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Matson Cruise Lines SS Lurline collection, September-October 1952

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Matson Lines
Title
Matson Cruise Lines SS Lurline collection
Dates
September-October 1952 (inclusive)
Quantity
.42 linear feet, (1 box)
Collection Number
2019-007
Summary
Print materials and ephemera created by Matson Lines for cruise trips on the SS Lurline from Los Angeles, California to Honolulu, Hawaii (September 17-21, 1952) and from Honolulu to Los Angeles (October 4-8, 1952).
Repository
Seattle Public Library, Special Collections
1000 Fourth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104-1109
Telephone: 206-386-4636
specialcollections@spl.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open and available for use.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The SS Lurline was christened on July 12, 1932 in Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship was built for Matson Lines by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation. During World War II, the SS Lurline was used for troop and supply services before returning to passenger service in 1946. In 1963, the SS Lurline was sold to Chandris Lines and renamed the SS Ellinis. The ship was scrapped in 1987.

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Content Description

Print materials and ephemera in the collection provide a daily account of activities and news aboard the SS Lurline as it sailed between Honolulu, Hawaii and Los Angeles, California in the fall of 1952. The collection includes menus for meals served on the two cruises. The covers of the menus feature art work by muralist and sculptor Eugene Francis Savage (March 29, 1883 – October 19, 1978). Savage was commissioned by the Matson Navigation Company to paint nine four by eight foot Hawaiian-themed murals, which he completed in 1940. The murals were never installed on the Matson cruise ships because they had been converted to troopships by that time. In 1948, lithographs based on the murals were created and used as cover art on menus for the SS Lurline. The Polynesian, a newsletter published daily during the voyage to and from Hawaii, includes world news from United Press, lists of daily programs and events, and information about ship amenity services. Matsonews was an in-house publication for the personnel of the three Matson hotels located in Hawaii. The passenger list also includes ship officers.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

Preferred Citation

[ITEM DESCRIPTION], Matson Cruise Lines SS Lurline collection. Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Materials arranged alphabetically into series based on material type and chronologically within series where possible.

Acquisition Information

Collection was donated by Julie Natale in 2019.

Processing Note

Acknowledgement of Harmful Content
The Seattle Public Library Special Collections Department is committed to creating an inclusive archive that documents the history of our diverse communities in a respectful manner. Our collections include historic materials that may contain images and outdated language which can be harmful due to issues such as racism, colonialism, sexism and homophobia. This content can provide important insight into the creator and context of the historic materials but can also reveal hurtful biases and prejudices.

We may decide to use or retain harmful language in our description when the terms have been used by the creator(s) of the materials to describe themselves or their community; when we have reused description created by the donor; when we have transcribed information directly from the materials; and when using national standards such as Library of Congress Subject Headings, which allow for standardized searching and retrieval of records. When including language from the original material in our finding aids or descriptions, we will indicate that this material comes directly from the original item by putting the language in quotes or prefacing it with a note that says the description is transcribed from the item or provided by the creator.

We will continually review our finding aids to identify harmful language and encourage you to contact us at specialcollections@spl.org if you find language that causes concern.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • Flags

    • Description: Miniature American and Matson Lines emblem flags
      Dates: circa 1952 September-October
      Container: Box 1, Folder 1
  • Menus

    • Description: Breakfast menus
      Dates: 1952 September 18, 19, 21; 1952 October 5
      Container: Box 1, Folder 2
    • Description: Luncheon menus
      Dates: 1952 September 19-21; 1952 October 6-7
      Container: Box 1, Folder 2
    • Description: Dinner Menus
      Dates: 1952 September 17-20; 1952 October 4, 6-8
      Container: Box 1, Folder 2
    • Description: The Outrigger Bar cocktail menu
      Dates: circa 1952 September-October
      Container: Box 1, Folder 2
    • Description: Bar List menu
      Dates: circa 1952 September-October
      Container: Box 1, Folder 2
  • Print materials

    • Description: Matsonews
      Dates: 1952 July-August
      Container: Box 1, Folder 3
    • Description: Passenger lists
      Dates: 1952 September 17; 1952 October 4
      Container: Box 1, Folder 4
    • Description: The Polynesian
      Dates: 1952 September 17-21; 1952 October 5-8
      Container: Box 1, Folder 5
    • Description: S.S. Lurline Old Time Favorites and Hawaiian Songs a la Lurline song lyrics
      Dates: circa 1952 September-October
      Container: Box 1, Folder 6
  • Postcards

    • Description: Postcard of SS Lurline and photo postcards of Coral Dining Room and Waikiki Dining Room
      Dates: circa 1952 September-October
      Container: Box 1, Folder 7

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Cruise lines--California--Los Angeles
  • Cruise lines--Hawaii--Honolulu
  • Ocean travel

Corporate Names

  • Lurline (Ship)
  • Matson Lines
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