Emigrant Life on an Inman Steamer. reprinted from "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Paper" April 17th and May 1st, 1880
- Folding plate, woodcut illustrations. 31, [1]pp. 8vo
- New York: William De Lacy, Steam Printer, 1881
New York: William De Lacy, Steam Printer, 1881. Folding plate, woodcut illustrations. 31, [1]pp. 8vo. Original wrappers, minor wear and spotting. Provenance: J. J. McCormick Steamship and Exchange Agent (inked stamp on title and upper wrapper). Folding plate, woodcut illustrations. 31, [1]pp. 8vo. Founded in 1850, the Inman Line was one of the three largest 19th-century British passenger shipping companies on the North Atlantic. By 1870, Inman landed more passengers in New York than any other line, mostly catering to emigrants departing from Liverpool in steerage class.
The present promotional piece, written from the first hand experience of a passenger, paints a pretty picture of the crossing aboard the ship City of Brussels, with plenty to eat, singing and dancing, clean rooms, medical services and even the introduction of electric light. Pages 27-
31 include the process once the ship arrives in New York: "In single file the newcomers filter into the enormous rotunda, and the courteous police officer in charge ushers them towards the registering clerk. Here each one is asked his or her na,e, place of birth and destination, the replied being entered into an enormous ledger. Then comes the question of departure, trains, boats, etc. and the queries uttered in French, Italian, Irish, Danish, Finnish, Russian, and fifty different dialects, are briefly but courteously responded to. Those who propose remaining in New York emerge into the Battery Park, and are cared for by the agents of the Inman line..." As for those not remaining in New York, "our emigrants march to the railway depot, enter cars, and – Go West! In a few brief months the almighty dollar rolls across the pond, and the ear ones left behind follow in the footsteps of the pioneers."
OCLC records only a single example at the Peabody Essex Museum.
The present promotional piece, written from the first hand experience of a passenger, paints a pretty picture of the crossing aboard the ship City of Brussels, with plenty to eat, singing and dancing, clean rooms, medical services and even the introduction of electric light. Pages 27-
31 include the process once the ship arrives in New York: "In single file the newcomers filter into the enormous rotunda, and the courteous police officer in charge ushers them towards the registering clerk. Here each one is asked his or her na,e, place of birth and destination, the replied being entered into an enormous ledger. Then comes the question of departure, trains, boats, etc. and the queries uttered in French, Italian, Irish, Danish, Finnish, Russian, and fifty different dialects, are briefly but courteously responded to. Those who propose remaining in New York emerge into the Battery Park, and are cared for by the agents of the Inman line..." As for those not remaining in New York, "our emigrants march to the railway depot, enter cars, and – Go West! In a few brief months the almighty dollar rolls across the pond, and the ear ones left behind follow in the footsteps of the pioneers."
OCLC records only a single example at the Peabody Essex Museum.