Luxury on the High Seas: First Class Passage Contracts from the 19th and 20th Centuries
📌 Explore rare first-class passage contracts from the 1860s to 1960s. Discover how elite travelers crossed oceans during wartime, peace, and prosperity through the GG Archives’ original ticket collection—ideal for historians, genealogists, and educators.
All First Class Passage Contracts and Tickets available at the GG Archives. These unique contracts represent primary source documents of the voyage of many immigrants. Our collection includes a variety of types and classes and provides an invaluable account of the cost of passage.
🛳️✨ Review & Summary: "First Class Passage Contracts and Tickets" Index Page
A Rare Glimpse into the Golden Age of Elite Ocean Travel 💼🎩🍾
The “First Class Passage Contracts and Tickets” section of the GG Archives offers a richly layered exploration of luxury transoceanic travel from the 19th century through the mid-20th century. These documents aren’t merely receipts—they are evidence of an era when first-class passengers represented not just wealth, but international mobility, diplomatic ties, and cultural prestige. For teachers, students, genealogists, and maritime historians, these contracts are indispensable primary sources that reveal the changing face of global travel, maritime economics, and social hierarchy aboard ocean liners.
SS Reigate Passage Contract (1867): A Glimpse into Luxury Ocean Travel from Australia to London
The SS Reigate Passage Contract, dated 11 May 1867, offers a rare and invaluable insight into 19th-century ocean travel, particularly for teachers, students, genealogists, and historians interested in migration, maritime history, and the socio-economic conditions of long-distance voyages.
This document details a first-class cabin passage aboard the SS Reigate, a full-rigged, three-masted sailing ship operated by the Surrey Steamship Company, transporting passengers from Melbourne, Australia, to London, England.
This is a treasure trove, as it records the names, ages, and financial transactions of passengers, particularly Margaret Schenk and her three children, illustrating how women and families traveled long distances in the 19th century.
The document highlights maritime contract law, the impact of the Passengers Act of 1855, and the growing regulation of passenger transport in response to concerns over safety, comfort, and economic fairness in ocean travel.
The SS Reigate passage contract from 1867 is more than just a ticket for a luxury voyage—it’s a historical document that connects family migration, maritime law, and 19th-century British-Australian relations.
The Lloyd Sabaudo First-Class Ticket for the SS Conte Biancamano, dated June 30, 1927, is a rare and valuable historical document that provides a glimpse into high-end transatlantic travel during the golden age of ocean liners. This first-class passage, reserved for Frank Pinto, his wife Emma, and their two young children, offers insights into elite ocean travel, ticketing policies, and the luxurious experience aboard one of Italy’s premier steamships.
SS Conte Biancamano (1925) was a state-of-the-art liner that catered to wealthy travelers, diplomats, and celebrities seeking comfort and elegance on their journey between the U.S. and Italy.
For historians, genealogists, educators, and students, this passenger contract offers a window into the upper-class transatlantic experience, including fare pricing, onboard accommodations, and the legal framework governing ocean travel in the 1920s.
Luxury Passage Across the Atlantic: SS Saturnia First-Class Ticket and Contract – 1934
The SS Saturnia First Class Passenger Receipt from 3 November 1934 is a remarkable historical artifact that offers teachers, students, genealogists, and maritime historians a valuable lens into pre-WWII luxury transatlantic travel. This document, issued by the Italia Flotte Riunite, details the voyage of Mrs. Marie J. Ratte, an American, from New York to Trieste, traveling in First Class comfort aboard one of Italy’s most prestigious liners.
Wartime Voyage: Blue Star Line Saloon Passage Ticket (1943) – A Journey Through WWII
This rare WWII-era passage ticket from the Blue Star Line offers a fascinating glimpse into wartime transoceanic travel. Issued to Mrs. Rose Slutzkin, it records her journey from Adelaide, Australia, to an undisclosed Egyptian port at a time when civilian ocean travel was fraught with danger and uncertainty.
This historical document is invaluable for:
✅ 📚 Teachers & Students – A primary source on wartime civilian travel and maritime history.
✅ 🏡 Genealogists & Family Historians – A key resource in tracing passengers traveling under wartime conditions.
✅ ⚓ Maritime Historians & Enthusiasts – Provides insight into Blue Star Line operations and restrictions during WWII.
✅ 💰 Economists & Researchers – A detailed cost breakdown of the ticket’s inflation-adjusted value from 1943 to today.
The SS Orion First-Class Passage Ticket from 1948 provides an in-depth look into post-war luxury ocean travel between Sydney and London. Issued to Miss M. B. Bartlett, this document showcases the role of the Orient Line in rebuilding global passenger services after WWII and highlights the cost, regulations, and terms of high-end ocean liner travel during the late 1940s.
Who Should Find This Resource Valuable?
✅ 📚 Teachers & Students – Ideal for research on post-war migration, luxury transoceanic travel, and British-Australian maritime history.
✅ 🏡 Genealogists & Family Historians – A primary source for tracing individuals migrating between Australia and the UK.
✅ ⚓ Maritime Historians & Enthusiasts – Offers insight into the rebuilding of passenger shipping lines after WWII.
✅ 💰 Economists & Researchers – Includes a detailed cost breakdown of the ticket’s inflation-adjusted value from 1948 to today.
SS Stavangerfjord & SS Oslofjord (1953) Passage Contract – Norwegian America Line First-Class Voyage
The Norwegian America Line passage contract from 1953 is an important historical document, offering insight into post-war transatlantic travel and the enduring role of ocean liners in global migration and tourism. By the 1950s, passenger ships remained the primary means of crossing the Atlantic, despite the increasing availability of air travel.
The SS Stavangerfjord and SS Oslofjord, operated by the Norwegian America Line, were among the prestigious ocean liners that connected the United States with Scandinavia, serving a diverse range of travelers including immigrants, business professionals, and vacationers. This contract captures a period when international sea voyages were still governed by meticulous regulations, structured accommodations, and formal passage agreements.
This first-class passage ticket, issued for Mrs. Katherine H. Somerville, records her journey from New York to Bergen on July 14, 1953, aboard the SS Stavangerfjord, with a return voyage on the SS Oslofjord from Kristiansand on September 9, 1953.
Priced at $295 for the eastbound journey and $350 for the westbound, the ticket represents a significant financial investment, adjusted for inflation to approximately $2,850 (one way) in 2020 dollars. The document provides valuable details about ticketing policies, baggage regulations, medical considerations, and the contractual obligations of both the passenger and the Norwegian America Line, making it a compelling artifact for those studying maritime history, transatlantic migration, or the evolution of global travel.
🚢 SS Nieuw Amsterdam (1960) Passage Contract – A First-Class Voyage from New York to Le Havre
The SS Nieuw Amsterdam was one of the most prestigious ocean liners operated by the Holland-America Line, serving as a key link between New York and Europe during the mid-20th century. By 1960, air travel was becoming more dominant, yet ocean liners remained a popular option for those seeking a more luxurious and leisurely transatlantic crossing.
This passage contract, issued on September 16, 1960, provides a fascinating look into the ticketing process, travel costs, and terms of voyage for first-class passengers on this celebrated vessel.
This First-Class ticket, issued to Mrs. Patricia S. Charles and her two children, Regan (4 years old) and Patrick (1 year old), documents their departure from New York to Le Havre. The total ocean fare for the family was $675, after a 10% round-trip discount, with an additional $26 in taxes, bringing the final cost to $701 USD.
Adjusted for inflation, this amount equates to $6,930 to $33,300 in 2022 dollars, depending on economic comparisons. The return trip was scheduled aboard the SS Rotterdam on June 22, 1960, reflecting the prevalence of round-trip ocean crossings for leisure, business, and family visits during this era.
🔍 Highlights: The Most Fascinating Tickets & Why They Matter
⛵ SS Reigate (1867) – Australia to London by Sail
📜 Earliest Document in the Collection!
This cabin-class contract for Mrs. Margaret Schenk and her children aboard the SS Reigate, a full-rigged three-masted vessel, reveals the realities of long-haul luxury travel by sail in the 19th century. The ticket is a living lesson in maritime law, referencing the Passengers Act of 1855, and offers a vivid portrait of family migration in the British Empire.
✅ Best For: History teachers discussing Victorian migration, gender in travel, maritime regulation
📌 Key Themes: Empire routes, maternal migration, early first-class expectations
🇮🇹 SS Conte Biancamano (1927) – New York to Genoa
🛏️ Elite Family Travel in the Interwar Era
This first-class ticket for the Pinto family offers insight into transatlantic travel at its peak glamour. The Conte Biancamano was a flagship of Italy’s elite fleet, boasting grandeur, luxury dining, and privacy—a far cry from steerage-class immigration voyages of just decades earlier.
✅ Best For: Genealogists, students of Italian-American history, maritime luxury studies
📌 Key Themes: Family migration, early 20th-century elegance, Italian steamship prestige
✨ SS Saturnia (1934) – New York to Trieste
This ticket for Mrs. Marie J. Ratte, an American woman sailing solo in first class, speaks volumes about women's mobility, status, and independence in the interwar period. The document also highlights the evolution of Italian transatlantic travel before the upheavals of WWII.
✅ Best For: Women’s studies, travel writing, pre-WWII political context
📌 Key Themes: Transatlantic femininity, travel as empowerment, Euro-American routes
⚔️ Blue Star Line WWII Ticket (1943) – Adelaide to Egypt
🕵️♀️ War at Sea!
This wartime saloon-class ticket issued to Mrs. Rose Slutzkin reflects the civilian experience during WWII, when luxury was traded for necessity. Rare and haunting, this document captures how ocean travel persisted under blackout, convoy protections, and constant threat.
✅ Best For: WWII curriculum, security and transportation history
📌 Key Themes: Wartime civilian movement, women under wartime mobility, secrecy at sea
🇬🇧 SS Orion (1948) – Sydney to Tilbury
🛳️ Post-War Reconstruction Through Luxury
Miss M.B. Bartlett’s passage ticket on the SS Orion signals the restoration of luxury services in the aftermath of war. This Orient Line first-class voyage is a symbol of British imperial reconnection and maritime resilience.
✅ Best For: Postwar history, Anglo-Australian studies, class mobility
📌 Key Themes: Renewal, class divisions, shipbuilding revival
🇳🇴 SS Stavangerfjord & Oslofjord (1953) – Round Trip NYC ↔ Bergen
👩🎓 Transatlantic Elegance for the Elite
Mrs. Katherine H. Somerville’s 1953 round-trip ticket shows high-end Scandinavian-American travel during the twilight of the ocean liner era. This document provides rich financial data, revealing inflation-adjusted comparisons of first-class fares.
✅ Best For: Economic history, cultural exchange, migration case studies
📌 Key Themes: Norwegian diaspora, formal passage contracts, rising competition from aviation
🚢 SS Nieuw Amsterdam (1960) – New York to Le Havre
👩👦 Family Travel in the Jet Age
Mrs. Patricia S. Charles and her two young children embarked aboard the famous Nieuw Amsterdam at a time when air travel was growing—but ships still ruled for luxury and leisure. This ticket reveals a shifting travel economy and the adaptation of liners to remain relevant.
✅ Best For: Transportation evolution, family sociology, immigration post-1950
📌 Key Themes: Family mobility, aviation competition, transitional luxury
🖼️ Noteworthy Images to Explore 📸
🔹 SS Reigate Contract (1867) – Handwritten, legally dense, and representative of early maritime law
🔹 SS Saturnia and Conte Biancamano Tickets – Elegant design reflecting interwar ocean travel opulence
🔹 WWII Blue Star Line Ticket – Stark, pragmatic, and deeply symbolic of global conflict’s impact on civilian life
🔹 SS Nieuw Amsterdam (1960) Contract – A blend of vintage and modern, documenting a mother's journey with young children at sea
📚 Relevance for Educators, Historians, Genealogists, and Others
👨🏫 For Teachers & Students
These documents offer firsthand evidence for units on migration, war, gender, maritime law, and travel evolution. Ideal for primary source analysis or classroom comparison of pre- and post-war mobility.
🧬 For Genealogists
Each contract provides key genealogical data: full names, routes, destinations, family relationships, and sometimes citizenship—vital breadcrumbs for uncovering family migration stories.
⚓ For Maritime Historians
The collection tracks the progression from sail to steam to post-war motorliners, offering insights into shipbuilding, ticketing systems, and company operations like the Norwegian America Line, Blue Star Line, Lloyd Sabaudo, and Italian Line.
💼 For Economists and Social Researchers
Each contract features price comparisons with modern equivalents, showcasing how first-class travel functioned as both economic indicator and social statement.
🧭 Final Thoughts – Why This Collection Matters
The First-Class Passage Contracts in the GG Archives don’t just document who traveled where—they tell stories of who could afford to, why they did, and what society expected of elite travelers. These contracts reflect the evolution of social status, global mobility, and technological change over nearly a century of maritime history.
🧳 Students: Use these as primary sources in essays on luxury travel, migration, or maritime law.
🧬 Researchers: Trace social change and economic mobility via ticket structures and cost comparisons.
🌍 Everyone: Witness how the world crossed oceans in style—and what that style reveals about the world.
📜 History lives in every page—explore it one first-class voyage at a time. 🌊🍾✍️
