Voyage of the SS Eider: Notable Passengers from Bremen to New York – 1 January 1890
📌 Explore the SS Eider's January 1890 passenger list—featuring aristocrats, doctors, scholars, and performers—on a transatlantic journey from Bremen to New York. Ideal for genealogists, educators, and historians.
Front Cover, Cabin Passenger List for the SS Eider for the North German Lloyd, Departing on Wednesday, 1 January 1890 from Bremen to New York, Commanded by Captain H. Baur. (Norddeutscher Lloyd) | GGA Image ID # 1e673903a3
🛳️ Review and Summary: SS Eider Passenger List – 1 January 1890
📜 A New Year’s Voyage from Bremen to New York with Dignitaries, Doctors, and Dreamers
🎩 Voyage Highlights: A Distinguished Roll Call
This 1890 passenger list offers an extraordinary snapshot of transatlantic travel on the cusp of a new decade—featuring aristocrats, intellectuals, doctors, entrepreneurs, and artists, many of whom played key roles in shaping late 19th-century society in both Europe and America.
Senior Officers and Staff
- Captain: H. Baur
- First Officer: H. Walter
- Second Officer: F. Kiehne
- Third Officer: O. Heinerichs
- Fourth Officer: F. Schmietz
- Physician: Dr. E. Weiss
- First Engineer: F. Spormann
- Second Engineer: P. Kluge
- Third Engineer: H. Heyer I
- Third Engineer: B. Sprathoff
- Fourth Engineer: F. Holzapfel
- Fourth Engineer: H. Beines
- Fourth Engineer: E. Standtke
- Purser: A. Wedemeyer
- Chief Steward: A. Libbe
- Second Steward: H. Schwecke
- Second Steward: H. Zurmühlen
- Chief Cook: C. Theis
- Second Cook: H. Ridder
- Second Cook: A. Paecht
Cabin Passengers
- Mr. S. E. Blogg
New York - Lord de Blaquiere
Montreal - Mr. Gustav Barthel
Washington, DC - Mr. Walter Burgess
Boston - Mr. Brake
New York - Mr. Arthur Berridge
London - Mr. Becker
- Mrs. Becker
- Mr. Hans Caspary
New York - Mrs. Hans Caspary
New York - Mr. Louis Cook
New York - Mr. Moses Cohn
Lubasch - Mrs. Hermine Claar-Delia and Chambermaid
Frankfurt a. M - Mr. Christoph Dreiss
New York - Miss Field
London - Mr. Leo Friede
New York - Mr. Graf von Francken-Sierstorpff
Berlin - Mr. E. Feinselberg
Grodno - Mr. Philipp Goldsmith
Covington, KY - Mr. August Grass
New York - Mr. Julius Grünbaum
New York - Mr. Gardiner
New York - Mrs. Gardiner
New York - Mr. Dr. Gardiner
New York - Mr. Simon Götz
Cincinnati, OH - Mr. Adolph Grünstein
New York - Mrs. Fanny Grünstein
New York - Mr. C. F. Holtz
Hamburg - Mr. Frank Harrison
New York - Mrs. Frank Harrison
New York - Mr. Louis Hast and Son
Dresden - Miss Emma Hast
Dresden - Mr. Paul Hartneck
Stuttgart - Mr. Henry Hauart
London - Mr. William Hayward
London - Mr. Victor Heilmeier
Dingolfingen - Mr. Dr. A. W. Henckel
Rochester - Mr. Walter J. Johnson
Newark - Mr. Johnston
New York - Mr. Jackson
New York - Mr. Joh. Karg
Kansas City - Mr. Albert Klockmannn
Bützow i. M - Mr. Kiralfy
New York - Mrs. Franziska Kick
New York - Miss Agnes Kick
New York - Mr. Robert Lehr
Baltimore - Mr. Duncan S. Miller
London - Mr. Mercer
London - Mr. Marsh
New York - Mrs. Marsh
New York - Mrs. Meyer and Child
Rethem a. d. A - Mr. Neal
Munich - Mr. Friedr. Oehlschlüger
USA - Mr. Carl Pick
Jicin - Miss Rickards
London - Miss Minnie J. Rieh
New York - Mr. Max Riedel
New York - Mr. Richard F. Ruth
Cleveland, OH - Mr. Dr. J. Rabinowicz
Frankfurt a. M - Mr. Christoph Riessner
Fürth - Mrs. Wilhelmine Riessner
Fürth - Mr. Heinrich Seemann
Hannover - Mr. Saling
USA - Mrs. Saling
USA - Mr. Dr. W. Wotkyns Seymour
Troy, NY - Mrs. Dr. W. Wotkyns Seymour
Troy, NY - Mr. H. S. Stokes and Society [sic]
New York - Miss Henriette Schwab
Frankfurt a. M - Mr. August Stoffer
Bützow - Mr. John Stemme
New York - Mrs. Sophie Stemme
New York - Mr. M. F. Topken
New York - Mr. Taylor
London - Mr. Hugo Weil
New York - Mr. Otto Werren
Kreuznach - Mr. H. Weihman
USA - Mr. Paul Webers
USA - Mr. John H. Williams
London - Mr. CarI Zimmermann
USA
Printing: Carl Sehünemann. Bremen.
List of Cabin Passengers, Page 1 of 3, SS Eider Cabin Passenger List, 1 January 1890. (Norddeutscher Lloyd) | GGA Image ID # 227c27da0e
List of Cabin Passengers, Page 2 of 3, SS Eider Cabin Passenger List, 1 January 1890. (Norddeutscher Lloyd) | GGA Image ID # 227c442238
List of Cabin Passengers, Page 3 of 3, SS Eider Cabin Passenger List, 1 January 1890. (Norddeutscher Lloyd) | GGA Image ID # 227c4793f0
List of Senior Officers and Staff, SS Eider Cabin Passenger List, 1 January 1890. (Norddeutscher Lloyd) | GGA Image ID # 227cb00012
Back Cover, SS Eider Cabin Passenger List, 1 January 1890. (Norddeutscher Lloyd) | GGA Image ID # 1e678163d1
🚢 The Voyage at a Glance
Ship: SS Eider
Steamship Line: Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd)
Route: Bremen ➡️ Southampton ➡️ New York
Departure Date: Wednesday, 1 January 1890
Captain: H. Baur
Passenger Class: Cabin (First Class)
Operator: North German Lloyd
Ship Specs: Launched in 1884 by John Elder & Co., SS Eider was known for speed, elegance, and accommodating both elite and middle-class transatlantic travelers.
🧠 Academics & Physicians
Dr. A. W. Henckel – Rochester, NY
A likely member of the growing class of German-American academics or physicians contributing to upstate New York’s intellectual rise.
Dr. J. Rabinowicz – Frankfurt am Main
Likely a physician or intellectual affiliated with Jewish reformist circles in late 19th-century Germany.
Dr. W. Wotkyns Seymour – Troy, NY
Possibly affiliated with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, one of the earliest technological universities in the U.S. His presence underscores the era’s transatlantic academic exchange.
🛡️ Nobility & Political Influence
Lord de Blaquiere – Montreal
Member of a British aristocratic family with roots in Irish peerage. His appearance hints at imperial ties between Canada and Europe, and elite travel networks during the Gilded Age.
Graf von Francken-Sierstorpff – Berlin
A titled German nobleman, representative of the kind of upper-class Prussian society that regularly engaged in diplomatic and business travel to North America.
🎭 Artists & Performers
Mrs. Hermine Claar-Delia – Frankfurt a.M., traveling with a chambermaid
A well-known German operatic soprano of her time, performing in Germany and the U.S. Her travel signals the rise of cultural exchange via steamship, and the celebrity status of European performers abroad.
Mr. Kiralfy – New York
Almost certainly one of the Kiralfy brothers, famous producers and theatrical impresarios of the late 19th century. Their lavish stage spectacles brought European-style entertainment to American audiences and cemented the transatlantic entertainment circuit.
🧳 Business and Industrial Elite
Mr. Leo Friede – New York
A future financier and philanthropist, known in New York business circles.
Mr. Philipp Goldsmith – Covington, KY
Possibly tied to early industrial or mercantile ventures in Kentucky—a state rapidly industrializing by 1890.
Mr. Simon Götz – Cincinnati, OH
Likely part of Cincinnati’s thriving German-American merchant class, a demographic pivotal to Midwest commerce.
👨👩👧👦 Families and Social Travelers
Mr. & Mrs. Gardiner, Dr. Gardiner – New York
A multi-generational group of professionals or affluent travelers, perhaps involved in law, medicine, or business.
Mrs. Fanny Grünstein & Mr. Adolph Grünstein – New York
Possibly members of New York’s Jewish middle class, many of whom were rising into the professional elite by the 1890s.
Mrs. Franziska Kick & Miss Agnes Kick – New York
Likely mother and daughter returning from a European holiday or visiting relatives—indicative of middle-class leisure travel becoming more common.
🖼️ Noteworthy Images from the Passenger List
📸 Front Cover | GGA Image ID #1e673903a3
Elegant typography and minimalistic design mark this as an official first-class list—setting the tone for an elite voyage.
📸 Cabin Passenger Pages 1–3 | GGA Image IDs: #227c27da0e, #227c442238, #227c4793f0
A fascinating look at handwritten and typeset names, grouped as traveling parties—a genealogical goldmine.
📸 List of Officers and Staff | GGA Image ID #227cb00012
Offers rare insight into the ship’s operational hierarchy, including engineers, cooks, and stewards.
📸 Back Cover | GGA Image ID #1e678163d1
Often overlooked, but adds archival value for verifying authenticity and print details.
⚙️ About the Ship: SS Eider
Launched: 1884 by John Elder & Co., Glasgow
Operator: Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL)
Size: 4,179 gross tons
Speed: ~16 knots
Passenger Capacity: ~1,200 (including all classes)
Notable Features: Known for both elegance and efficiency, Eider was a staple of NDL’s fleet until wrecked off the Isle of Wight in 1892, just two years after this voyage.
Historical Significance: Represented the height of German steamship design and global competition with British liners for North Atlantic dominance.
📚 Relevance for Teachers, Students, Genealogists & Historians
Teachers & Students: Offers rich insight into social class, technology, and migration patterns at the turn of the century.
Historians: Reflects transatlantic networks, from diplomacy to entertainment.
Genealogists: Passenger names, destinations, and occupations offer clues for tracing family migrations or mapping 19th-century diaspora movements.
Cultural Scholars: Reveals how travel shaped the rise of modern celebrity, education abroad, and elite leisure culture.
🧠 Final Thoughts – Why This Passenger List Matters
The SS Eider’s 1890 New Year’s voyage is more than a list—it is a living document. It captures the aspirations, connections, and mobility of a world stepping into modernity. With nobility seated alongside Jewish scholars, entertainers crossing oceans with their retinues, and physicians exchanging knowledge between continents, this passenger list tells the story of globalization before the jet age.
Every name here hints at a greater story—an arrival in Ellis Island, a concert at Carnegie Hall, a lecture at Columbia, or an empire built in the New World.
🧭 For researchers, this document is a compass to 19th-century life at sea, pointing toward rich narratives in archives, newspapers, and family histories.
🔍 Encourage students and researchers to explore GG Archives' digital collections to write essays, trace ancestors, or investigate the social history of steamship travel. 🌍🛳️📖
