Summary
Rectangular souvenir bookmark issued to passengers on the P & O Line Royal Mail Steamship services between England and Australia, featuring the P & O house flag flown by the company's ships on the front and an explanation of the origins of the flag's design on the back. Flag of the Peninsula & Orient or P & O Line comprising four diagonal triangles in white, blue, red and yellow, derived from the national colours of Portugal and Spain.
Received with baggage tags in the Orient Line envelope HT 26607. Although the P&O Line and Orient Line merged their businesses in 1963, this item does not appear to have been related historically to the Orient Line bagage tags.
Physical Description
Rectangular card featuring colour printed P & O house flag flown by the company's ships with black printed text below. Printed black text on reverse. Red string attached to top of bookmark.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Purchase
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Place Used
Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. (P&O Line), circa 1930s
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Inscriptions
Obverse; 'P & O / HOUSE FLAG / SHOULD YOU CARE TO HAVE / A COPY OF THIS BOOKMARK / PLEASE ASK THE LIBRARY / STEWARD FOR ONE'. Reverse; 'P. & O. FLAG. / IN the Portuguese Insurrection of 1832, Wilcox and Anderson, London / shipowners, rendered valuable services to Queen Maria, providing ships and / ammunition and helping to raise a loan in England, all at considerable financial / and personal risk to the partners'. Further text follow.
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Brand Names
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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
61 mm (Width), 128 mm (Height)
Excludes 65 mm long string loop tie attached to top edge.
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Keywords
Immigrant Shipping, Passenger Ships, Promotional Materials, Shipping Companies, Shipping Lines