Onboard Publications - Newspapers and Magazines
Printing a Daily Newspaper on Board a Steamship circa 1910. GGA Image ID # 13297b9132
Our collection of newspapers and other onboard publications encompasses a number of steamship lines including Cunard, CGT French Line, Hamburg America Line, and Norddeutscher Lloyd.
Marine publications became a reality on 7 February 1903 on board the Cunard liner Etruria. This paper was a small affair, with condensed news. The editor was the purser, J. A. McCubbin, and when his blue pencil had done its share, the "ship's printer," A. Harris (whose setting of menus and programs), set to work, and at 2 am, the paper went to press. Half an hour later, several hundred copies were in the custody of the "circulation superintendent," who saw that they were in the hands of of passengers with the matutinal rolls.
Editing the Daily Newspaper Printed on Board an Ocean Liner circa 1910. GGA Image ID # 13299ca93c
The “ship's printer" is not by any means an unknown quantity. For years he has been at work on ocean liners and men-ofwar, where it was desirable that menus, concert programs or orders of the day should receive the authority imparted by the dignity of print.
While the transformation has been going on at sea the new invention has given rise to much discussion ashore among newspapermen and philologists. Marconi himself has uttered the wish that some better phrase be found than “wireless telegraphy,” and this has set the philologists to work, so far with little noteworthy or tangible result. Newspaper usage will doubtless lead the way to a solution of this question.
The Cunard Daily Bulletin was printed on heavy calendered paper and typographically compared favorably with many of the magazines published here and abroad. The daily journal is generally prepared by the Purser and his two printers (assistants) and a flat-bed press.
The paper goes to press in the early morning hours, and the novelty of reading a newspaper at their breakfast tables was much enjoyed by the passengers.

1904-10-23 Cunard Daily Bulletin - SS Slavonia Edition
One of the earliest Cunard Daily Bulletins, this SS Slavonia Edition, greeted passengers at breakfast with a four-page morning newspaper comprised of Marconigrams, extracts from the voyage log including daily distance covered, daily weather and recapitulation of the passengers on board.

1905-06-28 Cunard Daily Bulletin - RMS Ivernia Edition
The is the daily newspaper published onboard for the westbound voyage of the Cunard Steamship RMS Ivernia that departed from Liverpool on 20 June 1905 with 998 Passengers and 255 Crew Members. 24 Pages Total.

1905-07-24 Cunard Daily Bulletin - RMS Umbria Edition
Cunard Daily Bulletin, RMS Umbria Edition, provided readers with plenty of advertisements, short stories, Saloon Passenger List for this voyage, Marconigrams, Views of the Cunard SS Caronia, and Photographs of the RMS Carpathia and RMS Umbria.

1906-06-07 Cunard Daily Bulletin - RMS Carmania Edition
Cunard Daily Bulletin, RMS Carmania Edition, provided readers with plenty of advertisements, short stories, Saloon Passenger List for this voyage, Marconigrams, and a Photograph of the RMS Carmania.

1908-01-24 Cunard Daily Bulletin - RMS Campania Edition
Cunard Daily Bulletin, RMS Campania Edition, provided readers with plenty of advertisements, short stories, Saloon Passenger List for this voyage, Marconigrams, Views of the RMS Mauretania, TSS Carpathia, RMS Carmania and Caronia, and the RMS Lusitania.

1908-06-10 Cunard Daily Bulletin - RMS Lusitania Edition
Cunard Daily Bulletin, RMS Lusitania Edition, provided readers with plenty of advertisements, short stories, Saloon Passenger List for this voyage, Marconigrams, View of the Enquiry Bureau onboard the RMS Carmania and Caronia, and a Photograph of the RMS Lusitania.

1908-07-22 Cunard Daily Bulletin - SS Ivernia Edition
Cunard Daily Bulletin, SS Ivernia Edition, provided readers with plenty of advertisements, short stories, Saloon Passenger List for this voyage, Marconigrams, View of the Enquiry Bureau onboard the RMS Carmania and Caronia, and a Photograph of the RMS Ivernia.

1908-09-11 Cunard Daily Bulletin - RMS Etruria Edition
Cunard Daily Bulletin, RMS Etruria Edition, provided readers with plenty of advertisements, short stories, Saloon Passenger List for this voyage, Marconigrams, View of the RMS Mauretania First Class Stateroom and a Photograph of the RMS Etruria.

1911-06-17 Cunard Daily Bulletin - RMS Mauretania Edition
Cunard Daily Bulletin, RMS Mauretania Edition for 17 June 1911, provided readers with plenty of advertisements, short stories, Saloon Passenger List for this voyage, Marconigrams, and a Photograph and Description of the New Cunard Steamship Ascania.