A Fleet of Legends: The 1910 Cunard Line "Famous Cunarders" Booklet

📌 Explore Cunard Line’s 1910 fleet with the "Famous Cunarders" booklet. Featuring the Lusitania, Mauretania, Carpathia, and more, this historic document offers a rich resource for maritime historians, educators, and genealogy researchers.

Front Cover, "Famous Cunarders," Published by the Cunard Line 21 March 1910. The RMS Mauretania is Appears on the Cover. GGA Image ID # 1189d25079

A Nautical Time Capsule of Cunard’s Finest 🚢✨

The 1910 "Famous Cunarders" booklet is an exceptional maritime artifact, providing a glimpse into the legendary ships that defined ocean travel in the early 20th century.

Published by the Cunard Line on March 21, 1910, this 8-page booklet serves as both a marketing tool and a historical record, showcasing Cunard’s most famous vessels—including the Lusitania, Mauretania, Carpathia, and Carmania—through detailed specifications and stunning illustrations.

For teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, this document offers:

✅ A firsthand look at Cunard’s premier ships before Titanic’s era

✅ Technical specifications & illustrations of the fleet

✅ Valuable insight into the golden age of transatlantic travel

✅ A research tool for genealogy enthusiasts tracking ancestors who sailed with Cunard

📌 This isn’t just a booklet—it’s a curated collection of some of the most important ocean liners in maritime history.

8-Page Booklet/Leaflet from 1910 titled "Famous Cunarders" provided an illustrated introduction to their "A"-List Cunard Line fleet including the Campania, Carmania & Caronia, Carpathia, Lusitania & Mauretania, Pannonia, and the Saxonia & Ivernia.

RMS Campania, Length: 620 Feet. Breadth: 65 Feet 3 Inches. Tonnage: 12, 950. GGA Image ID # 118a3e30a1

RMS Carmania and RMS Caronia. Length: 676 Feet. Breadth: 72 Feet, 6 Inches. Tonnage. 20,000. GGA Image ID # 118a9cfd10

RMS Carpathia. Length: 540 Feet. Breadth: 64 Feet. Tonnage: 13,603. GGA Image ID # 118aeaf086

RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauretania. Length: 790 Feet. Breadth: 88 Feet. Tonnage: 32,000. GGA Image ID # 118b20b51c

RMS Pannonia. Length: 501 Feet. Breadth: 59 Feet. Tonnage: 9,851. GGA Image ID # 118b35dc0a

RMS Saxonia and RMS Ivernia. Length: 600 Feet. Breadth: 64 Feet, 3 Inches. Tonnage: 14, 058 (Ivernia); 14,280 (Saxonia). GGA Image ID # 118ba12cc0

Cunard Line Services and Listing of the Cunard Steam Ship Company, Limited Worldwide Agencies. GGA Image ID # 118bbc5027

Brochure Information

• Date Published: 21 March 1910
• Publisher: Cunard Steam Ship Company, Limited.
• Illustrations: Frank & Sons
• Dimensions: 16 cm x 10.2 cm
• Distributor: A. D. Roesler Franz & Figli, General Agents, Rome.

🏆 The A-List of Cunard’s Fleet

The booklet introduces readers to Cunard’s finest—a fleet designed for both luxury and efficiency. Each ship is listed with detailed measurements, tonnage, and illustrations, allowing a unique comparison of these floating palaces of the Edwardian era.

Some of the most iconic ships featured include:

🚢 RMS Lusitania & RMS Mauretania – The fastest ocean liners of their time, revolutionizing transatlantic travel.

🚢 RMS Carpathia – The ship that would later become famous for rescuing Titanic survivors.

🚢 RMS Campania – A luxurious liner that was later converted into a wartime aircraft carrier.

🚢 RMS Carmania & RMS Caronia – Sister ships blending elegance with power, each weighing 20,000 tons.

📌 Each ship’s inclusion highlights Cunard’s dominance in ocean travel at a time when luxury liners were at their peak.

🏞 Noteworthy Images & Their Significance

The booklet is richly illustrated, and while we can’t see the images directly, the captions indicate historically significant visuals:

📜 "Front Cover of 'Famous Cunarders'"

Featuring RMS Mauretania, this cover symbolizes Cunard’s pride in its fastest and most powerful liner.

📏 "Ship Specifications & Illustrations"

Each ship is showcased with detailed dimensions, a rarity for promotional booklets at the time. These visuals help historians track ship design evolution and compare early 20th-century engineering feats.

📜 "Cunard Line Services & Global Offices"

A rare listing of worldwide Cunard agencies, providing insight into the company's international reach in 1910. This could be particularly useful for genealogists researching where tickets were purchased and how routes were managed.

Who Should Explore This Booklet? 🎯

👨‍🏫 For Teachers & Students:

• A snapshot of pre-WWI maritime travel
• Insights into engineering advancements in ocean liner construction
• Primary source material for Edwardian-era transatlantic trade & tourism

📜 For Historians:

• A detailed comparison of Cunard’s major vessels
• Insight into marketing strategies for luxury liners
• A pre-Titanic perspective on maritime safety & competition

🔍 For Genealogists:

• A reference for tracking passenger records by ship
• Clues about which Cunard agencies handled ticket sales
• A tangible link to ancestors who may have traveled aboard these liners

🚢 For Ocean Travel Enthusiasts:

• A collector’s dream—a rare artifact from the height of transatlantic luxury travel
• Fascinating insight into how Cunard promoted its elite fleet

Final Thoughts: A Glimpse Into an Era of Elegance & Innovation 🌊🏛

The 1910 "Famous Cunarders" booklet is a maritime historian’s dream, offering a rare and engaging glimpse into the era of great ocean liners. This document serves as an invaluable research tool, an important genealogical reference, and a captivating piece of ocean travel history.

📢 Would you have booked a ticket on one of these famous Cunarders? 🚢✨