An early 20th century 1928 photograph and ephemera album of ...

Estimate

£80 - £120

An early 20th century 1928 photograph and ephemera album of the cruise of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company ship the SS Arcadian, along with a Programme of Sports & Entertainments for the cruise, a Farewell Dinner menu for May 13th 1928 with cover designed by Kenneth D. Shoesmith, three daily programmes also design by Shoesmith, and a Musical Entertainment programme for the evenings 9th and 10th May. Complete with album containing a large selection of black and white photos of the Mediterranean cruise featuring ladies in Art Deco 1920s drop waist dresses lounging and relaxing, as well as landscape and topographical photograph of the points stopped at during the cruise, including Malta, Athens, Rhodes, Constantinople, Amalfi, Algiers and Tangier. Including daily itinerary and programmes pasted into the scrapbook. With a large fancy dress group photograph of the crew and guests of the Arcadian. Bound in a full cloth mock leather album with crest of Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. to the front board. Including passenger list on some programmes, with Hon. Vice Presidents incl. Sir H. E. ruce Bruce-Porter, Sir Frederick Cunningham, the Rt. Hon. Lord Hylton and Major Sir Algernon Tudor-Clarke.

The Arcadian was so named after a prior ship, which was torpedoed in 1917; prior to this, it had been the HMSH Asturias, who counted amongst her passengers and visitors J. R. R. Tolkien and King George V. 

An interesting insight into travel, leisure and holiday-ing during the 1920s, with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Line the largest shipping company in the world at that time, having taken over the White Star Line in 1927.