Shipping Industry Collection (#22)

Coconut sales receipt, Barbados to London, 1881
Coconut production sales receipt, Barbados to London, 1881. Account sales of 10, 000 coconuts transported from Barbados to London on board The Bruce, 24 June 1881

Swimming pool on board the RML Atlantis, c1929-c1939(?). Previously a liner named Andes, the Atlantis was converted into a cruise ship and renamed by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in 1929

On board the RMS Atlantis, c1929-c1939(?). Previously a liner named Andes, the Atlantis was converted into a cruise ship and renamed by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in 1929

Shark caught by the cruise ship Atlantis, off Bathurst, Gambia, 20th century. Bathurst is now known as Banjul. The Atlantis was operated by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company

Shark on board the cruise ship Atlantis, caught off Bathurst, Gambia, 20th century. Bathurst is now known as Banjul. The Atlantis was operated by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company

Steamship Atlantis off Bathurst, Gambia, 20th century. Bathurst is now known as Banjul. Previously a liner named Andes, the Atlantis was converted into a cruise ship

Unloading cargo from a boat, Muhaila, Baghdad, Iraq, 1925. Artist: A Kerim
Unloading cargo from a boat, Muhaila, Baghdad, Iraq, 1925. A print from Baghdad, Camera Studio Iraq, published by Hasso Bros, Rotophot AG, Berlin, 1925

Union Steamship Sir Francis Henry Evans, British businessman and politician, 1896. Artist: Spy
Union Steamship Sir Francis Henry Evans, British businessman and politician, 1896. Evans (1840-1907) was Conservative MP for Southampton (1888-1895, 1896-1900) and for Maidstone (1901-1906)

The new Custom House, from Billingsgate, City of London, c1830. Artist: William Tombleson
The new Custom House, from Billingsgate, City of London, c1830

Colombo Harbour, Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Artist: Keystone View Company
Colombo Harbour, Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Stereoscopic card details

Portland Harbour and Breakwater, 1866

Steam Derrick, 1866

The Custom House from Thames Street, City of London, 1828. Artist: J Henshall
The Custom House from Thames Street, City of London, 1828

First class smoking room on board the P&O steamship SS India, 1901. A photograph from The Magazine of Art, Cassell and Company, Limited, 1901

Salon of the P&O steamship SS India, 1901. A photograph from The Magazine of Art, Cassell and Company, Limited, 1901

The banks of the Mississippi, c1860s (c1880). A print from Cassells History of the United States, by Edmund Ollier, Volume III, Cassell Petter and Galpin, London, c1880

John Ericsson, Swedish-born American engineer and inventor, (c1880). Artist: Whymper
John Ericsson, Swedish-born American engineer and inventor, (c1880). On moving to the USA in 1839, Ericsson designed many warships including the Monitor (1861)

Cotton wharves, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, early 20th century. Cotton bales on the Elder Dempster Co SS Wharf in New Orleans

The RMS Mauretania, 20th century. RMS Mauretania, sister ship of the Lusitania, was an ocean liner built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear

A sketch from Billingsgate, 19th century (1904). Artist: James Abbott McNeill Whistler
A sketch from Billingsgate, 19th century (1904). Second state etching. Plate taken from Whistler As I Knew Him, by Mortimer Menpes, published by Adam and Charles Black (London, 1904)

Tyzac Whiteley and Co, 1859 (1904). Artist: James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Tyzac Whiteley and Co, 1859 (1904). Plate taken from Whistler As I Knew Him, by Mortimer Menpes, published by Adam and Charles Black (London, 1904)

Limehouse, 19th century (1904). Artist: James Abbott McNeill Whistler
Limehouse, 19th century (1904). Plate taken from Whistler As I Knew Him, by Mortimer Menpes, published by Adam and Charles Black (London, 1904)

Offices of the Suez Canal Company, Port Said, Egypt, 20th century. Artist: Isaac Behar
Offices of the Suez Canal Company, Port Said, Egypt, 20th century

Steamer coaling, Port Said, Egypt, 20th century. Port Said is a fuelling station for ships passing through the Suez Canal

Steamers passing through the Suez Canal, Egypt, 20th century

Dockyard workshops and waterfront, Gibraltar, 20th century

Durban harbour from the Bluff, South Africa. A print from View Album of Glorious Durban

No 2 Dock and grain elevators, Buenos Aires, Argentina. A print from Buenos Aires, published by Mitchells Book Store, Cangallo

St Katherines Docks, London, late 19th century. Aerial view showing the docks, ships on the Thames, and the Tower of London in the background

The SS Orbita, Panama Canal, early 20th century. Artist: J Dearden Holmes
The SS Orbita, Panama Canal, early 20th century. Stereoscopic card. Detail

United States Men-Of-War passing through a lock, Panama Canal, Panama, 1926
United States Men-Of-War passing through a lock, Panama Canal, 1926. The idea of building a canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was first planned by the French civil engineer

A lock on the Panama Canal, Panama, 1926. The idea of building a canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was first planned by the French civil engineer and builder of the Suez Canal

Avon Gorge, Bristol, 1926. Artist: Cavenders Ltd
Avon Gorge, Bristol, 1926. From the River Valleys set of hand-coloured cigarette cards issued with Army Club Cigarettes, Cavanders Ltd, 1926

The ocean liner RMS Queen Mary, Clydebank, Glasgow, 1934 (1935). Artist: John Brown & Company
The ocean liner RMS Queen Mary, Clydebank, Glasgow, 1934 (1935). Built by John Brown & Co on Clydeside for the Cunard White Star Line, the 81

The ocean liner RMS Berengaria, 20th century. The SS Imperator, later renamed RMS Berengaria, was the first of a trio of successively larger ocean liners that included the Vaterland

The River Thames, 19th century. Artist: W May
The River Thames, 19th century

Dublin, Ireland, 19th century. Artist: Weber
Dublin, Ireland, 19th century

Montreal, Canada, 19th century

Ocean liner RMS Queen Mary, 20th century. Docked in harbour. Built by John Brown & Co on Clydeside for the Cunard White Star Line, the 81

Statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps, Port Said, Egypt, c1920s-c1930s(?). A French diplomat and entrepreneur, de Lesseps (1805-1894)

RMS Atlantis, Valetta, Malta, c1929-c1939. Previously a liner named Andes, the Atlantis was converted into a cruise ship and renamed by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in 1929

The Pool of London, 1924-1926. Artist: FP Dickinson
The Pool of London, 1924-1926. The Pool, just below London Bridge. A print from Hutchinsons Britain Beautiful, edited by Walter Hutchinson, volume III, 1924-1926

Loading cotton onto a ship, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, c1900s. Published by The Acmegraph Co. (Chicago)

The shipping of mules, Syros Island, Greece, 1937. Artist: Martin Hurlimann
The shipping of mules, Syros Island, Greece, 1937. Illustration from Das Mittelmeer: Landschaft, Baukunst und Volksleben im Kreise des Mittellandischen Meeres, a work on Mediterranean architecture

Ferdinand de Lesseps, 19th century French diplomat and entrepreneur, (1900). De Lesseps (1805-1894) built the Suez Canal to enable shipping to pass between the Mediterranean

Map of Liverpool, Merseyside, 1903. Artist: John Walker
Map of Liverpool, Merseyside, 1903. Inset is a photograph of a Liverpool dock

The Comet, c1812, (c1880). Henry Bells steam boat Comet, 40ft long (12.19m), powered by a 3hp Boulton & Watt engine, was the first successful steam boat in Europe

Samuel Plimsoll, British politician and social reformer, c1880. Artist: Moritz Klinkicht
Samuel Plimsoll, British politician and social reformer, c1880. Known popularly as the sailors friend because of his championing of sailors interests

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The shipping industry has a rich history that spans across continents and centuries. From the majestic S. S Etruria, sailing from New York to Liverpool in November 1890, to the Cunard Line's Ivernia off New Brighton in 1910, these vessels were not just means of transportation but symbols of human ingenuity and exploration. In Hamburg, Germany, Europe, a container ship gracefully glides along the River Elbe. This modern marvel represents the evolution of shipping technology and its vital role in global trade. Meanwhile, a glimpse into history takes us back to 1912 when passengers aboard the Titanic enjoyed a sumptuous dinner with their second-class menu. The Queen Mary stands tall at Clydebank, Glasgow in 1934 - an iconic Cunard liner that captured hearts with its grandeur and elegance. Centuries earlier in London's Lloyds Coffee House of 1798 (depicted in 1947), maritime insurance was born as merchants gathered to discuss risks associated with sea voyages. As we fast forward to 1936, we witness the magnificent Berengaria approaching Cunard pier - another testament to engineering prowess and luxury travel. However, even before these giants graced our oceans, there was Great Eastern on the stocks at Millwall on the Thames in 1857 - an ambitious project ahead of its time. Art also captures moments within this industry's narrative; John Wood Approaching Bombay by Joseph Heard showcases both beauty and adventure as ships sailed through exotic waters around c1850. And let us not forget how ports like Antwerp were bustling hubs for trade as early as1520. Lastly, we delve into artistic representations such as Steamship La Champagne from French Line's Ocean and River Steamers series (N83). These artworks immortalize vessels that connected people across vast distances while symbolizing progress during their respective eras.