RMS Caronia Timeline: Ephemera Folio

Caronia's Postal Covers (2)

One acquisition throws open another question - the existence of a “Caronia Stamp Club?” As far as can be ascertained this was a passenger, rather than crew, activity on board the “Green Goddess”.

The image seen here is part of a foolscap envelope with a graphic specially designed for Caronia's Colombo visit in March 1955. The artist was Mary Wortman, a passenger on the 1955 Great World Cruise.

One of the questions that this item throws up is whether or not it was actually printed on board the Caronia, or was it commissioned by her to be printed ashore? Certainly, it was very unusual for anything to be printed in green on board, let alone the facility for block-making from custom art-work.

Another Dedicated Postal Cover

Postal cover from Más a Tierra for 24 February 1953 — Special Caronia postal cover from Más a Tierra on 24 Feb 1953
Image: Peter Stevens Collection

Tristan da Cunha Covers

One of Caronia's regular calls on her Great World Cruises would be to one of the remotest islands in the South Atlantic - Tristan da Cunha. For the islanders her visit would be a highlight of the year. Some of the Tristan postal covers are extremely rare. For example, a cover for the 1958 World Cruise visit to Tristan da Cunha was offered at auction in 2004 with a guide price of £200.

Caronia 1955 Visit

The two 1955 Great World Cruise covers seen below were a stamp-collectors delight.

Click on these thumbnails for a bigger picture…

Caronia 1956 Visit

It appears that all tastes were catered for as with the 1956 covers below. There was a choice of the simple cover with a couple of stamps, or the more complete set seen below that.

Note that there was no change of design in the stamps over that period.

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Caronia 1958 Visit

Thanks to contributor Ron Burn, I'm able to depict one of the very rare Tristan da Cunha covers here. Ron's notes confirm that…

“Caronia's call here on 08 February 1958 was marred by bad weather meaning that only one island boat was able to reach the ship. The island did not have its own “Paquebot” stamp and mails franked with other than local stamps had to be endorsed in manuscript and signed by the Postmaster.”

Rare 1958 Tristan postal cover — One of only 22 postal covers sent from Tristan da Cunha in 1958
Image: Courtesy of Ron Burn

Ron continues…
“It was one of only 22 put together and all signed by the Administrator G.F. Harris, but what was rare about it was that there is no year in the date stamp, only the month and day, shown only as “FE 8.” ”

The 50th Anniversary Postal Cover

Tristan da Cunha Caronia stamp — 50th Anniversary stamp

Clearly Caronia's first visit to the island wasn't forgotten, as below is the commemorative postal cover for the 50th anniversary of Caronia's very first visit on 31 January 1950. On the right is a close-up of the commemorative stamp.

50th Anniversary Postal Cover — Caronia 50th Anniversary postal cover

External Link:

Tristan da Cunha.
All about an island that established close connections with the RMS Caronia, and even remembered her 50 years after her first visit.

RMS Caronia Timeline

Ephemera Folio
Caronia Postal Covers (2)

The Cunard White Star Line's ‘Green Goddess’

Luxurious ocean travel aboard a world-famous British cruise liner