Postcards from the Allan Line
The GG Archives has a small collection of the very rare Allan Line Royal Mail Steamers, Established in 1852, later purchased by the Canadian Pacific in 1917. Our series of postally used and unused postcards date from the early 1900s.
Allan Line Steamer at Liverpool Landing Stage - 1913
Allan Line Steamer Docked at the Liverpool Landing Stage. GGA Image # 71689ba5ef
Back Side of Allan Line Steamship at Liverpool Landing Stage. GGA Image # 6458ab22f4
Allan Line Steamer at Liverpool Landing Stage. Postally Used on 9 July 1913, the scene captures a typical departure of a passenger steamship, showing passengers, visitors, and cargo on the landing stage.
Title: Postcard of an Allan Line Steamship at the Liverpool Landing Stage
GGA Image ID: 71689ba5ef (front) and 6458ab22f4 (back)
Creator: Valentines Series, UK
Form/Genre: Postcard
Date: c. 1910-1915, Postally Used 9 July 1913
Citation: Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives, Vintage Ocean Travel Postcard Collection, Box PC-01, Folder: Allan Line, GGA Image ID # 71689ba5ef
Summary
An unidentified Allan Line Steamship (RMS Ionian?) at the Liverpool Landing Stage. The view is from the west. The large transatlantic liners come alongside the stage on their arrival at and departure from the Port of Liverpool at all states of the tide, and embark and disembark their passengers with the luggage, mails, and cargo. The Riveride Railway Station, constructed in 1895 for the special benefit of travelers who desired to proceed immediately to or arrive direct from London. The station occupies a position between the Landing Stage and the west side of Princes Dock, and has a total length of 790 feet. The Riverside Station is just out of view of the right edge of the scene of this postcard. A tugboat appears beside the bow of the ship. Passengers and visitors can be scene walking on the Landing Stage promenade. Wagons loaded with luggage can be scene on the front right side of the promenade. The front of the postcard has no border.
Subject
Allan Royal Mail Steamship Line
Steamships and Ocean Liners
Port of Liverpool
Historic Image of Liverpool Landing Stage
Notes
The postcard is unnumbered. Produced by Valentines Series, Printed in Great Britain.
This postcard is located at the Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives, Atlanta, Georgia
Box PC-PC-01, Folder: Allan Line, GGA Image ID # 71689ba5ef
Date
c. 1913
Topic
Ports and Harbors, Liverpool, England UK
Allan Line Royal Mail Steamships
Postcard, Color
Liverpool Landing Stage
Form/Genre
Postcard
Paper
ID Number
71689ba5ef (front) and 6458ab22f4 (back)
Physical description
Number of Images: 2; Color: Color; Size: 5.5w x 3.5h; Type of Image: Postcard; Medium: Paper
The S.S. Corsican
Allan Line S.S. Corsican Hands Across The Sea. GGA Image # 87dfbf31f4
The Famous "Hands Across the Sea" Postcard Series incorporating the Ocean Liner Corsican in a painting of her at sea. Postally Used in 1913. The back side appears below.
Back Side of Allan Line S.S. Corsican Hands Across The Sea. GGA Image # 9708cc6c04
R.M.S. Corsican of the Allan Line to Canada. GGA Image # 88b9674146
The Allan Line to Canada Postcard featuring the RMS Corsican at sea. The postcard was posted at sea, most likely from an eastbound voyage in July 1911. The back side appears below.
Back Side of R.M.S. Corsican of the Allan Line to Canada. GGA Image # 56bb9c2f4a
The R.M.S. Grampian
R.M.S. Grampian of the Allan Line. GGA Image # 384510092a
Postally unused postcard, published by C. W. Hunt & Co., Liverpool. The RMS Grampian was 10,900 tons, 60 feet wide (Breadth), and 485 feet in length. The image shows the ship at sea at cruising speed. The back side appears below.
Back Side of the R.M.S. Grampian of the Allan Line GGA Image # 7798e2c38c
RMS Laurentian
R.M.S. Laurentian Near Harbor - 1908. GGA Image # 906edad94d
The postally used postcard canceled in Greenock on 24 October 1906, was published by The Art Publishing Company Glasgow. The scene depicts the S.S. Laurentian leaving the harbor, the tug boat guiding her out shown in the distance. The back side appears below.
Back Side of R.M.S. Laurentian Near Harbor - 1908 GGA Immage # 95105f7424
The RMS Pretorian
S.S. Pretorian Hands Across the Sea - 1913 GGA Image # 9b95919ffe
The famous Hands Across the Sea features the S.S. Pretorian in a most vibrant colorful painting of her in the open seas. Postally used in Halifax, NS on 27 March 1913, the postcard was formerly part of the Thomas A. E. Stanley Collection. In the back side below, the sender mentions receiving a letter at Liverpool on the ship.
Back Side of S.S. Pretorian Hands Across the Sea - 1913 GGA Image # 52ee7f4292
RMS Tunisian
S.S. Tunisian (Allan Line), Leaving Montreal - 1911 GGA Image # 53b44900a8
Unique postcard of the S.S. Tunisian of the Allan Line, leaving Montreal for Liverpool. The scene of the ship on the St. Lawrence River is magnificent. Postally used on 11 December 1911 in Yonge Mills, Ontario, it lives up to its moniker of "Souvenir Post Card." The back side appears below.
Back Side of S.S. Tunisian (Allan Line), Leaving Montreal - 1911. GGA Image # 5c3e23d7c6
S.S. Tunisian Near Shoreline - 1906. GGA Image # 5e6a25bf7a
One scarce card, double stamped with two different ship names on the front -- namely the SS Tunisian and SS Pretorian -- as if they couldn't quite decide what ship was represented in this scene. The view of the vessel is near the shoreline, either leaving or entering the harbor. The postcard was postally used on 12 April 1906 at 8:30 am in Liverpool, published by The Art Publishing Company Glasgow. The back side appears below.
Back Side of S.S. Tunisian Near Shoreline - 1906. "Arrived Quite Safe Riverfront 6:30 PM - Lem." GGA Image # 4549f83a3a
RMS Tunisian. (Twin Screw) 10576 Tons, Length 500 ft., Breadth 59 ft. GGA Image # 25263e4d87
The RMS Tunisian, shown here near the coastline in a painting that the artist wanted to show the reflection of the funnel in the water. Note the reddishness of the water near the center of the image. The ship was a Twin Screw at 10,576 Tons, 500 feet in length, and 59 feet wide (breadth). The card was postally used on 9 April 1909 in Londonderry. Northern Ireland. The back side appears below.
Back Side of RMS Tunisian. (Twin Screw) 10576 Tons, Length 500 ft., Breadth 59 ft. GGA Image # 34c1f39f9e
RMS Victorian
The New Turbine Allan Liner SS Victorian, circa 1904. Art Publishing Company, Glasgow. GGA Image ID # 149ca9ca64 (Front); GGA Image ID # 149cd1683e (Back)
S.S. Victorian of the Allan Line - 1905 GGA Image # 7172bbdbb9
Postally unused, this postcard of the S.S. Victorian shows the ship near the shoreline. An Allan Line Flag appears on the upper right-hand corner. The vessel was in service from 1904 until 1929. The Victorian was the first three-shaft ship and first turbine driven liner in the Atlantic service. The back side appears below.
Back Side of S.S. Victorian of the Allan Line - 1905 GGA Image # 48b4a25d05
RMS Virginian
The Allan Line R.M.S. Virginian Shown Leaving the Harbor. - 1911. GGA Image # 5d7886a904
The postcard bears the marking 101,285 J.V. which we believe is the markings of James Valentine of Dundee aka The Valentine Company. The card was postally used in Milford on 14 December 1911 and featured an upside-down Canadian one-cent postage stamp. The back side appears below.
Back Side of Allan Line, R.M.S. Virginian - 1911. GGA Image # 67fc8a6902
S.S. Virginian of the Allan Line, 12,000 Tons, Turbine - 1910. GGA Image # 136b9356d8
The famous Hands Across the Sea series postcard. It depicts the Virginian cruising the open seas with the ships' moniker clearly visible. Previously a part of the Leonard Martin Collection, the card was postally used in Halifax, NS on 18 November 1910. The back side appears below.
Back Side of S.S. Virginian of the Allan Line, 12,000 Tons, Turbine - 1910. GGA Image # 9e9d123452
Allan Line Turbine S.S. Virginian - 1904. GGA Image # 23530519c9
A classic view of the Allan Line Turbine S.S. Virginian showing the Flag in the upper right. If you look closely, you can see the ships' moniker Virginian near the bow of the vessel. The card was printed by The Art Publishing Company Glasgow and postally used in Liverpool on 29 April 1900 (Something "A"). Launched in 1904, she was later sold (in 1920) and renamed the SS Drottningholm of the Swedish American Line, where she was in operation from 1920 to 1948. The back side appears below.
Back Side of Allan Line Turbine S.S. Virginian - 1904. GGA Image # 2c32578eb1
