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A Tribute to the Swedish American Line | ||||||||
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A Tribute to the Swedish American Line | ||||||||
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Gothenburg - New York, May 1957
by Tage Hemingstam
This letter was published in the weekly magazine
Göteborg's Veckotidning, May 29, 1957
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Copenhagen smiled when MS Gripsholm sailed off on her maiden voyage to U.S.A. It was cloudy and raining when we left the Swedish maritime city of Göteborg, on Tuesday, May 14, but after a while the sun appeared, and when we arrived in the royal Danish capital, the evening sun had a friendly mirth. Approximately 200 Danes embarked in Copenhagen, mostly young families, several emigrating to Canada. One family had 5 small children, from 2 months to 6 years old. There seems to be an emigration wave across Denmark. But of course there are Swedes and homeward bound Americans on board as well. There are also Norwegians, Finns and Italians. In total, we are 650 passengers and 350 crew members living on board this great new "home away from home".
Like a secure and friendly patron, the Commander, Gunnar Nordenson, presides over the bridge. I had a long talk with him yesterday. He showed me the excellent new Decca radar equipment, the most advanced there is in the world. It is supervised by a British specialist on this maiden voyage. There is an additional radar system on board as well. There are always 2 men on look out, night and day. "The passengers' well being and safety has been our motto for this new ship, as with all the others", says Captain Nordenson. I accompany him to his spacious cabin, where he won't spend many hours, as he will mostly be on the bridge. We are discussing the first Sunday Worship Service to be held in the ship's auditorium, when the new Hammond organ will be used for the first time.
Let us look at the Sunday program on board:
The food surpasses first class rating. "I have never before in my life had such good food", one fellow passenger said. However, personally, I would prefer to see a greater variety of nonalcoholic beverages.
The Worship Service begins at 11 a.m. (we are already 4 hours ahead of you back home) for both 1st and tourist class passengers in the beautiful Auditorium, where an altar has been placed. We sing "Rock of Ages" (Klippa, du som brast för mig) and I can hear the words being sung both in Swedish and English. After the Service I meet many new friends. There are Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians. It is a very special ecumenical moment in the middle of the Atlantic. The voyage has been like a dream. Sun, rain and warm winds. We saw a group of icebergs at safe distance. Today the sun is shining from a clear blue sky, and we will soon arrive in New York. On board MS Gripsholm, May 23, 1957
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Recommended Books |
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Updated Sep 7, 2009 Waterline - Images from the Golden Age of Cruising John Graves
Örjan Slätte, ex Information Officer on the Gripsholm, recommends Waterline - Images from the Golden Age of Cruising by John Graves, published by the National Maritime Museum in London in 2004. It is based on photos by Marine Photo Service, which were acquired by the museum in 1996 The book features many photos from SAL cruises.
Please note that the book's edition at Amazon.co.uk may not have the Kungsholm on the cover. Örjan Slätte, Informationsofficer på Gripsholm, rekommenderar boken Waterline - Images from the Golden Ages of Cruising. Boken är utgiven år 2004 av National Maritime Museum i London som 1996 förvärvat Marine Photo Service (MPS) samlingar. Redan omslagsbilden föreställer Kungsholm 1953 med två vattenskidåkande ynglingar i fronten. MPS fanns i många rederier och där finns många mycket bra foton från SAL:s kryssningar. Våra fotografer var mycket yrkesskickliga med konstnärlig talang. Man kan förmoda att de tidvis kände för att fotografera annat än leende, välklädda pax med cocktailglas i hand. Fina miljöer från fartygens "omvärld". |
Updated July7, 2008 MERCY SHIPS
During World War 2 the Drottningholm and the Gripsholm were used as repatriation ships and made 33 voyages to exchange prisoners of war, diplomats, women and children, between the warfaring nations. David Miller has written a book about the exchange and repatriation voyages,with an emphasis on the British experience. It is loaded with facts about these voyages of mercy. Read more about all the exchange and repatriation sailings during WWII here. |
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M/S Kungsholms inredning Första M/S Kungsholm, Amerikalinjens stora passagerarfartyg, byggdes på 1920-talet. Det gick mellan Göteborg och New York. Arkitekten Carl Bergsten fick uppdraget att hålla i den påkostade inredningen som skulle visa för världen vad svenska konstnärer kunde åstadkomma. Under andra världskriget togs fartyget i beslag av amerikanarna för att användas i trupptransporten till Europa. Inredningen revs då ner och förstördes. Anne-Marie Ericsson har letat i arkiv och museer efter beskrivningar, ritningar och gamla fotografier för att försöka rekonstruera denna makalösa uppvisning i svensk inredningskonst. |
Amerikabåtarna Christer Winberg, professor i historia vid Göteborgs universitet, har skrivit en bok om SAL som bygger på bevarat samtida material från Svenska Amerika Linien på Landsarkivet och Sjöfartsmuseet i Göteborg. Det omfattar exempelvis reserapporter, minnesberättelser och personligt färgade reseskildringar. Författaren har också samlat in eget material genom intervjuer med f.d. anställda.
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Andrea Dorias undergång I Andrea Dorias undergång berättar Britt-Marie Mattsson den fascinerande berättelsen om kollisionen, den heroiska räddningsaktionen och det rättsliga efterspelet till den mycket uppmärksammade olyckan - sin tids Titanic. Mattssons far var vid tiden för olyckan informationschef vid Svenska Amerika Linien. Britt-Marie Mattsson har träffat flera av de överlevande och intervjuat dem för denna bok. Hon har bland annat talat med vittnen som ger information som kan kasta nytt ljus över vad som egentligen orsakade den fruktansvärda kollisionen. Boken är rikligt illustrerad i svartvitt. |
A book about the Kungsholm of 1953. |
Journalist Per Fält has recommended |
"Såna" på Amerikabåtarna SAL har skildrats i böcker, dokumentär-filmer, journalfilmer och tidningsartiklar. Oftast är det glamouren som uppmärk-sammats men en grupp har alltid saknats i beskrivningarna: homosexuella män. Såna på Amerikabåtarna är en välskriven, lättläst och underhållande studie av en värld som gått i glömska. | |
De Flytande Palatsen From the very inception of the line in 1915, the ships of the Line attracted much attention on both sidesof the Atlantic. Not only did they represent the bonds between the old country and the new, they also represented new concepts in service, decor, and furnishings as well as in art and handicraft. Published in 1987. This book can be found on Amazon.
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Huset Broström Huset Broström för tankarna till Forsythesagan och Onedinlinjen. Inget svenskt företag har upplevt så stor dramatik som just Broströms. Detta är den dramtiska berättelsen "inifrån Huset", om det som skedde i det som syntes ske. Utgiven 1980. | ||
Out of the Fog is an American edition of a Swedish book by Algot Mattsson, who was the information officer for SAL, the owner of Stockholm, the ship that collided with Andrea Doria in 1956. The book describes the collision from the perspectives of both ships as well as the heroic rescue of hundreds. Testimony given at the hearing is also included as is a legal opinion by the American editors, one of whom was directly involved with the case. |
Detta är en berättelse om den dramatiska färden över Atlanten, från de hårda och riskfyllda överfarten med små lastskutor i mitten av 1800-talet, till lyxresorna med Amerikalinjens sista skepp. Utgiven 1982 | ||
