Steamship Historical Society - Southern California Chapter

Steamship Historical Society - Southern California Chapter Find us at www.socalsshsa.org. Individual membership dues are $20 per year and family membership dues are $25 per year.

Through recording, preserving, and educating, the mission of the Steamship Historical Society of America is to share the impact of engine-powered vessels, their crews, and their passengers with future generations. The Steamship Historical Society of America – Southern California Chapter (SSHSA-SoCal) was organized to bring together those amateur and professional historians interested in the histor

y and development of engine-powered vessels, both past and present. The membership year runs from February 1 through January 31. Membership includes an e-mail subscription to the Ocean Times, the Chapter’s journal, published quarterly in January, April, July, and October. The Southern California Chapter hosts four general membership meetings a year. These are normally held aboard the RMS Queen Mary (in Long Beach, California), in the Caronia Room (the former Third-Class Cinema) located forward on the port side of B-Deck, but are currently being held via ZOOM. These meetings usually begin at 1:00 pm on the first Saturday of the months of February, May, August, and November. The Ocean Times provides information about the specific programs to be presented. Membership applicants should send the appropriate dues, along with their name, email address, mailing address, and telephone number to:

SSHSA SoCal Chapter
c/o David Tew – Chapter Treasurer
65 Pine Ave
Box 349
Long Beach, CA 90802

06/13/2026

New Englanders: Mark your calendars!! Please join us on Friday June 19 for an open house at the Ship History Center from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at 2500 Post Rd, Warwick, RI, 02886.

There will be tours, a selfie station, deck games, a coloring station, a scavenger hunt, a used book sale, and more!

Welcome back to SoCal Saturday!Our second course of menu art is from June 1935, specifically, dinner menus from NYK's HI...
06/13/2026

Welcome back to SoCal Saturday!

Our second course of menu art is from June 1935, specifically, dinner menus from NYK's HIKAWA MARU. As NYK's building program progressed during the early 1930s, the line sent representatives to stay at American hotels and sail on transatlantic liners. Inspired by their research, one could dine on Suckling Pig and Baked Apple, Roast Corn Fed Turkey, Roast Milk Fed Veal, etc., etc.

First we have a reproduction of a woodblock print showing cherry blossoms in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Second, is the 330-foot Kegon Fall, which flows from Lake Chuzenji, Nikko. Third is a reproduction of a Hiroshige print: "The Fireworks on the River Sumida."

Full-color photographs were also used. On the cover of the fourth menu is what we believe to be a Ningyo Doll, which is a huge rabbit hole to travel down. It's a fascinating art form, dating back centuries. Finally is the cover for the Captain's Tea Party, with a samurai and geisha. (Part of the ribbon holding the menu contents to the cover appears on the scan. Oops.)

To learn more about the HIKAWA MARU, go to Peter Knego's MidShipCinema:
https://youtu.be/8vx6JFw6aCE?si=HwREAQ_Vc119StYM

Next week, we dine American!

July is Culinary Arts Month, but we already have something planned for that. So for the next four SoCal Saturdays we'll ...
06/06/2026

July is Culinary Arts Month, but we already have something planned for that. So for the next four SoCal Saturdays we'll explore the bountiful field that is menu art. First up is Matson Lines.

After the White Ships entered service in the early 1930s, Frank McIntosh was tapped for a series of vibrantly colored, Art Deco influenced designs. LUAU and ALOHA were two of his six designs.

Just before Pearl Harbor forced us into World War II, Eugene Savage executed six large murals for Matson that told the traditions of Hawaii, and its ultimate colonization by the U.S. (It wasn't a state yet.) When the LURLINE re-entered service after the war, these murals were turned into menu covers. Our third image is titled A GOD APPEARS (subtle), as Captain Cook first stepped foot on the islands.

Finally, when the MARIPOSA and MONTEREY joined the fleet in 1956, Louis Macouillard painted eight watercolors of the various stops on Matson's South Seas route. Shown here are HAWAII and TAHITI.

To learn more about these artists, visit https://matsonvintageart.com/pages/featured-artists

What menus have you collected? Please share in the comments below.

Until next week, bon appetit! 😉

For our final QM90 installment, we have what we call the "gold brochures." The larger has a cover with a textured finish...
05/30/2026

For our final QM90 installment, we have what we call the "gold brochures."

The larger has a cover with a textured finish with embossed lettering, and an embossed graphic of the QUEEN MARY in the circle. The other has the ship in gold foil framed by "wood veneer."

The first has essays by H. M. Tomlinson and E. P. Leigh-Bennett, but those are easily overlooked due to the stunning images of the many artworks onboard; with some of the illustrations tipped-in.

The other, issued in March 1937, has a series of interior shots, plus a couple pages highlighting the sporting activities one could engage in while crossing. Several pages were framed by that "wood veneer." We are digging that carpet in the Main Lounge. And yes, your eyes do not deceive ... The carpet in the Verandah Grill is jet black.

If you are a fan of the MARY's art and interiors, these two pieces are must-haves for your collection.

That does it for May! Thank you for celebrating the 90th anniversary of the QUEEN MARY's maiden voyage with SSHSA/SoCal!

For today's QM90, we have two smallish booklets detailing the arts aboard the QUEEN MARY.THE SHIP OF BEAUTIFUL WOODS lis...
05/23/2026

For today's QM90, we have two smallish booklets detailing the arts aboard the QUEEN MARY.

THE SHIP OF BEAUTIFUL WOODS lists every type of wood used in the MARY's decoration. The cover was made to look like a wood veneer, with the graphic an embossed copy of one of the sculptures from the first class restaurant. (It does not scan well.) A couple color images show some of the amazing marquetry panels.

ART IN THE RMS QUEEN MARY is a catalog of all the artists who executed works for the ship. (Yes, both booklets saw fit to open with the medallion portrait of H.M. Queen Mary.) No color images in this one, and while not every piece is shown, pretty much every space is represented.

What piece(s) from our collection will we end QM90 with? Tune in next week to find out!

And check out SoCal's website to see how we're celebrating the 90th anniversary of the QUEEN MARY's maiden voyage!

www.socalsshsa.org/events

On this day in 1819, the ss SAVANNAH sailed from Savannah, Georgia. Destination: England. She was the first ship to make...
05/22/2026

On this day in 1819, the ss SAVANNAH sailed from Savannah, Georgia. Destination: England. She was the first ship to make that trip under steam. Today, we call it National Maritime Day.

The Ship Model Gallery, located on the QUEEN MARY's Promenade Deck, off the main hall, displays many of the ships that followed SAVANNAH's wake.

(photo by Mary Rohrer)

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the QUEEN MARY's maiden voyage. Check out SoCal's website to see how we're celebrating!
www.socalsshsa.org/events

The RMS Queen Mary Model !Martina Caruso, Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the South Street Seaport Museum, wi...
05/21/2026

The RMS Queen Mary Model !

Martina Caruso, Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the South Street Seaport Museum, will present an engaging multimedia talk exploring the remarkable 22-foot-long builder’s model of the RMS Queen Mary.

The presentation will trace the model’s history while revealing the extraordinary craftsmanship uncovered during its restoration—from the gleam of its propellers to the delicate mother-of-pearl windows and finely detailed upper decks.

Through never-before-seen video and a rich blend of historical, archival, and contemporary images, attendees will gain insight into the significance of builder’s models and their role in maritime history.

The program will also follow the journey of this important 1935 artifact, from its previous display aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, to its new custom-designed case in the Museum’s renovated A.A. Thomson & Co. warehouse galleries.

Martina Caruso is responsible for stewardship and accessibility of the South Street Seaport Museum’s collections and archives with particular attention to the long-term management of annual and multi-year work plans, policies and procedures. She also coordinates the development, design, production, installation and maintenance of multidisciplinary exhibitions in Museum’s historic buildings, ships and public spaces, as well as online initiatives that engage visitors of all ages.

Prior to the Seaport Museum she worked for New York City and Massachusetts-based art institutions museums including the International Center of Photography (ICP), the Drawing Center, and MASS MoCA. She is a board member of the Museums Council of New York City (MCNYC), and an active mentor for emerging professional’s members of the Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists (ARCS).

The chapter is honored to have Martina participate in the Maritime Presentations on Saturday, May 30th.

Visit www.socalsshsa.org to get a Listeners pass!

Presentations are FREE to all So Cal Members.

This week in QM90, we have the mother of all "books of comparisons." Printed in May 1936, this 24-page (including covers...
05/16/2026

This week in QM90, we have the mother of all "books of comparisons."

Printed in May 1936, this 24-page (including covers) booklet documented the monumental scale of the QUEEN MARY, using every possible metric. This included matching her length to height of notable buildings, the tonnage of foodstuffs, acres of deck space, etc.

The scale of the MARY compared to the NINA, PINTA, and SANTA MARIA, the BRITANNIA, and MAURETANIA featured on the front and back covers.

(Do correct us if we're wrong, but this was pretty much the end of this kind of promotional material, until maybe when the cruise industry kicked into gear in the 1980s.)

Check out SoCal's site for how we're celebrating the QM's 90th!
www.socalsshsa.org/events

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65 Pine Avenue, Box 349
Long Beach, CA
90802

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