🛳️ Crossing the Atlantic in the Great Depression: 1932 SS Leviathan Tourist Cabin Passage Contract

📌 Explore a 1932 United States Lines passage contract aboard the SS Leviathan, detailing a Dutch woman’s transatlantic journey to New York during the Great Depression. Ideal for educators, students, historians, and genealogists.

SS Leviathan Tourist Cabin Contract Ticket, Rotterdam (Cherbourg) to New York, 10 September 1932. GGA Image ID # 1fa582b3b0

🚢 SS Leviathan Tourist Cabin Passage Contract – 10 September 1932 🧾✨

The 1932 Tourist Cabin Contract Ticket for Miss Joan Marechal aboard the grand SS Leviathan is more than just a passage receipt—it’s a vivid snapshot of a world in flux, captured through the lens of a transatlantic voyage. This primary document, issued by United States Lines, illustrates not only the structure of interwar sea travel but also offers a compelling story of identity, resilience, and mobility during the Great Depression era.

Summary of Passage Contract

• Date of Purchase / Voyage: 10 September 1932
• Steamship Line: United States Lines
• Steamship: SS Leviathan
• Route: Rotterdam to New York via Cherbourg
• Ticket Type: Passage Contract
• Voyage Class: Tourist Cabin
• Name on Contract: Miss Joan MARECHAL
• Etnicity of Passenger(s): Dutch
• Contract Terms: Not Stated
• Cost of Ticket: $102 / $1,930.00 USD in 2020

Passage Contract Details

UNITED STATES LINES INC.

CONTRACT TICKET No. 30690

9. Rue des Mathurins, 9 - Paris

Tourist Cabin Contract Ticket

Steamer: Leviathan

to Sail from Cherbourg to New York

on the 10th day of September 1932

Full Name: Miss Joan MARECHAL

Deck E, Room 76, Berth 2

Nationality: Holland

Issued in Exchange For

• PA17527
• Issued By 89648
• Place: Rotterdam
• Date: Left 7 1932

Ocean Fare (off Rotterdam) $94

U. S. Head Tax: $8

Total $ 102

Deposit: $102

Balance Due: $0

View the related Passenger List for Westbound Voyage of the Leviathan that departed from Bremen on 9 September 1932 to New York via Southampton and Cherbourg.

🛳️ SS Leviathan Passenger List – 9 September 1932: Transatlantic Travel During the Great Depression

Steamship Line: United States Lines

Class of Passengers: Tourist Cabin

Date of Departure: 9 September 1932

Route: Bremen to New York via Southampton and Cherbourg

Commander: Commodore Albert B. Randall, U.S.N.R

Step aboard the SS Leviathan in 1932—a majestic ocean liner operated by United States Lines, steaming from Bremen to New York via Southampton and Cherbourg at the height of the Great Depression. This rich Tourist Cabin Passenger List dated 9 September 1932, offers more than names—it’s a dynamic tapestry of global lives in motion, threading through academic, religious, artistic, and everyday histories.

Ellis Island Arriving Passenger Record

• Name: Joan Marechal
• Gender: Female
• Ethnicity/ Nationality: Dutch
• Marital status: Divorced
• Age: 34
• Birth Date: abt 1898
• Birth Place: Holland, Netherlands
• Other Birth Place: Utrecht
• Last Known Residence: St Paul, Minn
• Departure Port: Cherbourg, France
• Ship Name: Leviathan
• Arrival Date: 16 Sep 1932
• Arrival Port: New York, New York, USA
• Final Destination: Chicago, Illinois
• Years in US: Permanently
• Citizenship Intention: Yes
• Height: 5 Feet, 7 Inches
• Hair Color: Brown
• Eye Color: Brown
• Complexion: Fair
• Person in Old Country: Mr A Marechal
• Person in Old Country Relationship: Brother
• Person in Old Country Residence: 7824 So Winchester Ave Chicago
• Sibling: A Marechal

Source Citation: Year: 1932; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 15; Page Number: 38

Original data:

Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Microfilm Publication T715, 8892 rolls. NAI: 300346. Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Supplemental Manifests of Alien Passengers and Crew Members Who Arrived on Vessels at New York, New York, Who Were Inspected for Admission, and Related Index, compiled 1887-1952. Microfilm Publication A3461, 21 rolls. NAI: 3887372. RG 85, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Index to Alien Crewmen Who Were Discharged or Who Deserted at New York, New York, May 1917-Nov. 1957. Microfilm Publication A3417. NAI: 4497925. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Passenger Lists, 1962-1972, and Crew Lists, 1943-1972, of Vessels Arriving at Oswego, New York. Microfilm Publication A3426. NAI: 4441521. National Archives at Washington, D.C.

Relative Cost of Passage Ticket in Today's Currency Value

In 2020, the relative values of $102.00 from 1932 ranges from $1,610.00 to $35,800.00.

A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $1,930.00. This answer is obtained by multiplying $102 by the percentage increase in the CPI from 1932 to 2020.

This may not be the best answer.

The best measure of the relative value over time depends on if you are interested in comparing the cost or value of a Commodity, Income or Wealth, or a Project.

If you want to compare the value of a $102.00 Commodity in 1932 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real price of that commodity is $1,930.00
• real value in consumption of that commodity is $4,980.00
• labor value of that commodity is $6,750.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $7,440.00 (using production worker compensation)
• income value of that commodity is $13,600.00
• economic share of that commodity is $35,800.00

If you want to compare the value of a $102.00 Income or Wealth, in 1932 there are five choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real wage or real wealth value of that income or wealth is $1,930.00
• household purchasing power value of that income or wealth is $4,980.00
• relative labor earnings of that commodity are $6,750.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $7,440.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative income value of that income or wealth is $13,600.00
• relative output value of that income or wealth is $35,800.00

If you want to compare the value of a $102.00 Project in 1932 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:

• real cost of that project is $1,610.00
• household cost of that project is $4,980.00
• labor cost of that project is $6,750.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $7,440.00 (using production worker compensation)
• relative cost of that project is $13,600.00
• economy cost of that project is $35,800.00

Source: www.measuringworth.com Samuel H. Williamson, "Seven Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount, 1790 to present," MeasuringWorth, 2022.

📜 Historical Significance & Relevance

For teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, this contract holds tremendous value. It exemplifies:

🔹 Social class structures aboard ocean liners
🔹 The role of international steamship companies in maintaining migration routes
🔹 Passenger documentation during global economic hardship
🔹 Dutch-American transnational migration narratives

The passenger, Miss Joan Marechal, was a 34-year-old divorced Dutch woman, born in Utrecht and heading for Chicago, with a U.S. address already in mind—suggesting a permanent return or reintegration into American society. Her journey adds a personal dimension to broader migration themes in the early 1930s.

💡 Key Contract Details

🔹 Date of Ticket: 10 September 1932

🔹 Steamship Line: United States Lines

🔹 Ship: SS Leviathan

🔹 Route: Cherbourg → New York (originating in Rotterdam)

🔹 Passenger Name: Miss Joan Marechal

🔹 Nationality: Dutch

🔹 Cabin Assignment: Deck E, Room 76, Berth 2

🔹 Fare: $94

🔹 U.S. Head Tax: $8

🔹 Total Paid: $102

🔹 Today's Value (2020 est.): ~$1,930.00 🪙

📝 According to the U.S. Ellis Island arrival record, Joan arrived in New York on 16 September 1932 and declared her final destination as Chicago, Illinois—a testament to how passage contracts can be paired with immigration data for genealogical reconstruction.

🖼️ Noteworthy Images

📄 SS Leviathan Tourist Cabin Contract Ticket | GGA Image ID #1fa582b3b0

This image captures the formal design and terminology used by the United States Lines. Students can examine the layout, typeface, and multilingual references—great for primary source analysis!

📘 SS Leviathan Passenger List Cover (Tourist Cabin) | GGA Image ID #1e1ffbc49c

With its official seals and captain’s name (Commodore Albert B. Randall, USNR), this cover brings the passenger's voyage into fuller historical context.

📚 Educational Use Cases

In the Classroom:

🧑‍🏫 Teachers can introduce this contract as a gateway into 1930s global migration or use it in units on primary source literacy and maritime law.

📝 Suggested Essay Topics for Students:

🔹 “Boarding in Crisis: Travel and Migration in the Shadow of the Great Depression”

🔹 “Joan Marechal’s Passage: A Case Study in Transatlantic Identity and Return Migration”

🔹 “Tourist Cabin Class: Comfort or Compromise in 1930s Ocean Travel?”

🔍 Students might also compare this ticket with others in the GG Archives collection to assess changes in ticket design, contract terms, or pricing over time.

💵 Economic Context

🧮 In today’s terms, this $102 ticket could equate to anywhere between $1,930 and $35,800, depending on whether you compare consumer value, labor time, or economic impact. This illustrates how significant even tourist class travel was for ordinary individuals in 1932.

🔚 Final Thoughts

This contract tells a remarkably human story wrapped in bureaucratic formality. It’s not just a receipt—it’s a testament to perseverance, a record of transatlantic hope, and a valuable piece of the migration mosaic.

🌍 Students and researchers are encouraged to use the GG Archives to explore similar records—and to turn these static documents into dynamic historical narratives. Every receipt is a boarding pass to a deeper understanding of our shared past. 🧳⚓📖