Among the pieces were several articles I was 90% sure I had, but until they were in my grubby little hands, that 10% really nagged at me. Now I have clear descriptions of all the public rooms of (almost) all the ships in this study. I say almost, because many of these ships were part of a duo, trio, or quartet, and only the first ship in the relevant series was detailed at length.
Plus, all my ocean liner ads are under one roof. This collection is made up primarily of National Geographics ranging from 1919 to the late 1960s. While by no means a comprehensive collection of all steamship advertising, this is a good representation of how these ships were promoted, plus the occasional interior photo can be found, sometimes in color.
April 1927; March 1938; March 1946
One of the most prolific advertisers was Matson Lines, with sailings from the
West Coast to Hawaii and the South Seas. It's neat to see the evolution in just
these three ads. Black and white illustration, full-color photo, and a highly
streamlined version of their ships.
September 1954; February 1964
Matson pretty much had the lock on the West Coast-Hawaii route, and
over the years, they crafted the message that they were Hawaii; that you're
in Hawaii the moment you step on board. After the Mariposa and Monterey
arrived in the late 1950s, a greater focus was placed on the South Seas,
as shown in the last ad.
Part of this project may include a compare/contrast analysis between the steamships and the land-based hotels/resorts of the same period. Amenities came into increasing focus as transcontinental jets forced steamship companies to push the benefits of leisurely traveling from A to B. Why travel to a resort, when you could travel in a resort? The question is in itself the answer to how today's cruise ships are marketed. I've a few very good books addressing the topic, and I'm not sure how much more I can bring to the conversation; perhaps a small, yet heavily illustrated section; as that's one thing I've not seen to date.
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