This is the story of how a little-known steamship
company founded in 1920 would dominate passenger
service from Los Angeles to Hawaii. Its stylish ships
and celebrity passengers made the voyage glamorous and
helped establish the port of Los Angeles as a major
passenger ship destination. Steamship historians Martin Cox and Gordon R. Ghareeb are guest curators of the exhibit, and they have combined their personal collection of LASSCO artifacts with their in-depth knowledge of the subject to create a vivid presentation.
In 1920 the only available steamship travel to Hawaii
from California was from San Francisco. LASSCO’s
directors envisioned the Los Angeles to Hawaii route
as an opportunity for new growth. In September of
1920 LASSCO general manager Samuel Naphtaly met with
members of the United States Shipping Board to arrange
for a charter of surplus World War I ships. The
Shipping Board allocated the German liners AEOLUS and
HURON later that year to LASSCO. Arriving at the Los
Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in 1922, the
ships were refurbished for tropical service, painted
white, and renamed CITY OF LOS ANGELES and CITY OF
HONOLULU.
These sleek passenger ships would soon be joined by
the CALAWAII and later a second CITY OF HONOLULU. [The
first City of Honolulu sank on her maiden voyage] A
new service to Hawaii was born, with Wilmington as the
port of departure for Los Angeles. In 1927, the combined
sailings of Los Angeles Steamship Company vessels
would carry more passengers to Hawaii than the rival
Matson Line.
The exhibit includes vintage recordings of Hawaiian
Music, while celebrity photographs attest to the glamorous appeal of the L.A. Steamship Company. Original china, silverware, and personal items from LASSCO passengers are also on display.
The exhibit will run through Sunday August 29, 2004.
For more information on the Los Angeles Steamship Company, visit
http://www.maritimematters.com
