The RESOLUTE Cruise Liner, circa 1925-1935
If there is one thing I know for sure about my family, It's that no one throws anything away. When my grandfather passed away several years ago, we realized that he had the family mementos stored from generations long ago. My great-great-great's saved newspaper clippings, photographs, journals, maps, anything sentimental or interesting. Occasionally I will come across some of these items, including this Brochure and these photographs of a Voyage taken by my great-great Aunt on the Resolute Cruise Liner. I'm fascinated by history, especially from the 1920-1930's, so I thought I'd share...
This is the brochure that my great-great aunt saved from her voyage around the world on the Resolute, in 1935. The Resolute was built by AG Weser, Bremen in 1914 for the Hamburg America Line. There was accommodation for 290 1st, 320 2nd, and 400 3rd class passengers. She was renamed Brabantia and from 1920 was used in the South American service. She was resold in 1922 to the United Americana line, renamed Resolute and in November of 1922 began sailing between Hamburg, Southampton, Cherbourg and New York. In 1926 she was sold to Hamburg America Line, and in 1931 began to carry 1st class and tourist class only. In 1933 she was used only for cruising, before being sold to the Italian government in 1935, right after my aunt's voyage, and renamed the Lombardia. She became a troopship for the Abyssinian War and was bombed and sunk by allied planes in Naples in 1943. In 1947 she was scrapped at Spezia.
A little more restrained of a send-off than the opening episodes of the Love Boat, huh?
Image courtesy of gjenvick
This is one of the original photographs from my great-great aunt Betty's trip. That is her, the second from the front on the right side of the table. It looks like her Junior League group all went on this cruise together. I love seeing how they get dressed up for dinner, and the dining room has beautiful linens and crystal and silver. It is just like one of my favorite Agatha Christie's Poirot come to life. (Reminds me of Death on the Nile with David Suchet. A must see just for the decor, travel and costumes. ) Look at the great light fixtures in this dining room. The flush-globe fixtures on the ceiling is exactly what people are putting in their kitchen now. And I love the sconces. These have completely regained popularity again.
Photograph of a 1935 Cruise Liner Lobby.
Image courtesy of Gare Maritime
This looks like it's from a movie set! Interior of a 1935 Ocean Cruise Liner.
Image courtesy of Gare Maritime
A snapshot of a 1934 Ocean Liner Lounge.
Image courtesy of Cruise Line History
I think someone should re-create these lighting "towers". Dining Room of a 1935 Ocean Liner. Image courtesy of Gare Maritime
Drawing for a stained glass panels in a 1935 Cruise Liner. The drawing is lovely on it's own. Image courtesy of Gare Maritime
A Bas Relief on a wall in one of a 1930's Liner's public bathroom. Things like this just amaze me. Image from Gare Maritime
A photograph of a 1st Class Verandah Cafe, c.1935. Look at the grid-inlay on the floor and the polished wood accents on the wall and furniture. Very sleek and modern.
Image courtesy of Cruise Line History
Image courtesy of Gare Maritime
A very Art Deco Suite Cabin, circa 1935. The patterned rug is so current in todays decor. Also, it looks like large murals painted on the wall which make the room look bigger to me. What I love about the Art Deco furniture aesthetic is that they pair lots of square stream-lined and polished pieces with round and circular shapes. All the occasional tables in the above two photographs and one below, are round. They sit next to big masculine chairs. A great contrast.
A Terrace Cabin, circa 1935.
Image from Gare Maritime
Passengers relaxing on deck
Merchant Marine Sailors
Image courtesy of gjenvick
An example of a Third-Class Smoking Bar, c1920's
Image courtesy of gjvenick
I can only imagine by looking at the interior photographs of these Liners the characters from the movie The Titanic. I can see Jack (Leo diCaprio) in this bar playing drinking, playing games and singing with all his mates and having a blast. I can see Rose (Kate Winslet) in one of the ornate dining rooms above with her fellow diners, and their restrained yet polite conversation. I imagine this is maybe how these voyages really were... I know which one looks more fun to me! My visual senses would love to take in the art and architecture and refined glamour of the 1st class dining rooms, yet my heart would want to be with the relaxed (and what looked like in the Titanic movie, a party!) nature of a 3rd class bar. I definitely prefer hanging out with the rowdy folks!
An example of a Third-Class Cabin, circa 1920's. I like having the two towel hooks right next to the sink, instead of a towel ring. Great idea. Image courtesy of gjvenick
Although I have never been on a cruise, I have been on an old retired cruise ship that was used as a ferry to go from Patras to Santorini, Greece. The room above seriously looks bigger than the one my friend and I stayed in. I remember it was about a 12 hour ferry trip. I napped on the deck while the sun set, then we went to our (tiny) room to go to sleep. The next thing I remember is loud pounding on our door. Apparently, and I don't know how, my friend Annette and I had slept through all the horns to wake everyone up and de-board the ship. The ship was empty. Everyone had already gotten off and they were about to turn around, but needed us to get off now! We must of been really tired. I've never moved so fast.
SNAPSHOTS FROM JOURNEYS WHILE THE SHIP DOCKS...
Here is the Resolute docked in Barcelona, Spain
The Church of The Holy Family, in Barcelona. Can you guess what it was like in 1935, seeing different countries around the globe? They only read about things like this in books. There was no television or internet to let them see what the world looked like! I can only imagine the excitement at getting off the ship at each port, not knowing quite what to expect.
The Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain
A view down a local street in Barcelona
This is another one of my (great-great) Aunt Betty's photographs from the cruise. I think they had all sorts of parties planned for the night time. It must of been a grand and elegant affair. My Aunt is the one on the far right in the middle row. It looks like they are all pointing to her head, but I don't know what they are doing! Look how grand this ballroom is, with the balcony and it's fretwork. I also see fans mounted on the wall. I guess it must of been hot inside too, but the men still wore tuxedos!
This is the back of the above photograph, with my aunt's notes of who was in the picture. There are some interesting names... Baron Fritz Von Schilling, Mrs. W.B. Kellogg (I wonder if she went by Mrs. even to her contemporaries and why she didn't put her first name?), a Princess killed in Mexico.... I wonder who the princess was and where she was from? What I think about when I see these names is that these are all somebody's grand-parents or great-grandparents on here now. I think it's so neat to get the opportunity to see photographs of our grandparents when they were younger.
A street view in Tangier
The Colossus of Ramses II, in Memphis, Egypt
Marble inlay from a tomb in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Interior of the Taj Mahal, in Agra, India
Inside the tomb, Agra, India
Tomb of Itimad -Al-Daula, Agra, India
Cairo, Egypt
Bathing Pool at Mylapore, Madras, India
Athens, Greece
This is another one of my aunt's photos from the trip, called the Grand Costume Ball in The Red Sea, February 12th, 1935. This looks so fun! There are some interesting costumes. I wonder if they brought them with them in their travel trunks or improvised? I love the mirror set in the panes on the wall panels, and there looks to be beautiful wall paintings on the upper portion of the room.
Front Cover of an early travel brochure for the Hamburg American Line
A watercolor illustration of the ships of the Hamburg American Line,
on the front cover of a Passenger List for the First-Class Bismark Cabin
An oil painting (sold) of the Resolute from Paul Madden Antiques
Detail of Resolute painting
Maybe one day I'll get the opportunity to go on a cruise. Until then, I can keep my memories of being on an old creaky ferry and almost missing my stop!
