Ellis Island Passenger Lists (1880s-1950s)

 

The GG Archives is a Great Resource for Ship Passenger Lists - USA, Canada, Australia, and Other World Ports, from the 1870s - 1960s.

 

Make the GG Archives Your Source for Ellis Island Passenger Lists, with Ports of Call in the USA, Canada, Australia, and Other World Ports, from the 1880s-1950s.

Early Passenger Lists Were Handwritten, but Once Printing Presses Became Commonplace on Many Steamships, the Ship Manifests Became a Souvenir of the Voyage. The Covers of Many Older Lists Contained Superb Graphics and Were Highly Prized by Collectors.

The GG Archives Has an Extensive Collection of These Passenger Records in Our Maritime Collection. Our Most Comprehensive Ship Passenger Arrival Records Are for the Cunard Line / Cunard White Star Line.

Coveted by collectors and genealogists, souvenir passenger lists often offered beautiful graphical covers and information not found in official manifests because they focused on the journey rather than the destination.

The Lists of Passengers vary between Steamship Lines in Terms of Information Provided to Each Passenger. Additionally, on Many Voyages, Each Class Received a Separate Passenger List. In Contrast, Others Combined Multiple Classes into One or Two Lists for the Same Journey. Newspaper Reporters of the Era Were Usually on Hand to Review Passenger Arrivals for Vips and Other Noteworthy Passengers.

 

 

Ship Passenger Lists by Steamship Line

 

Passenger List, Allan Line TSS Grampian, 1909, Glasgow to Québec and Montréal

Allan Line Passenger Lists

Our collection of the rare Allan Line passenger lists are from the years 1891 through 1913. Their cover graphics ranged from very dull to exquisitely colorful branded images. They operated transatlantic steamships between ports of call in the UK and North America.

 

1938-03-18 Passenger List for SS Excalibur

American Export Lines Passenger Lists

American Export Lines Passenger Lists - The American Export Lines (1919 to 1977) offered both Cargo and Passenger services between New York and the Mediterranean.

 

Front Cover, Saloon Class Passenger List for the 3 June 1993 Voyage of the SS New York of the American Line.

American Line Passenger Lists

Passenger Lists of the American Line that covered the transatlantic routes between the ports of Southampton and New York, Liverpool and Philadelphia and calling on Cherbourg, Queenstown (Cobh) and sometimes Plymouth.

 

Front Cover, Passenger List, SS American Farmer, American Merchant Lines, June 1934, London to New York

American Merchant Lines Passenger Lists

As a Division of the United States Lines, American Merchant Lines operated transatlantic services between the ports of New York, Plymouth, and London. They uniquely named their vessels -- all starting with the word "American" followed by other common merchant terms including Banker, Farmer, Merchant, Shipper, and Trader.

 

Front Cover of a Saloon Passenger List from the SS Furnessia of the Anchor Steamship Line, Departing Thursday, 25 August 1904, from Glasgow to New York.

Anchor Steamship Line Passenger Lists

The transatlantic voyages of the Anchor Line typically operated between Glasgow, Scotland and New York with stops in Moville, Liverpool, Queenstown (Cobh), and Halifax N.S.

 

Front Cover, Saloon Passenger List for the SS Marquette, 1 June 1899 of the Atlantic Transport Line.

Atlantic Transport Line Passenger Lists

Passenger Lists for the Atlantic Transport Line that operated transatlantic passenger service primarily between New York and London from 1881 to 1936. It was an American owned company that was operated by the British and sailed under the British flag.

 

1932-06-24 City Of Hamburg Cabin Passenger Manifest

Baltimore Mail Line Passenger Lists

The Baltimore Mail Line (Baltimore Mail Steamship Company) was primarily a mail and cargo services line that also carried a limited number of passengers (passenger capacity was about 80 Tourist Class). They operated regular weekly service between the US Ports of Baltimore and Norfolk to the European Ports of Le Havre, France, and Hamburg, Germany. They had the misfortune of being in operation only during the depression years, 1931 until 1938.

 

Passenger List, Canadian Pacific SS Melita, Cabin Passengers, 1926

Canadian Pacific Line Passenger Lists

All Canadian Pacific Line Passenger Lists from 1908 through 1953, including Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and Canadian Pacific Ocean Services (CPOS).

 

Cover of a Cabin and Tourist Third Cabin Passenger List from the RMS Aurania of the Cunard Line, Departing Friday, 20 June 1930 from Montréal to London

Cunard Line Passenger Lists

Cunard Line Passenger Lists from the 1880s-1960 at the GG Archives. Most of these lists cover transatlantic voyages between Europe and North America.

 

Front Cover, RMS Aquitania Passenger List - 18 September 1935

Cunard White Star Line Passenger Lists

The Cunard White Star Line (1934-1949) was formed as a merger of the two once giant steamship lines - The Cunard Steam Ship Company and the White Star Line. See Cunard Line Passenger Lists (for ship names ending with "ia" or the "Queens") and White Star Line Passenger Lists (For ship names ending with "ic").

 

1903-05-16 SS Vancouver

Dominion Line Passenger Lists

Dominion Line Royal Mail Steamers offered excellent accommodations for Saloon, Second Cabin, and Steerage passengers at moderate rates. Ports of call included Liverpool, Halifax, Boston, Portland (ME), Quebec, Montreal, Naples, Azores, and Queenstown (Cobh).

 

Front Cover, Passenger List SS Patria 1928

Fabre Line Passenger Lists

Fabre Lines (Compagnie de Navigation Cyprien-Fabre) ports of call included New York, Providence, Horta, Angra (Angra do Heroísmo), Ponta Delgada, Lisbon, Barcelona, Marseilles, Algiers, Naples, and Nice. Established in 1911, the “Fabre Line” a French steamship company of Marseilles, France, turned the Port of Providence into one of the major immigrant arrival destinations in America.

 

1887-02-05 SS La Champagne

French Line Passenger Lists

The CGT French Line had regular sailings between New York, Plymouth (England), and Le Havre. They were known for their exquisite graphical covers.

 

Front Cover of a Saloon Passenger List from the SS Westphalia of the Hamburg-American Line, Departing 31 May 1885 from Hamburg to Prague, Commanded by Captain H. H. Barends.

Hamburg America Line Passenger Lists

Hamburg America Line Aka: Hamburg Amerika Linie, Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft (HAPAG). The Hamburg American Line (The Anglicized Name They Preferred) was one of the significant steamship companies to handle the immigrant trade. Their primary route was Hamburg to New York via Southampton.

 

Front Cover of a Cabin Passenger List from the SS Spaarndam of the Holland-America Line, Departing 26 March 1892 from Rotterdam to New York.

Holland-America Line Passenger Lists

AKA HAL or N.A.S.M (Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij). Passenger lists from the voyages of the Holland-America Line, a Steamship Company of the Netherlands that covered the transatlantic routes between the ports of Rotterdam and New York, and occasionally calling on the ports of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Plymouth, Southampton, Boston, and Halifax.

 

Front Cover of a First Class Passenger List from the SS Conte Grande of the Italia Line, Departing 30 March 1952 from Genoa to Buenos Aires via Villefranche, Barcelona, Dakar, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, and Montevideo

Italian Steamship Lines Passenger Lists

Italian Steamship Lines Passenger Lists includes Ships form Italia-Sabaudo, Lloyd Sabaudo, NGI-Italian Line, and Societa di Navigazione Italia.

 

1901-10-05 Passenger List for the SS Devonian

Leyland Line Passenger Lists

The Leyland Line formed during the early 1880s sailed between Boston and Liverpool and was one of the pioneers in presenting accommodations for first-class passengers exclusively, on steamers of large tonnage and steady sea-going qualities; and the present success of the Leyland fleet amply confirms the wisdom of this innovation.

 

1901-02-19 SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse

North German Lloyd Passenger Lists

Passenger Lists from the Voyages of the Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen (North German Lloyd). The company runs many lines from its headquarters at Bremen; among them are those to New York - a line of express steamers and a line of ordinary mail steamers, all calling at Southampton or Cherbourg.

 

Front Cover of a First, Cabin, and Tourist Class Passenger List from the SS Stavangerfjord of the Norwegian-America Line, Departing 29 September 1954 from Oslo to New York via Kristiansand, Stavanger, and Bergen

Norwegian-America Line Passenger Lists

Passenger Lists of the Den Norske Amerikalinje / Norwegian-America Line (NAL). The transatlantic voyages between Oslo and New York were made with the following Ocean Liners: Kristianiafjord, Bergensfjord, Oslofjord, and Stavangerfjord.

 

Passenger List, Red Star Line SS Vaderland, 1901, Antwerp to New York (Front Cover)

Red Star Line Passenger Lists

Outstanding service is that of the Red Star Line from the ports of New York and Philadelphia to Belgium, via England and France. In this are engaged such splendid steamers as the Belgenland, famous for her winter world cruises, the Lapland and the Cabin class steamers, Pennland and Zeeland.

 

Front Cover of a Cruise Passenger List from the SS Araguaya of the RMSP, Departing 28 February 1925 from New York to Bermuda

Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (RMSP) Passenger Lists

Passenger Lists of the R.M.S.P. - The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company that provided transatlantic passenger services to and from Hamburg, Cherbourg, Southampton and New York and on occasion Quebec.

 

Front Cover, SS Hellig Olav Passenger List - 27 July 1929

Scandinavian American Line Passenger Lists

Favored by those who cross the Atlantic for pleasure and for business, the Scandinavian-American Line -- the descriptive name under which the company operates its passenger service between the United States and the Scandinavian countries, typifies everything that makes ocean travel a delight.

 

1932-10-01 SS Kungsholm

Swedish American Line Passenger Lists

The Swedish American Line / Svenska Amerika Linien began transatlantic service in 1915 and offered passenger, freight, and mail service direct between New York and Gothenburg, Sweden.

 

1939-07-14 RMS Windsor Castle

Union-Castle Line Passenger Lists

The Royal Mail Steamers of the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co., Ltd., Sail from Southampton Every Saturday with Passengers and Cargo for Cape Colony and Natal, Calling at Madeira.

 

1925-05-19 SS Resolute

United American Lines Passenger Lists

The United American Lines has its principal steamers, the Resolute, Reliance, and Cleveland, under the Panama Flag. They also operated three passenger vessels of the third class in the New York-Hamburg run.

 

1924-08-05 SS Leviathan

United States Lines Passenger Lists

United States Lines (USL) was the only US Government owned Steamship Line that featured its flagship the SS Leviathan. They sailed between Bremen, Cherbourg, Southampton, and New York.

 

Front Cover of a Saloon Passenger List from the SS Germanic of the White Star Line, Departing 26 June 1889 from New York to Liverpool

White Star Line Passenger Lists

The White Star Line Passenger List collection primarily features transatlantic ships between Southampton, Liverpool, and New York from 1889-1939.

 

Front Cover of a First Class Passenger List from the SS Vandyck of the Lamport & Holt Line, Departing 9 July 1914 from Buenos Aires to New York via Montevideo, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Bahia (Salvador), Trinidad (Port of Spain), and Barbados (Bridgetown)

Other Steamship Lines Passenger Lists

Small passenger list collections from other steamship lines, including the Aberdeen Line, American Mail Line, Anchor-Donaldson, Donaldson-Atlantic, Donaldson Line, Furness-Bermuda, Grace Line, Home Lines, Inman Line, KNSM, Nordefjeldske, Orient Line, PSNC, Panama-Pacific Line, Royal Mail Lines, State Line, White Star-Dominion, and Yeoward Line.

 

Return to Content Links

 

Browse Our Collections of Ship Passenger Lists

 

Ship Sailing Away from New York Harbor Showing Statue of Liberty

Browse by Ship

The option to browse our passenger list collection by the ship's name will assist researchers in focusing their search on a specific vessel without requiring other information such as steamship line or year/date of a voyage to locate the list of passengers.

 

Return to Content Links

 

The Deutschland departs from Cuxhaven for New York

Browse by Port of Call

Organized by Port of Call, the listings for Digitized Passenger Lists of the GG Archives typically include the date, vessel, route, and class for voyages that originated from or called upon a port listed.

 

Return to Content Links

 

Passenger Lists by Year of Voyage - Sorted by Month and Day

Browse by Year of Voyage

Organized by Year of Voyage, the listings for Passenger Lists of the GG Archives typically include the date, vessel, route, and class for voyages that originated from or called upon a port listed.

 

Return to Content Links

 

Map of Worldwide Services of the North German Lloyd.

Browse by Region

Organized by Region (Australian, Canadian, French, German, Irish, Italian, Scandinavian, and South African), the listings typically include the date, vessel, route, and class for voyages that originated from or were called upon a port listed.

 

Return to Content Links

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Passenger Lists

 

Front Cover of 1892 Passenger List of the Inman Line

Passenger Lists FAQs

Passenger Lists, Ships List, and Passenger Manifests all seem to mean the same thing, but what are the differences, and how can you utilize these documents most effectively? The GG Archives provides several topical articles covering passenger lists.

 

Return to Top of Page