Ellis Island Passenger Lists - 1914

First Class Lounge on the SS Sierra Ventana, Originally Built for the Norddeutscher Lloyd in 1912. She was Utilized as a Hospital Ship During World War I. In 1914, Summer Sailings Included the Ports of Bremen, Antwerp, Boulogne, Coruña, Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires. Ocean Gazette, Kronprinzessin Cecilie Edition, 29 July 1914. GGA Image ID # 2059ada249

Passenger lists for 1914 represent the souvenir list provided to the passengers of each cabin class (and other classes). Many of these souvenir passenger lists have disappeared over the years. Our collection primarily covers North American and European ports and ports in Australia and South Africa.

Our collection contains samples of passenger lists produced and printed by the steamship lines. These lists are often used to illustrate family history books for immigrants from this period.

Coveted by collectors and genealogists, souvenir passenger lists often offered beautiful graphical covers and information not found in official manifests because they focused on the journey rather than the destination.

Passenger Lists By Year Continued

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• 1913
• 1914
• 1915
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Please help us make our passenger list collection more complete. We would appreciate a digital copy if you have an 1914 souvenir passenger list. Please email us at history@ggarchives.com.

Recap and Summary of the Ellis Island Passenger Lists - 1914

The Ellis Island Passenger Lists for 1914 reflect a transformative year in global ocean travel, as the outbreak of World War I in late July abruptly altered transatlantic shipping routes and priorities. Early in the year, steamship travel continued as usual, with luxury liners, immigrant transports, and leisure cruises operating regularly. However, once war broke out on July 28, 1914, between the European powers, the nature of passenger travel changed dramatically.

By mid-year, many ships carried refugees, diplomats, and stranded Americans back from Europe. Some liners were converted into hospital ships or military transports, while others faced disruptions due to blockades and naval threats. The war shattered the dominance of German steamship lines like Hamburg America and North German Lloyd, which had been among the leaders in global shipping.

 

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Notable Highlights from the 1914 Passenger Lists

1. SS Berlin (North German Lloyd) – 8 January 1914

• Route: Genoa to New York via Naples, Palermo, and Gibraltar
• Class of Passengers: First and Second Cabin
• Commander: Captain A. Harrassowitz
• Significance:
  • One of the last major German liners operating under normal conditions before the war.
  • North German Lloyd was one of the most powerful shipping companies before the war, but many of its ships were soon seized or blockaded by the Allies.

 

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2. SS Imperator (Hamburg America Line) – 11 March 1914

• Route: Hamburg to New York via Southampton and Cherbourg
• Class of Passengers: First and Second Cabin
• Commander: Commodore Th. Kier
• Significance:
  • The Imperator was one of the largest and most luxurious ships in the world at the time.
  • This was likely one of her last peaceful crossings before she was interned in New York for the duration of the war.

 

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3. TSS Canada (Fabre Line) – 16 April 1914

• Route: Special Winter Voyage from New York to the Mediterranean via Algiers, Naples, Villefranche, and Marseilles
• Class of Passengers: First Class
• Commander: Captain Victor Bouleuc
• Significance:
  • A seasonal Mediterranean cruise, reflecting the luxury travel industry before the war halted such voyages.
  • Marseilles and other Mediterranean ports later became key wartime naval hubs.

 

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4. SS Vandyck (Lamport & Holt Line) – 9 July 1914

• Route: Buenos Aires to New York via Montevideo, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Trinidad, and Barbados
• Class of Passengers: First Class
• Commander: Captain A. Codogan
• Significance:
  • A rare South American voyage during the period, showing continued commercial and luxury travel.
  • Less than four months later, this ship was captured by the German raider SMS Karlsruhe in the South Atlantic and sunk.

 

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5. RMS Aquitania (Cunard Line) – 11 July 1914

• Route: Liverpool to New York
• Class of Passengers: Second Cabin
• Commander: Captain W. T. Turner, R.N.R.
• Significance:
  • The Aquitania was one of Cunard’s premier ocean liners, designed to compete with German and White Star ships.
  • She was quickly taken out of service in August 1914 and converted into a troop transport and hospital ship.

 

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6. SS Principe di Udine (Lloyd Sabaudo) – 12 August 1914

• Route: Genoa to New York
• Class of Passengers: All Classes
• Commander: Captain Tiscornia
• Significance:
  • One of the first documented refugee voyages following the outbreak of World War I.
  • Carried passengers fleeing the uncertainty of war in Europe.

 

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7. SS Red Cross (Hamburg America Line) – 13 September 1914

• Route: New York to Falmouth, England
• Class of Passengers: Surgeons and Nurses of the American Red Cross
• Commander: Captain Armistead Rust, U.S.N. (Retired)
• Significance:
  • Marked the first deployment of American medical personnel to aid wartime efforts in Europe.
  • While the U.S. remained neutral at this stage, humanitarian missions were already underway.

 

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8. TSS Rotterdam (Holland-America Line) – 15 October 1914

• Route: Rotterdam to New York
• Class of Passengers: Cabin
• Commander: Commodore G. Stenger
• Significance:
  • The Netherlands remained neutral in WWI, so Dutch ships like the Rotterdam were some of the few European liners still operating transatlantic routes.

 

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9. RMS Lapland (Red Star Line) – 29 October 1914

• Route: Liverpool to New York via Queenstown (Cobh)
• Class of Passengers: Second Class
• Commander: Captain J. Bradshaw
• Significance:
  • The Lapland would later transport American troops back to Europe once the U.S. entered the war.
  • This was one of the last passenger voyages before wartime restrictions significantly disrupted civilian travel.

 

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Key Historical Events That Affected Steamship Travel in 1914

1. The Outbreak of World War I (July 28, 1914)

• War immediately disrupted global shipping, leading to:
  • The seizure of German and Austrian ships by the British and French.
  • The rerouting of transatlantic ships to avoid combat zones.
  • A surge in refugee travel, as Americans and other neutrals fled Europe.
  • A decline in tourism, with wealthy travelers canceling voyages.

 

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2. German Shipping Faces Immediate Blockades

• The Hamburg-America and North German Lloyd lines, two of the largest passenger carriers in the world, were cut off from their routes.
• Many German and Austrian ships were interned in neutral ports or seized by the British Navy.

 

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3. American and Neutral Ships Became Lifelines

• Dutch, Scandinavian, and American ships became essential for travel, since they could still legally operate in wartime conditions.
• Ships like the Rotterdam (Holland-America Line) and Oscar II (Scandinavian America Line) remained in service longer than their belligerent European counterparts.

 

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4. The Conversion of Passenger Liners into Military Vessels

• Many passenger ships were immediately requisitioned for war service:
  • The RMS Aquitania was converted into a troop transport.
  • The Imperator was seized and later renamed the USS Leviathan.
  • Several Red Star, White Star, and Cunard ships were used for medical and evacuation missions.

 

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Conclusion – 1914 as the Turning Point for Ocean Travel

• The first half of 1914 saw transatlantic travel at its peak, with luxurious ships like the Imperator and Aquitania dominating routes.
• By August 1914, everything changed, as the war made ocean travel dangerous and uncertain.
• Refugees, diplomats, and stranded passengers dominated passenger lists, while ships began converting to military use.
• 1914 was the end of the "Golden Age of Steamships", marking the beginning of wartime travel, restrictions, and military mobilization.

By the end of 1914, the world was at war, and the peaceful era of grand ocean liners had come to an abrupt halt.