Maritime History
Maritime history isn't just about ships. Others will disagree, but in fact,
it's not even mostly about ships. It's mostly about people. Particularly
when we're talking about ocean liners, we're talking about people. The
people the ships carried, the people who designed and built them, and most
important of all the people who operated them. From the master to the bellboy
and everyone in between, they performed hurculean work to get their cargo
(especially the self-loading type) safely to the destination. And that
work goes on today. Ship buffs like to think about the golden age of ocean
liner travel or the golden age of freighters, but every age is relevant
in maritime history, even the current era. Merchant mariners are the backbone
of the contemporary world economy and today they toil under less than ideal
circumstances. Their trips are longer and their pay is frequently lower.
Gone are the days of sailors spending much time in port. Port calls are
kept as short as possible to get the freight moving to where it's needed.
We salute the world's merchant seafarers.
And as we celebrate the ships they sailed in, we think about their contributions
to making this a smaller world. "They that go down to the sea in ships
that do business in great waters..."
Maritime History Links
Listed below are links to sites about maritime history that we find of
interest
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/
Ships' Nostalgia, an oustanding discussion board with many forums with
a focus on the British Merchant Navy (although much more is covered). And
it's mostly merchant seamen themselves who participate. Wonderful stuff.
http://www.passengershipsociety.com/
World Passenger Ship Society, a great resource for ship reviews and photographs
posted by a very lovely group of passengers.
http://www.sshsa.net/
Steamship Historical Society of America, an organization dedicated to recording,
preserving, and disseminating the history of steam-powered vessels.
http://www.cunardchina.com
Cunard China, collector Richard Villa's site with information about and
examples of ocean liner china used on Cunard ships.
http://www.bigshipfilms.com
The site for the video SS United States: the Lady in Waiting produced for
American Public Television about the history of the fastest ocean liner
and the efforts to save her
http://www.theknotguy.com
Web site for Capt. Lindsay Philpott, a master nautical knot tyer and a
friend of the Maritime Research Center.
http://www.igktpab.org
The International Guild of Knot Tyers.Pacific Americas Branch, located
in San Pedro, CA. Highly recommended.
http://www.grandprixreproductions.com/
Jeff Alderman's Grand Prix Reproductions. Jeff is the creator of many remarkable models carried by The Nautical Shop.
Queen Mary 
QE2 
Other Ocean Liners 
Ship Personnel 
Queen Mary 2