Handkerchief, souvenir: Greetings, Hoboken N.J., Port of Debarkation, U.S.S. Leviathan.
Entry/Object ID
2013.005.0064
Description
Souvenir handkerchief: Greetings, Hoboken N.J., Port of Debarkation, U.S.S. Leviathan. Printed silk, 10-1/8" square (originally folded to 5" x 2-3/4").
The imprinting includes a side profile depiction of the ship. The view of the ship is in its traditional hull paint format as a passenger vessel and not shown with the dazzle camouflage which it wore in this period. Text below the image:
U.S.S. Leviathan
World's Largest Ship
950 Feet Long 100 Feet Wide 58000 Tons
See objects 2013.005.0041 for a handkerchief of U.S.S. Finland.
A commemorative item presumed to be have been made for purchase as a gift for female relatives or loved ones by Army members returning from Europe on the Leviathan (it made nine westbound trips as a debarkation troopship from shortly after the Nov. 11, 1918 armistice that ended World War I to September 1919.)
Hoboken served as the major U.S. Army Port of Embarkation and, after the war's end, as a one of the four Ports of Debarkation. The ship here was the former Vaterland of the Hamburg-America Line. The ocean liner was confiscated in 1917 and became the U.S.S. Leviathan. It left Hoboken for its final trip to Europe as part of the Transport Service on August 13, 1919 and returned for the last time as on Sept. 8, 1919. It was decommissioned in October 1919 and turned over to the the U.S. Shipping Board. It became a member of the passenger fleet of the United States Lines and operated as the S.S. Leviathan out of Hoboken.
Whether this novelty was manufactured in Hoboken is unknown. Where and how this item was sold is also not known.
Acquisition
Accession
2013.005
Source or Donor
Lukacs, Claire
Acquisition Method
Gift
Credit Line
Museum Collections. Gift of a Friend of the Museum.
Made/Created
Date made
1918 - 1919
Notes
Date: 1918-1919
Condition
Overall Condition
Good
General Notes
Note
Notes: Text excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Finland_(ID-4543)#U.S._Navy_service
As the flow of troops was reversed to bring American troops home, Finland made 8 round trips from Europe to the United States, returning 32,197 personnel to the United States.[57] On 4 September 1919 she was transferred to the 3d Naval District and on 15 November decommissioned and delivered to the War Department,[45] and, eventually, to the Red Star Line.[1]
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reference image
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Finland_at_Newport_News_with_soldiers_on_board.jpg
USS Finland (ID # 4543)
In port in 1919, with troops on board, probably upon arrival from Europe. Photographed by Holladay, Newport News, Virginia. The original image was printed on postal card ("AZO") stock.
Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006.
U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Date: 1919
Source: U.S. Naval Historical Center Photo #: NH 104080
Author: U.S. Navy
This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made during the course of the person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.
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Status: OK
Status By: dw
Status Date: 2013-03-31
