TRANSATLANTIC

OCEAN LINERS 

OF THE GILDED AGE

FROM PINBACKS & POSTCARDS OF THE PERIOD

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   R.M.S. CELTIC

NOTES:  The RMS Celtic was the first the first ship ever to exceed 20,000 gross tons and thus was the largest steamship in the world at the time of her launch in 1901.  In 1914 she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and used as a troop ship.  In 1917 she struck a mine near the Isle of Man and returned to Liverpool for repair.  On 2 April 1918 she was torpedoed and began to settle by the stern, but was hit in the bow by a second torpedo which caused her to straighten allowing her to be safely beached.  Six lives were lost in this incident.  Celtic was returned to White Star on 8 December 1918 and was refitted for passenger service.  On 12 December 1928 she struck rocks off the Irish coast and could not be saved, although no lives were lost.  Her demolition was not completed until 1933.

Illustration by Montague Black, postcard published c.1915

     R.M.S. CEDRIC

NOTES: At the time of her first voyage in 1903, the RMS Cedric was the largest passenger liner in the world.  In 1914 she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy.  On 29 January 1918 she rammed and sank the Montreal.  Cedric was returned to the White Star Line in December 1918, refitted and resumed her Liverpool to New York route.  She was sold for scrap in September 1931.

Postcard published by Valentine's of Dundee. Scotland c.1905

     R.M.S. LUSITANIA

NOTES: At the time of her first voyage in 1907, the RMS Lusitania was the largest passenger liner in the world.  In April 1915 the German embassy in Washington sent warnings to newspapers in New York that passengers traveling on Allied ships did so at their own risk.  On 07 May 1915 the Lusitania was struck by a German torpedo and sank in twenty minutes with a loss of 1,198 lives.

7/8" Celluloid Button issued by the American Baptist Publications Society c. 1915

     R.M.S. MAURETANIA

NOTES: At the time of her first voyage in 1907, the RMS Mauretania was the largest passenger liner in the world, beating out her sister the Lusitania by 388 tons.  During her career she broke several trans-Atlantic speed records, her fastest crossing was in September 1909 when she crossed the Atlantic in 4 days, 10 hours and 51 minutes.  In 1914 she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and was returned to Cunard in 1919.  In July 1921 Mauretania was damaged by a fire, she was rebuilt to 30,696 gross tons and converted from coal to oil power.  Mauretania was perhaps the most successful ocean liner of the early 20th Century. 

Postcard published by Rotary Photo c. 1915-1920

     R.M.S. HOMERIC

NOTES: RMS Homeric started life as the German ship Columbus.  Launched in 1913, the ship was not finished due to World War I.  After the war she was awarded to White Star Line as part of Germany's war reparations.  In 1923 she was converted from coal to oil power.  RMS Homeric was scrapped in 1936 after just 14 years of service.

Postcard published c.1923

     R.M.S. AQUITANIA

NOTES: At the time of her first voyage in 1914, the RMS Aquitania was the largest passenger liner in the world.  She made only three voyages before being requisitioned by the Royal Navy for use as an armed merchant cruiser.  After a collision it was determined that she was too large to serve as an armed merchant cruiser and she was converted to a troopship.  She was returned to Cunard in 1919, refitted and converted from coal to oil power.  In 1939 Aquitania was again requisitioned by the Royal Navy to serve as a troopship, she was one of only a handfull of ships to serve in both World Wars.  In 1948 she was returned to Cunard and served for two years before the decision was made to sell her for scrap.

French postcard published c.1914

     S.S. BELGENLAND

NOTES: Belgenland was built for White Star line and at the time of her launch in 1914 she was named Belgic.  Due to the start of World War I, she was not completed until 1922, by which time she had been sold to Red Star Line and renamed Belgenland.

Postcard published c.1925

     R.M.S.P. ORBITA

NOTES: Orbita was built for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., but requisitioned by the Royal Navy and used as a troopship before she could be delivered.  She was turned over to Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. in 1919 and made her maiden voyage on 26 Sept. 1919.  She would be requisitioned again for service in World War II.

Postcard published by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company c.1925

     S.S. PENNLAND

NOTES: Built by Harland and Wolf as the Pittsburgh, this ship was intended for the American Steamship Company.  Because of American Steamship Company's suspension of service, she was transferred to White Star Line where she served from 1922 until 1924.  In January 1925 she was transferred to Red Star Line and renamed Pennland.  In 1939 Red Star Line and the Pennland were sold to Holland America Line.  In 1940 she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for use as a troopship.  It was in that role that she was bombed and sunk in the Gulf of Athens on 25 April 1941.

Postcard published c. 1925

     R.M.S. SCYTHIA

NOTES: The RMS Scythia was part of Cunard Line's post Word War I building program.  On 30 September 1923 she collided with the White Star Liner RMS Cedric and had to return to Liverpool for repairs.  In 1939 she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and used to transport children from Great Britain to the United States.  She was also used to carry British troops home from India after World War II.

Postcard published c. 1920

CARDS THAT DO NOT REFER

TO A SPECIFIC SHIP:

RED STAR LINE ADVERTISING CARDS:

This Red Star postcard shows a four mast, two funnel steamer with Red Star marked funnels in the background.  In the foreground there are three men in a rowboat.  The card is of the undivided back type and as such would have been made before 1907.

As with the previous postcard this shows a four mast, two funnel steamer with Red Star marked funnels in the background.  In the foreground there are two men in a rowboat. This card is also of the undivided back type and as such would have been made before 1907.  This card has been mailed, it is postmarked 16 July 1907 at Dover, England and 25 July 1907 at Philadelphia, PA.  There is a third postmark for Atco, NJ, but the date is not readable.  The stamp on this card is a British One Penny stamp with a bust of King Edward VII.

GERMAN PROPAGANDA CARDS:

This card shows a German U-Boat sinking an allied steamship.  The text on the back reads "German submarine sinking an English steamer."  This card was published in Hamberg, Germany and is postmarked 25 April 1918 at Wilhelmshaven, Germany.