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Description

The Caribbean Calls

A nice brochure promoting the Caribbean run of the Southern Pacific Lines, branded as the "Great White Fleet." The pamphlet provides a depiction of the ocean route between New Orleans and Havana, Kingston, and Cristobal as well as the rail line that connects the Seattle, Los Angeles, and El Paso to New Orleans. Illustrations of a locomotive and a passenger liner sailing by palm trees are prominently featured on the front. The verso features a photograph of the port of New Orleans as steamships prepare to load cotton. Both images provide a nice view of the passenger fleet while stocking the urge to travel. 

Inside the brochure are more photographs that highlight the amenities of the steamships and points of interest along the route. Locations such as the Alamo in Texas or a main street of Havanna are shown to illustrate the possibilities for sightseeing. The center images feature various scenes from onboard the ship, notably a luxurious dining saloon and cozy cabins. Overall a good advertisement that inspires one to take a tropical vacation.

The Great White Fleet

The Great White Fleet of the United Fruit Company is an intriguing commercial enterprise that gained immense popularity in the early 1900s. Originally built to transport bananas from South America, the fleet was composed of swift steamers, painted white to reflect the tropical sun and keep the bananas at a lower temperature during transit. Yet, with the rise of commercial tourism in America during the 1910s and '20s United Fruit began to outfit their fleet to accommodate passengers as well. Since this was essentially a side business using ships that were already making the Caribean run, prices were fairly affordable and schedules were regular. The fleet likely embraced the title of Great White Fleet after the moniker was applied to President Theodore Roosevelt's naval detachment that sailed around the world from 1907-1909.

Condition Description
Light wear as pictured. Mild toning where folded. Folds as issued.