White Star Line - RMS Titanic - 188 In order to catalog and compare the Stevens postcards that were sold on many of the passenger liners in the early 1900's, it is necessary to apply a code to the different known versions. They were generally available in two styles. The more expensive postcard had an image woven of the actual ship and would sometimes have statistics of the size and capacity of the ship printed below. The less expensive version would have two flags representing the countries of origin and destination for the particular voyage. Above the silk were printed the words "Hands Across the Sea" (HATS). Under the two flags would be a pair of hands clasped in a handshake representing the friendship between the countries. Austin Sprake (in his book) differentiates between the National Flags on each postcard. I have taken the liberty of extending the codes used by Austin Sprake and have adopted the following:- 62 Union Jack / USA 63 Union Jack / Merchant Navy Service 64 USA / Scottish Royal Standard (Yellow with red lion) 65 USA / Sweden (Blue with yellow cross) 66 USA / Norway (Red with blue cross) 67 USA / early Ireland (Green with yellow harp) 68 USA / early Ireland with Union Jack inset 69 USA / pre-war Italy with Royal Coat of Arms 70 Spare number He also differentiates between the tassels on each flag:- Design A MF:- 2 tassels above flags plus 2 tassels behind hands. Design B MM:- 2 tassels above flags plus 2 tassels behind hands. Design C MF:- 2 tassels only behind hands. Design D MM:- 2 tassels only behind hands. Design E MF:- 2 tassels above flags plus 2 tassels at far end of sleeves. The two hands woven into the silk are either two male hands or a male hand on the left and a female hand on the right. Male-Male (MM) Male-Female (MF) The ropes and poles are usually yellow. However the following rope colors also exist on a few postcards:- Red Blue Black For the even more seasoned collector the Flagpoles can terminate in three places. Outside the clasped hands. (Pole) On the Cuff of each hand. (Cuff) Slightly beyond the cuff on the Sleeve. (Sleeve) Also, most postcards came with normal vertical capital letters and a second version with forward slanting name text. (Slant) A few postcards had statistics such as Tonnage, Length, Breadth, Depth and Loaded Max Tonnage. (Stats) Note that other differences exist such as blue Sea, rigging on ships(Type I or Type II (less rigging), sea roughness, mat embossing, and flagpole color. Here is an example of using the codes:- HATS 62B MM Red Cuff This would have the Union Jack and USA flags with two Males shaking hands, two tassels above the flags, two tassels behind the hands, red ropes and poles and the poles would terminate on the cuff. Battleship - HMS Duncan The Allan Line, more properly the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company, was founded in 1854 and began sailing in 1855. They continued to sail until about 1911 when negotiations with the Canadian Pacific Line took place. The company was merged with CP and became known as the Canadian Pacific Ocean Services Limited in 1915. However, it was not until 1917 that an official announcement of the merger finally became public. Courtesy:- http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/allan.html Allan Line - RMS Corsican Allan Line - RMS Grampian Allan Line - RMS Hesperian Allan Line - SS Scandinavian Allan Line - RMS Tunisian Allan Line - RMS Victorian Allan Line - RMS Virginian Formed in 1872 as the American Steamship Co., Philadelphia and commenced passenger and cargo services to Queenstown and Liverpool, mostly with chartered ships. By 1884 passenger traffic on the North Atlantic had fallen and trade to Philadelphia decreased dramatically and the International Navigation Co of Philadelphia (Red Star Line) acquired the company. In 1892 an Act of Congress ensured that two large vessels of the British flagged Inman Line (owned by International Navigation Co) were transferred to the U.S. flag under the title of American Line. The parent company, International Navigation Co changed it's name in 1902 to International Mercantile Marine Co and purchased the share capitals of White Star, Dominion, Atlantic Transport and Leyland Lines as well as owning Red Star Line. Subsequent history of the company is covered by Red Star Line. Courtesy:- http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/american.html American Line - SS Haverford American Line - SS Merion American Line - USMS ST LOUIS American Line - USMS ST PAUL Anchor Line - TSS Caledonia Anchor Line - SS California Anchor Line - TSS Cameronia Anchor Line - TSS Columbia Anchor Line - ss Furnessia HATS MF 64E Pole Atlantic Transport Line - ATL Minnewaska HATS 62B MM Cuff Unrecorded Booth Line - RMS Antony Booth Line - RMS Lanfranc Funnels before 1906 and after 1921 were pale brown. Canadian Pacific Line - HMT Empress of Britain Canadian Pacific Line - RMS Empress of France Canadian Pacific Line - RMS Empress of Ireland Canadian Pacific Line - SS Lake Champlain Canadian Pacific Line - SS Lake Erie Canadian Pacific Line - RMS Melita Canadian Pacific Line - RMS Metagama Canadian Pacific Line - RMS Missanabie Cunard Line - RMS Alaunia Cunard Line - RMS Andania Cunard Line - RMS Aquitania Cunard Line - RMS Ascania Cunard Line - RMS Ausonia Cunard Line - RMS Campania Cunard Line - RMS Carmania Cunard Line - RMS Caronia Cunard Line - RMS Etruria Cunard Line - RMS Franconia Cunard Line - RMS Ivernia Cunard Line - RMS Laconia Cunard Line - RMS Lucania Cunard Line - RMS Lusitania Cunard Line - RMS Mauretania Cunard Line - RMS Pannonia Cunard Line - RMS Samaria Cunard Line - RMS Saxonia Cunard Line - RMS Umbria Dominion Line - RMS Canada Dominion Line - RMS Dominion Pacific Steam Navigation Line - RMS Orcoma - 162 Pacific Steam Navigation Line - RMS Orduna 163 Pacific Steam Navigation Line - RMS Oriana 167 Pacific Steam Navigation Line - RMS Oronsa 168 Pacific Steam Navigation Line - RMS Oropesa 161 Red Star Line - RMS Lapland HATS 62B MM Sleeve Red Star Line - RMS Lapland HATS 62B MM sleeve red ropes blue poles White Star Line - RMS Adriatic White Star Line - RMS Arabic White Star Line - RMS Baltic White Star Line - RMS Canopic White Star Line - RMS Cedric White Star Line - RMS Celtic White Star Line - SS Cymric White Star Line - SS Laurentic White Star Line - RMS Majestic White Star Line - RMS Megantic White Star Line - RMS Oceanic White Star Line - HMS Olympic White Star Line - RMS Regina White Star Line - SS Republic White Star Line - RMS Royal George White Star Line - RMS Teutonic White Star Line - RMS Titanic White Star Line - RMS Zeeland Transport Somali You can click on most images to see larger images or more information. We wish to buy Stevengraphs. One at a time or collections. We also seek photos, brochures or any item of related history. Malcolm J Roebuck, Copyright © 1999-2021 Stevengraphs Bookmarks & Postcards Etc.