Vintage Menus Collection

 

Vintage Menus from the Steamships and Ocean Liners

 

Grand collection of vintage ocean liner and other menus covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, farewell dinner, special occasions and specialty menus that provide an insight into the variety of foods served on the transatlantic steamships and ocean liners from the 1800s through the 1950s.

 

THE BILL OF FARE (MENU)

Menus are made for breakfasts, luncheons, and suppers, but the most important one is for dinner; these menus are generally composed a few days in advance to enable the necessary provisions to be purchased so that on the day of the dinner, there has been ample time to prepare everything necessary, consequently much confusion is avoided, and the work better done.

In carrying out the order, the menu should be strictly followed.  Making out the bills of fare is the duty of the head cook, who composes and writes them according to the latitude he enjoys and the resources he has at hand.

 

1949-10-25 Breakfast Menu Card - SS Empress of France

Vintage Breakfast Menus

Vintage breakfast menus from the steamships and ocean liners from 1898 through 1955. View the wide variety of offerings in each bill of fare from various classes of passengers. Excellent graphics and menu layouts can provide ideas for your own special event breakfast menu.

 

Luncheon Menu, RMS Titanic, 14 April 1912

Vintage Luncheon Menus

Vintage Luncheon or Midday menus from steamship and ocean liner lines featuring great graphics and menu layouts, dating from 1900 through 1947. View menus that provided basic to elaborate luncheons for different classes of passengers.

 

Front Cover, Dinner Menu and Music Program, Holland America Line RMS Noordam, 1907

Vintage Dinner Menus

The Elegant dinner menus from the great ocean liners often included ornate and graphically sophisticated menu covers that are adored and coveted by collectors and enthusiasts today.

 

Menu Cover

Menus for Special Occasions

Special Occasions Menus include Holidays such as Christmas, Easter, the American Independence Day (4th of July), Valentine's Day, and other remarkable occasions such as Anniversaries and Royal Romance commemoratives.

 

Children's Party Menu, Cunard Line RMS Aquitania, 1924

Specialty Menus

Vintage Specialty Menus include Children's Parties, Gala and Jubiliee Dinners, Kosher, Wine, Liquors, and Tobacco Menus.

 

Private Dining Room in a Presidential Suite

Private Dinner Party Menus

In catering for these social functions special menus are printed, the wishes of the party concerned being consulted as to the various courses, as they are in the case of a private dinner given at a hotel ashore.

 

Daily Menu Illustrations from Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen

Daily Menus

Daily menus were commonly used for third class or steerage passengers on steamships. The offerings for each meal were very limited compared to those in the first and second class. Daily menus were phased out as each steamship line transistioned from transporting immigrants to transporting tourists.

 

Front Cover, SS Lapland Farewell Dinner Bill of Fare 8 November 1929

Vintage Menus by Year 1898-1957

Vintage Menus for the years 1898 through 1957 in the GG Archives collection represent the souvenir breakfast, luncheon, dinner, daily, private party, special occasion, and specialty menus provided to the passengers during their voyage.

 

Did you know that the Hamburg-American Steamship Line was always well known for their excellent fare provided? The best culinary artists were engaged as cooks, and the menus on its steamers was equal, and perhaps better that what was been served in the best hotels in Europe. Wines, liquors, and cigars were carefully selected by the steamship company, and were of the finest quality available.

- Excerpt from Cook's Excursionist and Tourist Advertiser, October 1892, Page 20.

 

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