WHITE STAR LINE: A Brief History (1845 - 1934)

*I use the year of the maiden voyage to date liners rather than the keel laying or launch. It makes more sense to me.

*You may notice that White Star gave all their liners names ending in "ic." Cunard followed a similar tradition with "ia" endings. The first vessel of the combined Cunard-White Star line was the QUEEN MARY which some say was a compromise between an "ic" and "ia" name. She had red Cunard funnels while her enclosed bridge wings and raised white forecastle were classic White Star features. The white forecastle is present today in the livery of the RMS QUEEN MARY 2.

*"OCEANIC" was a particularly special name since the legal title of the WSL was "Oceanic Steam Navigation Company (OSNC)." It was the name of their first liner and was also (and still is) the name of White Star's former London headquarters Oceanic House: http://www.londonarchitecture.co.uk/B...

Initially founded in 1845, the White Star Line was acquired by Thomas Ismay in 1868. That was the beginning of the company we recognize today. A partnership with Harland & Wolff shipyard was forged soon after and resulted in the OCEANIC of 1871. She was the first of many trendsetting liners that gradually grew larger, faster, and more luxurious. This culminated in the OLYMPIC-class of 1911. Tragically, OLYMPIC was the only one of her class to have a successful career. The demise of her two sister ships, particularly the RMS TITANIC, has ensured that the company remains in the public consciousness many decades after it ceased to exist. In the post-war years the lost liners were replaced by the German built MAJESTIC and HOMERIC. The twin motor vessels MV BRITANNIC and GEORGIC were the swan song of the famous passenger line. Their sleek, modern appearance hinted that the company was still looking towards a future that was never to be. Their design echoed the planned 1000 ft rival to the QUEEN MARY and NORMANDIE; the never completed RMMV OCEANIC. Although the company did quite well for itself in the 1920s it was the victim of severe financial mismanagement. As a result, when the Great Depression arrived White Star had an outdated fleet and lacked the capital to improve or replace it. Their rival Cunard wasn't much better off except for the partially complete Hull Number 534 aka QUEEN MARY. At the insistence of the British government the two lines merged in 1934 to form Cunard-White Star. Eventually the company reverted back to just "Cunard." A century of celebrated liners ended when the MV BRITANNIC departed Liverpool on 16 December 1960 for the ship breakers. There is only one White Star ship left in the world and it is the SS NOMADIC of 1911. She was built alongside OLYMPIC and TITANIC and served them as a tender in the French port of Cherbourg. Today she is back in Belfast and sits adjacent to the slipways that gave birth to the Olympic-class. In the 1990s Cunard introduced its "White Star Service" and trains new staff at its "White Star Academy." This brand acknowledges their White Star heritage and that line's legacy of excellence in passenger service, comfort, and care.

NOMADIC: http://www.nomadicbelfast.com/

TITANIC-BELFAST: https://titanicbelfast.com/

CUNARD WHITE STAR SERVICE: http://www.cunard.com/cunard-experien...