Union Steam Ship photographic prints of ships

Descriptive Data

Archives IdentifierAF093Date Range1809-1996DescriptionThese prints grouped by ship were received from the Museums Trust as part of the Museum of Wellington City and Sea Transfer.

Folders containing materials relating to the operation of the Union Steam Ship Company.
Most materials are photographic prints, slides and negatives, but there is also a smaller component of other media, such as newspaper clippings and correspondence. All of these materials were grouped into subjects before donation to Wellington City Council Archives.

- Folders 1-424 contain materials related to ships that were owned or operated by the Union Steam Ship Company.

- Folders 501-629 contain materials related to premises and infrastructure for the operations of the Union Steam Ship Company, domestic and international. These premises include booking offices, head offices, local branches, views of ports and port infrastructure, hotels owned or operated by Union Steam Ship Company and manager residences. Some of these premises operate under the names of individual travel agencies rather than Union Steam Ship Company or Union Travel.

- Folders 700-710 contain materials relating to cargo handling, including product development and the loading and unloading of goods from ships. The titles of the folders are transcribed from the physical items. The titles of individual items are either transcribed from the material or created by archives staff.

- Folders 801-846 contain photographs relating to Union Steam Ship Company staff, including general staff, boards of directors, reunions and sports teams.

- Folders 871-877 contain materials related to publicity efforts, including parade floats and exhibitions, both domestic and international.

- Folders 903-909 contain materials related to the aeronautical side of Union Steam Ship company, including photographs of planes or infrastructure from National Airways Corporation, Australian National Airway, Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL), Union Airways. Folders 906-907 contain photographs of flying boats.

- Folders 921-923 contain materials related to a variety of topics not easily filed in other categories, including the presentation of a lifeboat to Outward Bound, photographs of salvaged items, photographs of branded glassware and historical materials like photographic prints of the Union Steam Ship Company coat of arms, sheet music and various plaques.
Quantity (Linear Metres)2.5MediumPhotograph - printSystem of ArrangementRoughly by subject, including alphabetical by name of ship and geographically by city of operation.

There are a total of 518 folders (numbered 1-923 with gaps in between that do not appear to represent missing folders, but rather a system of organisation, i.e. large jumps in numbers indicate a change in subject matter). There are also a few smaller gaps of one to two folders in the sequence that may indicate missing content.

Folders have been further divided into ten containers, arranged sequentially. The original order of items contained in the folders has been maintained.
Collection TypeWellington Museums Trust

Document Folder

Dunedin - Tongue Wharf Mararoa vs Warrimoo

Miscellaneous Historical Items not fileable elsewhere

Presentation of Wahine II lifeboat "Matakana" to Outward Bound Trust

National Airways Corporation

Australian National Airways

Tasman Empire Airways flying boats

Tasman Empire Airways

Union Airways Lockheed Electra

Union Airways Lockheed Lodestar

Union Airways DH 86 Express, Palmerston North Aerodrome 1939

Publicity Street Parades - Floats

Publicity Exhibition Stands - Various overseas and unknown

Publicity Exhibition Stands - Australia

Publicity Displays / Exhibition Stands New Zealand - Hamilton, Hawkes Bay, Dunedin and various/unknown

Publicity Exhibition Stands New Zealand - Christchurch and Timaru

Publicity Exhibition Stands New Zealand - Wellington, Lower Hutt, Manawatu, Hawera and New Plymouth

Publicity Exhibition Stands New Zealand - Auckland

Personnel - Sea staff (Historic)

U.S.S. Co. Pursers - Re-union photographs

Old photographs - Unidentified Personnel

Staff Groups - Various

Branch Managers

Head Office - Departmental Heads, Senior Management

Maps and Plans

Taroona turbine rotor drawing

Access Information

Restriction StatusOpen

Related Agencies

Controlling or Creating AgencyUnion Steam Ship Company of New Zealand LtdRelationship Date Range1875-30 November 2001

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Union Steam Ship photographic prints of ships