Summary
Pale green linen supper cloth with embroidered ship, ship name and passenger signatures, possibly made by Elizabeth Long in whose house the cloth was found. It is a hand embroidered memento of a ship voyage, created either during or after the journey.
S.S. Suevic was a 12,531 ton twin-screw passenger and cargo steamer operated by the White Star Line, built by Harland & Wolf of Belfast in 1901. It was part of a fleet of five 12,000 ton liners introduced for the White Star Line from 1899. The Suevic and its sister ships were the largest passenger ships on the England-Australia route when introduced; the first single-class ships, they were fitted with larger and more efficient quadruple-expansion engines and large refrigerated cargo holds which could export Australian meat and dairy produce.
The Suevic and its sister ships operated on the Cape Route, typically sailing from Liverpool to Teneriffe then on to Cape Town, Albany, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. The fleet served as troop ships during the Boer War and again during World War I.The Suevic was one of the first British ships seconded as a troop ship during World War I.
In 1907 the Suevic was partially salvaged after running aground (without loss of life), reconstructed in Southampton and resumed her regular service in 1908. After the World War I, the Suevic was reconditioned and refitted with improved accommodation for 260 cabin-class passengers, resuming service on the Australian route in 1920, together with its surviving sister ships. Stopover ports by this time included Fremantle (instead of Albany) and Brisbane. The ship remained in service until 1928, being withdrawn just before the White Star Line merged its Australian service with that of the Aberdeen Line.
Physical Description
Pale green linen cloth with a hoop stitched border. At the centre of the cloth is a ship embroidered in white and brown wools. The cloth is covered with signatures stictched onto the fabric in white wool. Underneath the ship is the ship's name 'S.S Sueric.
Significance
This item is significant as, while short on provenance, it represents passenger shipping memoriabilia from the 1920s which is rare in our collections.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
Migration & Cultural Diversity, Transport, Clothing & Textiles
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Colleen Cassar, John Long, 2010
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Ship Depicted
SS Suevic (Steamship), White Star Line, Australia, 1901-1928
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Inscriptions
'S.S Suevic' Numerous signatures
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
740 mm (Width), 740 mm (Height)
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Keywords