World Ship Society

SHIPS OF STATE, PACIFIC STYLE: The PRESIDENT JACKSON-CLASS OF 1940Presented by Wayne Yanda
2020-11-20 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Eighty years ago, November 1940 marked the debut of the PRESIDENT JACKSON, the first of seven round-the-world passenger-cargo liners designed to help American President Lines rise from the ashes of the Dollar Line. The JACKSON-class was also tasked with stemming the insurgence of the Japanese Merchant Marine, represented by the NYK Line and OSK Line.
Wayne Yanda described the trans-Pacific rivalry of the United States and Japan during the interwar years, and how it led to the creation of the PRESIDENT JACKSON-class of 1940. He described the nationwide mural competition, fraught with conflict, held to decorate these little liners, and shared rarely seen images of ships from both sides of the Pacific. And Wayne made the case for why the PRESIDENT JACKSON-class, weighing in at just 9,500 gross tons, can claim the moniker “ship of state.”
A few years ago, Wayne Yanda took his interest in ocean liners and the arts and launched the website muralsonthehighseas.com, dedicated to the artworks created for American-built passenger ships. Every other Monday, on the website’s Facebook page, he publishes a Mural Monday, a brief look at an artist’s life and their work for an American liner. He currently works at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa.
(Image: Wayne Yanda Collection/National Archives)

WINTER HOLIDAYS AT SEAPresented by Marjorieann Matuszek and Pat Dacey
2020-12-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
In lieu of our usual holiday gathering, PONY Branch members and guests were invited to a wintry Zoom presentation hosted by former chairman and current board member Marjorieann Matuszek and current chairman Pat Dacey. The evening’s entertainment featured some of our members’ most memorable photographs of winter holidays at sea and holiday ship visits, along with favorite winter ship scenes. This was followed by a selection of historical photos of ships in New York Harbor during winter from the collection of the Steamship Historical Society.

(Photos: Bill Miller Collection/Pat Dacey)

PASSAGE TO PAPUA: 10 DAYS ACROSS SOUTHEAST ASIA BY SEAPresented by Tom Rinaldi
2021-01-29 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
The Indonesian State Shipping system — Pelni, as it is known to its passengers — is one of the world’s very last operators of passenger liners in the traditional sense. In terms of distance covered and passengers carried, it has no equal among providers of point-to-point waterborne transport today, with a formidable fleet of nearly 30 vessels sailing scheduled routes that last a week or more from end to end. In late 2019, former PONY Branch board member Tom Rinaldi set out to book passage by Pelni from Singapore to Papua, a trip that would cover some 3,000 miles in ten days aboard two vessels. But with the company’s services declining in recent years as low-cost airlines capture an ever-greater share of its traffic, the challenge was to get there before it was too late. In our first program of 2021, Tom offered an introduction to this living vestige of the world’s vanished liner services, and related how he fared getting from there to here.
(Tom Rinaldi photos)

IN THE EYE OF THE STORMPresented by Captain Albert Schoonderbeek, Holland America Line
2021-02-26 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
On Friday, February 26th, the WSS PONY Branch will welcome Captain Albert Schoonderbeek, current Fleet Master for Holland America Line. Captain Schoonderbeek will present “In the Eye of the Storm,” a firsthand account of his time at sea while the Covid-19 pandemic was initially spreading throughout the world causing havoc, especially to cruise ships at sea. In addition to his personal account, he will talk about how Holland America Line responded to the crisis, including the repatriation of ship’s crews, the fleet reduction resulting from the pandemic, and more.
(Photo: Captain Albert Schoonderbeek)

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM ***ENCORE SHOWING*** Presented by Captain Albert Schoonderbeek, Holland America Line
2021-03-20 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
On Friday, February 26th, the WSS – PONY Branch welcomed Captain Albert Schoonderbeek, current Fleet Master for Holland America Line. Captain Schoonderbeek presented “In the Eye of the Storm,” a firsthand account of his time at sea while the Covid-19 pandemic was initially spreading throughout the world causing havoc, especially to cruise ships at sea. In addition to his personal account, he spoke about how Holland America Line responded to the crisis, including the repatriation of ship’s crews, the fleet reduction resulting from the pandemic, and more.
If you missed Captain Schoonderbeek’s engrossing presentation in February, or would like to see it again, we encourage you to join us for an encore showing on Saturday March 20th.
(This encore presentation will be a recording of the live program presented on February 26th.)
(Photo: Captain Albert Schoonderbeek)

FRED & GINGER AT SEA: ART DECO OCEAN LINERSPresented by Bill Miller
2021-03-26 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
It was a glamorous age, a progressive age and a busy age. New ocean liners were continuously created for routes around the world: North Atlantic, South America, Africa, even to far-off colonies. It was also the age of glamour, of Art Deco on the high seas. Some called it “Hollywood gone to sea”! And it was also the era of some of the biggest, fastest and most luxurious liners – such as the REX, NORMANDIE and QUEEN MARY.
Bill Miller, “Mr. Ocean Liner,” has written numerous maritime books, including one about passenger ships of the Thirties. At our March membership meeting, Bill will take us on a voyage, a virtual visual voyage spanning the decade from 1930 to 1940, featuring some of the world’s greatest and most distinctive and luxurious liners of all time.
(Image: Bill Miller collection)

FRED & GINGER AT SEA: ART DECO OCEAN LINERS ***ENCORE SHOWING***Presented by Bill Miller
2021-04-17 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
On March 26th, the WSS – PONY Branch welcomed our own Bill Miller who presented “Fred & Ginger at Sea: Art Deco Ocean Liners.” The 1930s was a glamorous age, a progressive age and a busy age. New ocean liners were continuously created for routes around the world: North Atlantic, South America, Africa, even to far-off colonies. It was also the age of glamour, of Art Deco on the high seas. Some called it “Hollywood gone to sea”! And it was also the era of some of the biggest, fastest and most luxurious liners – such as the REX, NORMANDIE and QUEEN MARY.
Bill Miller, “Mr. Ocean Liner,” has written numerous maritime books, including one about passenger ships of the Thirties. At our March membership meeting, Bill took us on a voyage, a virtual visual voyage spanning the decade from 1930 to 1940, featuring some of the world’s greatest and most distinctive and luxurious liners of all time.
If you missed Bill’s entertaining presentation in March, or would like to see it again, we encourage you to join us for an encore showing on Saturday April 17th.
(This encore presentation will be a recording of the live program presented on March 26th.)
(Image: Bill Miller collection)

OCEAN LINERS: GLAMOUR, SPEED AND STYLE -- THE VICTORIA & ALBERT AND PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM EXHIBITPresented by Stephen Lash
2021-04-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
At our April meeting, PONY Branch members and guests were treated to the observations of a noted collector of ocean liner memorabilia — Stephen Lash, Chairman Emeritus of the venerable auction house Christie’s. Stephen originated the idea for an international exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, where portions of the Lash collection remain on view documenting that today’s interest in ocean liners goes beyond nostalgia and extends to art, architecture and social history.
(Image: Stephen Lash collection)

OCEAN LINERS: GLAMOUR, SPEED AND STYLE -- THE V & A AND PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM EXHIBIT ***ENCORE SHOWING*** Presented by Stephen Lash
2021-05-15 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
At our April meeting, PONY Branch members and guests were treated to the observations of a noted collector of ocean liner memorabilia — Stephen Lash, Chairman Emeritus of the venerable auction house Christie’s. Stephen originated the idea for an international exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, where portions of the Lash collection remain on view documenting that today’s interest in ocean liners goes beyond nostalgia and extends to art, architecture and social history.
If you missed Stephen’s entertaining presentation in April, or would like to see it again, we encourage you to join us for an encore showing on Saturday May 15th.
(This encore presentation will be a recording of the live program presented on April 30th.)
(Image: Stephen Lash collection)

TORN CASTLE - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE UNION-CASTLE LINE FLAGSHIP RMS WINDSOR CASTLEPresented by Peter Knego
2021-05-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
At our May meeting, the PONY Branch welcomed Peter Knego via Zoom from California. Peter presented “Torn Castle,” the title feature on his latest DVD that documents the life and times of the Union-Castle Line flagship, the 1960-built RMS WINDSOR CASTLE. The hour-long documentary includes vintage footage of her building, launch, maiden voyage and final departure from Cape Town, South Africa, interwoven with Peter’s rare footage of the laid-up ship in Greece as the MARGARITA L. Finally, we visited her on the beach in India, where the viewer literally walked through the ship with Peter during the demolition process.
(Image: Peter Knego collection)

TORN CASTLE - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE UNION-CASTLE LINE FLAGSHIP RMS WINDSOR CASTLE ***ENCORE SHOWING*** Presented by Peter Knego
2021-06-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
At our May meeting, the PONY Branch welcomed Peter Knego via Zoom from California. Peter presented “Torn Castle,” the title feature on his latest DVD that documents the life and times of the Union-Castle Line flagship, the 1960-built RMS WINDSOR CASTLE. The hour-long documentary includes vintage footage of her building, launch, maiden voyage and final departure from Cape Town, South Africa, interwoven with Peter’s rare footage of the laid-up ship in Greece as the MARGARITA L. It concludes with a visit to her on the beach in India, where the viewer literally walks through the ship with Peter during the demolition process.
“Torn Castle” is the third in Peter Knego’s acclaimed “On The Road To Alang” video series and is available for purchase at: www.midshipcentury.com/torn-castle. In a special exclusive offer, U.S.-based PONY Branch members will be rebated with a $5.00 discount plus complimentary media rate postage, while overseas PONY Branch members will be rebated with a $5.00 discount on their purchase for a limited time. Please identify yourself as a PONY Branch member when purchasing to take advantage of this limited offer.
(Image: Peter Knego collection)

UNION-CASTLE LINE PURSERETTEPresented by Ann Haynes
2021-06-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
At our June meeting, the PONY Branch welcomed Ann Haynes who shared how she came to join the famous Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company as a Purserette at sea. According to Ann, “The lavender-hulled mail ships sailed from the English port of Southampton on a regular weekly liner service to South Africa, carrying passengers and cargo, and the first mail ship I joined was TRANSVAAL CASTLE. It was hard work during the six week voyage, but never dull. Over the years I served on other Union-Castle Line mail ships such as the CAPETOWN CASTLE and the EDINBURGH CASTLE, and went to unexpected ports, including Ascension Island and St. Helena in the South Atlantic, as well as Cape Town and other ports in South Africa.”
Ann shared many pictures of the life she led and the uniforms she wore, and talked about her duties on board. These included typing numerous passenger lists at every port, taking part in the Crossing the Line ceremony as the ship crossed the Equator, and helping to run passenger entertainment on board, as she sailed to and from South Africa.
Ann wrote home regularly to her parents and took numerous photos, and her letters and images became the basis for her book “Union-Castle Line Purserette.” It was such an interesting and enjoyable life, that Ann is always happy to share her memories and pictures with others.
(Image: Ann Haynes)

UNION-CASTLE LINE PURSERETTE***ENCORE SHOWING***Presented by Ann Haynes
2021-07-24 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
At our June meeting, the PONY Branch welcomed Ann Haynes who shared how she came to join the famous Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company as a Purserette at sea. According to Ann, “The lavender-hulled mail ships sailed from the English port of Southampton on a regular weekly liner service to South Africa, carrying passengers and cargo, and the first mail ship I joined was TRANSVAAL CASTLE. It was hard work during the six week voyage, but never dull. Over the years I served on other Union-Castle Line mail ships such as the CAPETOWN CASTLE and the EDINBURGH CASTLE, and went to unexpected ports, including Ascension Island and St. Helena in the South Atlantic, as well as Cape Town and other ports in South Africa.”
Ann shared many pictures of the life she led and the uniforms she wore, and talked about her duties on board. These included typing numerous passenger lists at every port, taking part in the Crossing the Line ceremony as the ship crossed the Equator, and helping to run passenger entertainment on board, as she sailed to and from South Africa.
Ann wrote home regularly to her parents and took numerous photos, and her letters and images became the basis for her book “Union-Castle Line Purserette.” It was such an interesting and enjoyable life, that Ann is always happy to share her memories and pictures with others.
If you missed Ann’s engaging presentation in June, or would like to see it again, we encourage you to join us for an encore showing on Saturday, July 24th.
(This encore presentation will be a recording of the live program presented on June 25th.)
(Image: Ann Haynes)

ITALIAN LINE GLAMOURPresented by Silvia Barisione
2021-08-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Zooming in from Miami Beach, Wolfsonian chief curator Silvia Barisione will discuss the Italian Line collections from both The Wolfsonian–Florida International University in Miami Beach, Florida, and The Wolfsoniana–Palazzo Ducale Fondazione per la Cultura in Genoa, Italy. Posters, brochures, design drawings, and furnishings will illustrate the history of the Italian Line which began in 1932 when Benito Mussolini merged the Genoa-based Navigazione Generale Italiana with Turin’s Lloyd Sabaudo and Trieste’s Cosulich line, founded in 1903 under the Austrian-Hungarian empire.
Featuring its two largest pre-war liners, the Rex and Conte di Savoia, the Italian Line carried out an extensive advertising campaign, drawing attention to technological innovation and luxurious interior décor, characterized by exuberant historicist furnishings. Notably, the Rex won the blue ribbon for a record westbound crossing of the Atlantic in 1933. The Conte di Savoia, aside from its neo-baroque Grand Hall modeled after Colonna Palace, was known for modern interiors by Trieste architect Gustavo Pulitzer Finali that harmonized with, rather than disavowed, the structure of the ship. Pulitzer Finali paved the way for the innovative and stylish design of the post-war passenger ships which became ambassadors for Italian creativity throughout the world.
(Image: Wolfsonian – FIU collection)

SEVEN CONTINENTS & SEVEN SHIPSPresented by Ted Scull
2021-09-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Ted Scull, former PONY Branch Chairman and worldwide sea traveler, entertained PONY Branch members and guests with his recollections of visiting the seven continents aboard seven different ships, ranging from cruise ships, expedition vessels and scheduled liners, spanning the years 1962 to 2008.
In 1997 and 2000, Ted cruised the Hawaiian Islands board the SS INDEPENDENCE and was delighted to see how well she took to the last chapter of a very long career. These two sailings filled in a gap for Ted, who had never experienced a major U.S. flag liner.
When Antarctica beckoned in January 1995, he chose Hapag-Lloyd’s HANSEATIC, chartered by Radisson Seven Seas. The expedition embarked in Ushuaia, Argentina (see above photo) and first visited the Falkland Islands, then turned south to the Antarctic Peninsula with a week of numerous landings. The Drake Passage lived up to its reputation for tempestuous seas.
In March 1993, Ted fulfilled a long-time desire to sail the remote Upper Amazon, embarking at Iquitos, Peru, the largest city in the world that is not accessible by road. It’s by air or river. The ship, COLUMBUS CARAVELE, had been built in Finland in 1990 for Ukrainian owners, and she carried up to 330 passengers, mostly Germans, for this 1,000-mile passage down river to Manaus.
In 1968 Ted boarded British India Line’s KARANJA at Mombasa for a 10-day coastal trip to Durban. On board were Asians and Europeans forced to leave East Africa just then entering the post-colonial period. They were headed to new lives in Southern Africa, Australia and Europe. They all had stories to tell.
Perhaps the most remote cruise itinerary on the planet took place in 2008 along Australia’s Kimberley Coast from Darwin, Northern Territory to Broome, Western Australia. During the 10-day coastal voyage aboard the German-built ORION, with nearly an all-Australian passenger list, they never encountered another soul ashore and saw just two other vessels.
Lastly, in the fall of 1995, Ted and his brother boarded the MARCO POLO in Singapore for a 12-day voyage with calls on the Malaysian and Thai coasts, then crossed the Bay of Bengal to Colombo, and on up India’s west coast to Cochin, Goa and Bombay. The ship that began as the Soviet ALEXANDR PUSHKIN in 1965 is now being broken up 56 years later.
(Photo: Ted Scull)

NY HARBOR & WATERWAYS TOUR AND VISIT TO THE MARITIME INDUSTRY MUSEUM AT SUNY MARITIME COLLEGE
2021-09-25 11:00 - 18:30 | Pier 1, St. George, Staten Island
On Saturday, Sept. 25th, 14 PONY Branch members and guests embarked on our first in-person event since February 2020 — a cruise around NY Harbor aboard Sea Scout Ship 228’s SEA DART II, a 1953 ex-U.S. Army Higgins T-Boat. Departing from the National Lighthouse Museum on Staten Island under sunny skies, we sailed past the Staten Island Ferry maintenance facility where much of the iconic orange fleet was on display, and continued up the Hudson River. Past PONY Branch Chairman Ted Scull provided narration as we viewed the ever-changing New York skyline, waterfront landmarks including several historic railroad terminals, and NCL’s NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY preparing for her first post-pandemic cruise from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. Entering the Harlem River at Spuyten Duyvil and then proceeding up the East River through the Hell Gate, the SEA DART II passed under many of New York City’s historic bridges en route to the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx. After tying up adjacent to the training ship EMPIRE STATE VI (built in 1962 as States Lines’ SS OREGON), the group was treated to an exclusive tour of the extensive maritime history exhibits and model ship collection at the college’s Maritime Industry Museum led by the museum’s chairman, Captain James McNamara. With the day drawing to a close, we set sail down the East River, encountering a wide variety of harbor craft and ocean-going vessels as we returned to our starting point on Staten Island.
(Photo: Stuart Gewirtzman)

SEVEN CONTINENTS & SEVEN SHIPS***ENCORE SHOWING***Presented by Ted Scull
2021-10-23 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
At our September meeting, Ted Scull, former PONY Branch Chairman and worldwide sea traveler, entertained PONY Branch members and guests with his recollections of visiting the seven continents aboard seven different ships, ranging from cruise ships, expedition vessels and scheduled liners, spanning the years 1962 to 2008.
In 1997 and 2000, Ted cruised the Hawaiian Islands board the SS INDEPENDENCE and was delighted to see how well she took to the last chapter of a very long career. These two sailings filled in a gap for Ted, who had never experienced a major U.S. flag liner.
When Antarctica beckoned in January 1995, he chose Hapag-Lloyd’s HANSEATIC, chartered by Radisson Seven Seas. The expedition embarked in Ushuaia, Argentina (see above photo) and first visited the Falkland Islands, then turned south to the Antarctic Peninsula with a week of numerous landings. The Drake Passage lived up to its reputation for tempestuous seas.
In March 1993, Ted fulfilled a long-time desire to sail the remote Upper Amazon, embarking at Iquitos, Peru, the largest city in the world that is not accessible by road. It’s by air or river. The ship, COLUMBUS CARAVELE, had been built in Finland in 1990 for Ukrainian owners, and she carried up to 330 passengers, mostly Germans, for this 1,000-mile passage down river to Manaus.
In 1968 Ted boarded British India Line’s KARANJA at Mombasa for a 10-day coastal trip to Durban. On board were Asians and Europeans forced to leave East Africa just then entering the post-colonial period. They were headed to new lives in Southern Africa, Australia and Europe. They all had stories to tell.
Perhaps the most remote cruise itinerary on the planet took place in 2008 along Australia’s Kimberley Coast from Darwin, Northern Territory to Broome, Western Australia. During the 10-day coastal voyage aboard the German-built ORION, with nearly an all-Australian passenger list, they never encountered another soul ashore and saw just two other vessels.
Lastly, in the fall of 1995, Ted and his brother boarded the MARCO POLO in Singapore for a 12-day voyage with calls on the Malaysian and Thai coasts, then crossed the Bay of Bengal to Colombo, and on up India’s west coast to Cochin, Goa and Bombay. The ship that began as the Soviet ALEXANDR PUSHKIN in 1965 is now being broken up 56 years later.
If you missed Ted’s engaging presentation in September, or would like to see it again, we encourage you to join us for an encore showing on Saturday, October 23rd.
(This encore presentation will be a recording of the live program presented on September 17th.)
(Photo: Ted Scull)

THE FIVE DEEPS EXPEDITIONPresented by Ben Lyons
2021-10-29 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
At our October virtual membership meeting, PONY Branch member Ben Lyons will present (via Zoom) a program on the Five Deeps Expedition. The expedition was the first to reach the deepest point in each of Earth’s five oceans: the Puerto Rico Trench (Atlantic Ocean), the South Sandwich Trench (Southern Ocean), the Java Trench (Indian Ocean), the Challenger Deep (Pacific Ocean) and Molloy Deep (Artic Ocean).
The expedition took place over a ten-month period between 2018 and 2019 and covered 47,000 nautical miles with 39 dives completed.
(Photo: fivedeeps.com)

THE FIVE DEEPS EXPEDITION***ENCORE SHOWING***Presented by Ben Lyons
2021-11-13 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
At our October virtual membership meeting, PONY Branch member Ben Lyons presented (via Zoom) a program on the Five Deeps Expedition. The expedition was the first to reach the deepest point in each of Earth’s five oceans: the Puerto Rico Trench (Atlantic Ocean), the South Sandwich Trench (Southern Ocean), the Java Trench (Indian Ocean), the Challenger Deep (Pacific Ocean) and Molloy Deep (Artic Ocean).
The expedition took place over a ten-month period between 2018 and 2019 and covered 47,000 nautical miles with 39 dives completed.
If you missed Ben’s informative presentation in October, or would like to see it again, we encourage you to join us for an encore showing on Saturday, November 13th.
(This encore presentation will be a recording of the live program presented on October 29th.)
(Photo: fivedeeps.com)

LINERS TO THE ST. LAWRENCE AND THE CANADA TRADEPresented by Clive Harvey
2021-11-19 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Before airliners and containers, all freight and passengers were carried by ship. The links between the old and new worlds included those between former colonial powers and their overseas interests. While the New York passenger service won the attention and glamour, the British liner trades spanned the World’s oceans, focused on the Commonwealth. At our November 2021 membership meeting, noted historian and author Clive Harvey presented a program looking into the St. Lawrence and Canada trades.
(Photo: Clive Harvey collection)

PONY BRANCH HOLIDAY PARTY
2021-12-11 14:00 - 17:00 | The Churchill Tavern, 45 East 28th Street, New York, NY, United States
On Saturday, December 11, 2021, 30 members and guests enjoyed food, drinks and the camaraderie of fellow ship enthusiasts at the annual PONY Branch Holiday Party, this year celebrated at the Churchill Tavern in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood.
(Photo: @thechurchillnyc)

LINERS TO THE ST. LAWRENCE AND THE CANADA TRADE***ENCORE SHOWING***Presented by Clive Harvey
2021-12-18 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Before airliners and containers, all freight and passengers were carried by ship. The links between the old and new worlds included those between former colonial powers and their overseas interests. While the New York passenger service won the attention and glamour, the British liner trades spanned the World’s oceans, focused on the Commonwealth. At our November membership meeting, noted historian and author Clive Harvey presented a program looking into the St. Lawrence and Canada trades. This encore presentation was a recording of the live program presented by Clive in November.
(Photo: Clive Harvey collection)

SS UNITED STATES: SHIP OF POWER, MIGHT AND INDECISIONPresented by Bill Miller
2022-01-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Since her inception and construction just after World War II, and then her commissioning exactly seventy years ago, in June 1952, the SS UNITED STATES has been a ship of great and often extraordinary interest. She was an exceptional example of marine design and engineering, one of the most successful of all trans-Atlantic liners, the last Blue Riband champion for speed and, of course, the pride of not only the American merchant marine, but of the nation itself. She was the greatest ambassador and flag waver of the red, white and blue ever to go to sea.
At our first meeting of 2022 on Friday, January 21st, Bill Miller — author of three books on the “Big U” (her affectionate nickname), and with a fourth book due out shortly — reviewed the triumphant career of this greatest of superliners, and then her long lay-up spiced with seemingly endless plans and rumors for a revival.
(Photo: Bill Miller collection)

SS UNITED STATES: SHIP OF POWER, MIGHT AND INDECISION ***ENCORE SHOWING*** Presented by Bill Miller
2022-02-19 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Since her inception and construction just after World War II, and then her commissioning exactly seventy years ago, in June 1952, the SS UNITED STATES has been a ship of great and often extraordinary interest. She was an exceptional example of marine design and engineering, one of the most successful of all trans-Atlantic liners, the last Blue Riband champion for speed and, of course, the pride of not only the American merchant marine, but of the nation itself. She was the greatest ambassador and flag waver of the red, white and blue ever to go to sea.
At our January membership meeting, Bill Miller — author of three books on the “Big U” (her affectionate nickname), and with a fourth book due out shortly — reviewed the triumphant career of this greatest of superliners, and then her long lay-up spiced with seemingly endless plans and rumors for a revival. This encore showing was a recording of Bill’s entertaining presentation in January.
(Photo: Bill Miller collection)

THE ROYAL FAMILY AND SHIPS OF STATE: THE POLITICS OF OCEAN LINER DESIGN AND DECORATIONPresented by Christian Roden
2022-02-25 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
From Brunel’s GREAT BRITAIN to Cunard’s QE2, the English Royal Family has embraced ocean liners as a political tool that is as useful to crafting their image as their palaces and wardrobes. At the PONY Branch’s February virtual meeting, we joined Christian Roden who described the longstanding relationship between the royals and transatlantic travel, and explored the interiors of many of these vessels and their surprising connections to the great names of British architecture and design.
Christian is an independent maritime historian, curator, and author, specializing in the French, Swedish, and American merchant marine. He has published in the Winterthur Portfolio and Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust, and has guest curated exhibitions at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia and the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library in Wilmington, Delaware. He holds an MA from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, and a BA in Art History and English from Washington and Lee University, and was a 2011-2012 Fulbright Research Fellow at L’Association French Lines in Le Havre, France. Christian currently works as the Assistant Director of Prospect Research for the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, and has previously held positions at the Decorative Arts Trust, SS United States Conservancy, and the Delaware County District Library in Ohio.
(Photo: Christian Roden collection)

THE ROYAL FAMILY AND SHIPS OF STATE: THE POLITICS OF OCEAN LINER DESIGN AND DECORATION***ENCORE SHOWING***Presented by Christian Roden
2022-03-19 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
From Brunel’s GREAT BRITAIN to Cunard’s QE2, the English Royal Family has embraced ocean liners as a political tool that is as useful to crafting their image as their palaces and wardrobes. At the PONY Branch’s February meeting, we once again welcomed (via Zoom) Christian Roden, a maritime historian, curator, and author, specializing in the French, Swedish, and American merchant marine, who described the longstanding relationship between the royals and transatlantic travel, and explored the interiors of many of these vessels and their surprising connections to the great names of British architecture and design. This encore showing will be a recording of Christian’s informative presentation in February.
(Photo: Christian Roden collection)

Rescheduled Program: THE LINERS AND CRUISE SHIPS OF SCANDINAVIAPresented by Captain Albert Schoonderbeek
2022-04-01 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Scandinavian Liners are the ships that sailed from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. These small countries were traditionally seafaring nations, and extensive fleets were built to connect their populations to the rest of the world. From the 1860’s onward, Scandinavian liners sailed the world’s oceans and continued to do so until the decline of the transatlantic passenger ships in the early jet age. Many lingered on as cruise ships during the next few decades. The tremendous growth of the cruise industry in the 1960’s through the 1980’s was largely due to Scandinavian maritime enterprise. Norwegian-based companies Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Viking Line and others led the way in the early years of the modern cruise business. Captain Albert Schoonderbeek, current Fleet Master for Holland America Line, will cover this entire period, from the early Thingvalla Line to latest “Apartment of the Seas.”
(Photo: Captain Albert Schoonderbeek collection)

THE LINERS AND CRUISE SHIPS OF SCANDINAVIA***ENCORE SHOWING***Presented by Captain Albert Schoonderbeek
2022-04-09 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Scandinavian Liners are the ships that sailed from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. These small countries were traditionally seafaring nations, and extensive fleets were built to connect their populations to the rest of the world. From the 1860’s onward, Scandinavian liners sailed the world’s oceans and continued to do so until the decline of the transatlantic passenger ships in the early jet age. Many lingered on as cruise ships during the next few decades. The tremendous growth of the cruise industry in the 1960’s through the 1980’s was largely due to Scandinavian maritime enterprise. Norwegian-based companies Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Viking Line and others led the way in the early years of the modern cruise business. Captain Albert Schoonderbeek, current Fleet Master for Holland America Line, will cover this entire period, from the early Thingvalla Line to latest “Apartment of the Seas.”
This encore showing will be a recording of Capt. Albert Schoonderbeek’s informative program originally presented on April 1st.
(Photo: Captain Albert Schoonderbeek collection)

THE CRUISE OF THE BOU EL MOGDADPresented by Tom Rinaldi
2022-04-29 18:00 - 19:30 | The Rehearsal Hall at the National Opera Center & Via Zoom, 330 Seventh Ave (at West 29th Street), 7th Floor, Manhattan, NY, 10001, United States
In Senegal, West Africa, one of the world’s most interesting cruise vessels lies hidden in plain sight: built in 1950 to carry passengers, freight and mail on overnight voyages up and down the Senegal River, the BOU EL MOGDAD today makes weekly trips following more or less the same route she sailed 70 years ago. Based at the old colonial capital of Saint-Louis (now a UNESCO World Heritage City), the BOU winds her way upriver along Senegal’s border with Mauritania, stopping at old colonial trading posts where she’s been a familiar sight for generations. Nearly scrapped when reliable highways opened parallel to the river in the 1970s, the BOU instead became the subject of a quixotic and unlikely conversion to luxury cruise vessel. The conversion proved a hit, and despite overwhelming odds the BOU is still sailing today, now back in action following a period of uncertainty during the pandemic. At our first in-person membership meeting since February 2020, PONY Branch member Tom Rinaldi will take us along for one of the BOU’s recent voyages on a trip through time well worth the wait.
For those unable to attend the meeting in-person, Tom’s presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom. (A recording of the program will also be presented via Zoom at a later date.)
In accordance with New York City and National Opera Center protocols, mask wearing will be optional for those attending this event in-person.
(Photo courtesy of Tom Rinaldi)

NY HARBOR CRUISE TO THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY AND VISIT TO PORTSIDE NEW YORK
2022-06-04 11:30 - 18:00 | Clinton Wharf at Atlantic Basin, Red Hook, Brooklyn
On Saturday, June 4th, twenty PONY Branch members and friends embarked under sunny skies onboard the SEA DART II (an ex-U.S. Army Higgins 1953 T–Boat) for a trip up the East River to the American Merchant Marine Museum at Kings Point, NY, located on the grounds of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. The museum is located on the North Shore of Long Island in an area formerly known as the “Gold Coast” because of the affluence of its residents at the turn of the 20th century. The museum officially opened as a permanent exhibition space in 1979 and is housed in “Elm Point,” the mansion designed by Greville Rickard and built in 1929 for William Slocum Barstow, an associate of Thomas Edison. Inside there are both permanent and temporary collections that trace and honor the history of the U.S. Merchant Marine, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and the profession of seafaring. These include a 15–foot model of the United States Lines WASHINGTON, a replica of the Hales Trophy (the original resided there until it was returned to Britain in 1990), a MacArthur “surrender sword”, an extensive collection of shipboard service china, and a new series of ship models that went on display in 2019. The museum as well as the campus of the United States Merchant Marine Academy is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Also found on the campus and the National Register is Wiley Hall, formerly known as “Forker House,” once the summer home of Walter P. Chrysler.
Prior to departing from Red Hook, Brooklyn on the SEA DART II, we visited the 1938–built coastal tanker MARY A. WHALEN. It is the current home of PortSide New York, an organization with the goal to connect New Yorkers to the benefits of New York Harbor.
(USMMA photo)
