Holland-America Line Archival Collection

(N.A.S.M.) aka HAL (Holland Amerika Lijn)

The Historical Documents from the Holland America Line at the Archives is one of the most popular collections. The passenger lists and menus often have some of the most intricate, beautiful artwork - very elaborate and ornate covers that are treasured the world over. Our collection of passenger lists of the Holland America Line covers the first half of the twentieth century.

Just in case you were wondering, the N.A.S.M. is an Acronym for Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij.

 

Holland-America Line Passenger Lists

 

 

• 1899-09-07 SS Spaarndam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1904-02-02 SS Rotterdam - New York to Rotterdam via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1904-07-02 TSS Potsdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1904-09-24 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1908-06-20 TSS Nieuw Amsterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1908-07-25 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1908-08-15 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1908-09-12 TSS Ryndam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1908-09-19 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1909-09-18 TSS Potsdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer

 

 

• 1910-08-27 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1910-09-17 TSS Nieuw Amsterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1910-12-17 TSS Ryndam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1911-05-13 TSS Ryndam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1912-06-18 TSS Noordam - New York to Rotterdam via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1912-08-31 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1913-04-05 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1913-08-02 TSS Potsdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1914-10-15 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York
• 1914-10-31 TSS Ryndam - Rotterdam to New York
• 1915-05-29 TSS Nieuw Amsterdam - Rotterdam to New York

 

 

• 1920-10-19 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Plymouth
• 1921-02-12 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Plymouth
• 1921-06-04 TSS Nieuw Amsterdam - New York to Rotterdam via Plymouth and Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1921-06-08 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Plymouth
• 1921-07-12 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Plymouth
• 1921-08-17 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Plymouth
• 1922-10-17 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Plymouth
• 1923-05-23 TSS Veendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1924-04-15 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to Halifax and New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1924-05-21 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to Halifax and New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton

 

 

• 1925-09-02 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1926-07-20 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1926-08-03 TSS Veendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1926-08-25 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1928-06-16 TSS Veendam - New York to Rotterdam via Plymouth and Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1928-08-07 TSS Veendam - Rotterdam to Halifax and New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1929-05-29 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1929-06-15 TSS Rotterdam - New York to Rotterdam via Plymouth and Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1929-08-13 TSS Nieuw Amsterdam - Rotterdam to Halifax and New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1929-08-23 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1929-09-04 TSS Volendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1929-09-11 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton

 

 

• 1930-06-28 TSS Rotterdam - New York to Rotterdam via Plymouth and Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1930-07-26 TSS Nieuw Amsterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1930-08-09 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1930-09-27 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1931-10-09 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1932-08-26 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1933-09-02 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1934-05-26 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1934-06-29 SS Statendam - New York to Rotterdam via Plymouth and Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1934-08-25 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1934-10-06 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton

 

 

• 1935-07-13 TSS Veendam - New York to Rotterdam via Plymouth and Boulogne-sur-Mer
• 1936-08-06 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York and Boston via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1937-07-10 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1937-07-24 TSS Veendam - Rotterdam to New York and Boston via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1937-08-06 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York and Boston via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1937-08-11 TSS Rotterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1937-09-04 TSS Veendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1938-08-20 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1938-08-27 TSS Nieuw Amsterdam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1938-10-01 TSS Statendam - Rotterdam to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton
• 1939-09-09 SS Volendam - Antwerp to New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer and Southampton

 

 

• 1948-07-23 TSS Veendam - Rotterdam to New York via Southampton
• 1953-07-15 SS Maasdam - Rotterdam to New York via Le Havre, Southampton, and Cobh
• 1954-08-31 M.V. Sibajak - Rotterdam on to New York via Le Havre

 

Holland-America Line Menus

 

 

1907-06-20 SS Noordam Dinner Menu

Exquisite Vintage Bill of Fare from Thursday, 20 June 1907 featured Filet of Beef à la Nivernais, Veal Sweetbreads with Mushrooms, and Towering Dessert Piece with Nougats. The Noordam served the Rotterdam to New York Transatlantic route. In French with English Translation.

 

 

1922-10-11 SS Ryndam Dinner Menu

Ornate Vintage Bill of Fare from Wednesday, 11 October 1922 featured Salmon slices à la butler Apples Natural, Beef tongue braised à la Choisy, and Suchard Cake for dessert. The menu, written in French, has been translated to English. A Music Program was included with this menu.

 

 

1930-08-15 SS Nieuw Amsterdam Luncheon Menu

Vintage Tourist Cabin Bill of Fare from 15 August 1930 featured Ballotine of Veal Glacé, Rice Soup Creole, and Apple Pie for dessert.

 

 

1934-07-04 SS Statendam Independence Day Dinner Menu

Vintage Independence Day Third Class Dinner Menu from Wednesday, 4 July 1934 on board the RMS Statendam of the Holland-America Line featured Stewed Codfish à la Rochambeau, Roast Aloyau of Beef à la Mount Vernon, and George Washington Cake for dessert.

 

 

1934-07-05 SS Statendam Farewell Dinner Menu

Vintage Third Class Farewell Dinner Menu from Thursday, 5 July 1934 on board the RMS Statendam of the Holland-America Line featured Suprême of Halibut Fecampoise, Braised Beef Bohémienne, and Génoise Cake for dessert.

 

 

1939-11-30 SS Statendam Dinner Menu

Vintage Tourist Class Bill of Fare from Thursday, 30 November 1939 featured Roast Boneless Saddle of Lamb, Roast Hare with Apple Sauce, and Mixed Compote for dessert.

 

 

1948-07-23 SS Veendam Dinner Menu

Graphically elegant Vintage First Class Bill of Fare from Friday, 23 July 1948 featured Braised Escalops of Sweetbread, Toulousaine, Glazed Ballotine of Veal, Princesse, and Galettes Viennoise for dessert.

 

 

1948-07-24 SS Veendam Dinner Menu

Elegant Vintage First Class Bill of Fare from Saturday, 24 July 1948 featured Roast Prime Rib of Beef au Jus, Calf's Tongue, Italienne sauce, and Tartelettes Pensé for dessert.

 

 

1948-07-28 SS Veendam Dinner Menu

Vintage Bill of Fare with exceptional graphics from Wednesday, 28 July 1948 featured Vol-au-Vent à la Toulouse, Roast Long Island Duckling, and Galettes MacMahon for dessert.

 

 

1949-11-14 SS Veendam Farewell Dinner Menu

Vintage First Class Bill of Fare from 14 November 1949 featured Filet Mignon Sauté, Beauharnaise, Fillet of English Sole au Vin Blanc, and Petits Fours Gourmandises for dessert.

1951-05-23 SS Nieuw Amsterdam Farewell Dinner Menu

Vintage Cabin Class Bill of Fare from 23 May 1951 featured Medaillon of Salmon Bonaparte, Fried Steak, Bearnaise Sauce, and Frozen Smiles for dessert.

 

 

 

Holland-America Line Programs

 

 

1938-08-27 Activities Program - RMS Nieuw Amsterdam

Social and Sporting Activities for the Voyage from Rotterdam to New York onboard the RMS Nieuw Amsterdam of the Holland-America Line. Cabin class passengers enjoyed many events including a variety of deck sports, movies, card games, concerts, dancing, children's parties, horse races, and more.

 

Holland-America Line Immigrant Documents

 

 

 

1923-09-26 Ellis Island Immigrant Document Collection

A Superb collection of Immigration Documents

From 1892 to 1954 Millions of immigrants were processed through Ellis Island. This is a collection of documents that pertain to a 65 year-old Lithuanian immigrant, Barbara Vitkiene, who arrived at Ellis Island in 1923 including the Immigrant Inspection Card, Immigrant ID Tag and passenger manifest extracts and images.

 

Holland-America Line Photographs

 

Holland-America Line Piers at Hoboken, NJ - 1905. Detroit Publishing Company Photograph # 010901. Library of Congress # 2016801102. GGA Image ID # 15c5017e88

 

Entrance to the Holland-America Line Piers in Hoboken New Jersey, 1905. New York--Rotterdam via Boulogne-sur-Mer. Detroit Publishing Company # 033853. Library of Congress # 2016809516. GGA Image ID # 15c571312c

 

Holland-America Line Docks in Hoboken, NJ ca 1910. Detroit Publishing Company # 015659, Library of Congress # 2016802457. GGA Image ID # 15c5698c2f

 

Holland-America Line Postcards

 

Front Side, Picture Postcard of the Holland-America Line TSS Rotterdam. 24,170 Tons Register. 37,190 Tons Displacement. Postally Used on 1 May 1909. US Postage One Cent Stamp Affixed. GGA Image ID # 15c393757a

 

Postcards from the Holland-America Line

Our Collection features picture postcards of the Holland-America Line fleet, including the TSS Rijndam, TSS Rotterdam, and the elusive TSS Statendam III (1929). Tonnage was stated in Tons Register and Tons Displacement.

 

The Story of the Holland-America line

As early as 1852, attempts were made to get a subsidized transatlantic service. Plans were made for a service of great importance, starting from Holland, to touch at Batavia, New Holland, Curaçao, and Chagres {Panama peninsula). The line to the East Indies and Australia was to start from Amsterdam to the West Indies from Rotterdam.

In France, at the suggestion of Napoleon III, the "Messageries Impériales" (afterward "Maritimes) had been started; in this country, it was felt that we ought to follow suit, but neither here nor there anyone thought of creating such an undertaking without a large subsidy from the State.

It soon became apparent that nothing could come of the splendid service to all parts of the world, so they confined themselves to the most necessary lines, and it was then an understood thing that the capital was to have the regular service to the Dutch Indies and Rotterdam the line to New York.

In 1856 Minister van Hall, whose beneficial influence Rotterdam experienced in so many other ways, declared himself willing to introduce a bill by which the State guaranteed 3% interest per year for ten years, for the Holland-America line, in addition to a subsidy of f 500.— per voyage.

Van Hall told the Rotterdam merchants he consulted about this enterprise that he had been directed to make this proposition by King William III. Neither the King's suggestion nor the favorable financial conditions could persuade the Rotterdam leading circles to start such a service. They wanted 4 1/2 to 5% interest guaranteed for 20 to 25 years.

In the meantime, ideas altered, and every subsidy to a steamship company was henceforth regarded as unwarrantable protection.

The Company "Nederland, "started immediately after the opening of the Suez Canal, chiefly through the influence of H. R. H. Prince Hendrik, was therefore to establish the connection between the capital and the colonics without any subsidy. On March 24, 1870, the loan for this service was contracted. Yet the government, very judiciously, supported the company by consenting to the most favorable contracts for carrying the mail, government officials, and government-produce.

When this ideal, fostered for over 2o years, had thus been fulfilled, Rotterdam merchants also wished to do their share. About this time, Messrs Plate and Reuchlin succeeded in contracting a loan of f 450,000 and issuing debenture bonds to the same amount. They built two steamers, the "Maas" and the "Rotterdam," of 2500 and 1600 tons and started the service to New York.

The undertaking of those gentlemen was in 1872 converted into the Holland-America S.S. Comp, chiefly with the support of Prince Hendrik. The two little steamers had been built no larger because they could not otherwise have passed through the locks in the Voorne canal.

When the New Waterway was approaching completion, Holland-America added two deep-drawing vessels of great capacity. The difficulties experienced in finishing the New Waterway hampered the Company's development to a degree. Challenging years were lived through, not only as a consequence of this delay but also because of unfavorable economic circumstances in the U. S. Its energetical managers, however, succeeded in overcoming all difficulties.

The Holland-America line is now in a most flourishing condition. Its capital amounts to a million pounds. Everything points to a strong financial position so that even less good years may be looked forward to without anxiety. High dividends have of late years been paid (11 % in 1907).

The Holland-America line always championed the movement when the harbors had to be extended. Originally the steamers berthed at the Willems quay. In 1880, as soon as the piers of the "Rotterdamsche Handels-Vereeniging" had been finished, the steamers removed to the Stieltjes quay, between the Koninginne bridge and the Hinnen Harbor.

In 1891 the Holland-America line was the first to use the newly built Wilhelmina quay. It is still established there and has offices, stores, sheds, workshops, a hotel for emigrants, etc. Before long, when the Rotterdam Lloyd will have been removed, all the Wilhelmina quay will pass to the Holland-America line.

From 1872 to 1907, this company carried 240,000 cabin passengers, 830,000 third-class passengers, and 21 million tons of cargo. Thirty million guilders have been paid away in wages, 15 million in food, 20 million for keeping the ships and engines in repair, and 25 million in coals.

The fleet of the Holland-America line consists of the following vessels.

Twin-screw Passenger Steamers

• TSS Rotterdam 24,170 Tons
• TSS Nieuw Amsterdam 17,250 Tons
• TSS Noordam 12,531 Tons
• TSS Rijndam 12,527 Tons
• TSS Potsdam 12,522 Tons
• TSS Statendam 10,491 Tons

Freight steamers:

• SS Soestdijk 6,445 Tons
• SS Amsteldijk 6,435 Tons
• SS Sloterdijk 6,480 Tons

 

Moreover, the company owns nine lighters, 2 of which are steamers, a total capacity of 4000 tons, for the carriage of goods from Hook of Holland, and steam-tenders.

Every week steamers leave Rotterdam and New York. They call at Boulogne-sur-Mer on the way. Moreover, the company has services to Philadelphia and Newport News with steamers, which they own or charter.

The Holland-Amcrica line has joined the great combination of Transatlantic Steamship companies, reserving its independence and its own organization.

H. A. van Ysselsteyn, "The Holland-America line or the Holland-America S.S. Company," in The Port of Rotterdam, Rotterdam: Nijgh & Van Ditmar's Publishing Company, Third Ed., 1908, pp. 218-220.