WORLD SHIP SOCIETY

At our May membership meeting the PONY Branch welcomed Astrid Drew who presented a visual program on the Vincent M. Love Collection, currently on loan to the Steamship Historical Society of America (SSHSA). Astrid is the archivist at the SSHSA, an independent non-profit focused on the history of engine powered vessels. In this presentation, we learned about SSHSA’s dynamic collections, with a special focus on the Vincent M. Love Collection. Mr. Love was a long-time SSHSA member and maritime enthusiast who worked for several shipping companies such as United States Lines. He had a particular interest in ocean liners and White Star Line’s TITANIC, and collected widely. His collections include beautiful lithographs and posters, as well as TITANIC artifacts such as passenger lists, a first-class deck plan, and a unique card catalog of passengers and crew. Astrid also provided an overview of the vast SSHSA collections as well as her role as archivist. The SSHSA collections comprise hundreds of thousands of images, artifacts, ephemera, memorabilia, and artwork, as well as a maritime reference library located at the Ship History Center in Warwick, RI.

As archivist for the Steamship Historical Society of America, Astrid Drew manages and organizes collections and digital media, and assists the public in learning more about the history of engine-powered vessels. She holds a Masters of Library and Information Science, with a focus in archives and preservation, from Simmons College.

(Image: Vincent M. Love Collection – SSHSA Virtual Museum)