the date, vessel, route, and class for voyages that originated from or called upon a port listed.
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The Ship Passenger Lists by Year of Voyage page from the Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives serves as a comprehensive historical resource for researchers, genealogists, and maritime enthusiasts. It organizes passenger lists chronologically, covering voyages from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, detailing migration patterns, notable ships, and key historical events that influenced transatlantic and global travel.
What makes this collection particularly valuable is its breadth and diversity, capturing everything from early steamship crossings to the golden age of ocean liners, wartime transport, and the gradual transition to air travel. The passenger lists, often presented as souvenir documents, highlight class distinctions, major shipping lines, and significant global migration trends.
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Organized by Region (Australian, Canadian, French, German, Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, and South African), the listings typically include the date, vessel, route, and class for voyages that originated from or were called upon a port listed.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Passenger Lists
Passenger Lists, Ships List, and Passenger Manifests all seem to mean the same thing, but what are the differences, and how can you utilize these documents most effectively? The GG Archives provides several topical articles covering passenger lists.
Recap and Summary of "Ellis Island Passenger Lists (1880s-1960s)"
This section of the GG Archives is a treasure trove for anyone researching historical passenger lists, particularly those tied to Ellis Island and other major ports from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. These lists provide a unique snapshot of ocean travel history, covering steamship voyages, migration patterns, and notable passengers.
The collection spans multiple continents, documenting voyages from Europe, North America, Australia, and beyond. With records from major steamship lines like Cunard, White Star, Hamburg America, and North German Lloyd, this archive is a goldmine for genealogists, historians, educators, and maritime enthusiasts.
Most Interesting Content Highlights:
1. Evolution of Passenger Lists: From Handwritten Records to Printed Souvenirs
- Early ship manifests were handwritten, but as printing presses became common on ocean liners, passenger lists transformed into souvenir booklets featuring artistic covers and voyage details.
- These souvenir lists often contained unique information not found in official immigration records, making them highly valuable for family historians and collectors.
2. The Significance of Ellis Island Passenger Records
- Ellis Island was the primary gateway for millions of immigrants arriving in the United States from the 1880s to the early 1950s.
- The GG Archives collection includes passenger lists from voyages bound for Ellis Island, providing crucial details on passengers’ origins, ship names, and dates of arrival.
- Essential for genealogists tracing ancestry, as these records help connect families to their immigrant past.
3. Variety of Steamship Lines & Routes
- The archive is organized by steamship line, port of call, year, and region, allowing for easy navigation.
- Featured steamship lines include:
- Cunard Line & Cunard White Star Line (1880s-1960s) – Known for transatlantic routes, including famous ships like RMS Aquitania and RMS Lusitania.
- White Star Line (1889-1939) – Operators of the Titanic and Olympic.
- Hamburg America Line & North German Lloyd – Important for German immigration to the US.
- Red Star Line & Holland-America Line – Key lines for Belgian and Dutch migration.
- Italian, Scandinavian, and French Lines – Vital for Southern and Northern European migration.
4. Differences Between Passenger Lists
- Variations in passenger list formats:
- Some steamship lines issued separate lists for each class (First Class, Second Class, Steerage).
- Others combined all passengers into one or two lists per voyage.
- Newspaper reporters often reviewed arrivals for VIPs and notable passengers, adding another layer of historical insight.
5. Passenger Lists as a Research Tool
- These documents are invaluable for:
- Genealogists looking to trace family migration.
- Historians studying immigration trends and transatlantic travel.
- Educators teaching about Ellis Island and global migration.
- Collectors and maritime enthusiasts interested in vintage ocean liner ephemera.
Navigation and Browsing Features
- The GG Archives' passenger list collection is well-organized to help researchers find relevant documents quickly. Users can browse by:
- Steamship Line
- Ship Name
- Port of Call
- Year of Voyage
- Region (e.g., Canadian, Australian, French, German, Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, South African)
- Additional resources include:
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on how to interpret and utilize passenger lists.
- Passenger list guides explaining the differences between manifests, ships lists, and immigration records.
Conclusion: A Vital Resource for Maritime and Immigration History
Historic Ship Passenger Lists (1880s-1960s): Ellis Island & Beyond section of the GG Archives is an indispensable resource for genealogists, historians, educators, and maritime enthusiasts. Whether you're tracing an ancestor’s journey, researching a historic voyage, or collecting vintage maritime ephemera, this collection preserves and illuminates the rich history of ocean travel and global migration.
