***** CUNARD LINE *****                      [MO]

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                                        R.M.S. CARONIA - "THE GREEN GODDESS" AT CAPE TOWN              

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                                    R.M.S. "CARONIA" 1956 GREAT WORLD CRUISE

                                        GB QEII RARE IMPRINTED 6d AIRLETTER

                                     Cape Town Paquebot postmark 11 Feb 1956

                                 New York transit postmark (slogan) 14 Feb 1956

                                                                    P L U S

                                 Stunning Valentine's unused B&W Real Photo postcard

                   "R.M.S. "CARONIA" - dressed overall - prepares to enter Cape Town Harbour

                                        Table Mountain's lower slopes in background

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                                                      TWO (2) HISTORIC ITEMS

                                                        THIS LOT IS FOR YOU ! !

WHETHER YOU ARE A COLLECTOR OF CUNARD MEMORABILIA, SHIP POSTCARDS, SHIP MAIL, GB/QEII  POSTAL STATIONERY/AIR LETTERS/AEROGRAMMES, PAQUEBOT POSTMARKS (CAPE TOWN), NEW YORK SLOGAN CANCELS, etc.

THE SHIP: the 34,183-ton luxury Cunard liner, RMS Caronia, made her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on 4 January 1949. She was purpose-built for regular Atlantic crossings and extended luxury cruises. She carried up to 1,200 passengers and a crew of 650.

THE CRUISE: on the 1956 Great World Cruise (see image of the cruise advertisement - NOT on offer), Caronia called at 23 ports in 17 countries. She sailed from Cunard's Pier 90 in New York on the evening of 20 January, and arrived back in New York 3½ months later, on 7 May 1956.

Her first stop was Port of Spain, Trinidad, after 1,900 miles of sailing. Thereafter, she called at Bahia and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She crossed the Atlantic, via Tristan da Cunha, and arrived in Cape Town, South Africa on 11 February. After Africa's east coast, she sailed to Asian ports, Japan, many Pacific islands, and transited the Panama Canal, before arriving back in New York.

THE POSTCARD: is a fine, unused, vintage "Valentine's" Real Photo Post Card, showing Caronia dressed overall for her early morning arrival, with the slopes of famous Table Mountain forming a backdrop to the image. There are no creases, rips, or wrinkles, and no age marks. [This postcard may have been issued for an earlier visit by Caronia to the Mother City, as Cape Town is known].

GB QEII POSTAL STATIONERY (H&B AP6): A VERY SCARCE GB QEII 6d DEEP-RED AIR LETTER SHEET, in fine used condition, imprinted "Cunard Line / R.M.S. Caronia" in blue (two lines), a really superb vintage item!

It was written by Mrs Florence Johnson of Rochester, New York, travelling in first-class with her husband, George A Johnson. The letter is addressed to a friend at home and was received in New York on 14 February (slogan cancel), after being mailed on arrival in Cape Town, where it was postmarked with the city's bilingual PAQUEBOT cancel on the day of arrival.

For passenger mail, Caronia's Writing Room had a supply of color postcards, Lettercards, "World Cruise" sheets of writing paper, and the Cunard-imprinted QEII 6d Air Letter sheet.

POSTAL HISTORY: The air letter sheet is the same design as the GB 1953 Coronation sheet, but with the fine and intricate "ER" vignette removed, and the word 'CORONATION' replaced by the word 'SIXPENCE'.

In the first printing of the sheet (H&B AP5), the instructions on the back panel were printed in two lines. In a later printing, including this one imprinted by Cunard, the instructions on the back are in three lines.

Most British ocean liners of the day carried 6d air letter sheets for use by passengers. They were plain, and were NOT imprinted by the Shipping Companies. They are known for many ocean liners, including Ocean Monarch, Port Lincoln, Rangitoto, Andes, and Devonia, among others.

     SEE ALL IMAGES OF THE TWO ITEMS ON OFFER. THE FINAL IMAGES ARE FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY.

THE CONDITION OF THIS RARE AND VINTAGE AIRLETTER AND POSTCARD IS EXCELLENT AND FREE OF BLEMISHES. THEY WILL BE WORTHY AND VALUABLE ADDITIONS TO YOUR COLLECTION.

                                                             SHIPPING & HANDLING OPTIONS

U.S.A.: FIRST CLASS MAIL $3.00 ::: CERTIFIED/INSURED MAIL $7.95 with tracking

WORLDWIDE: AIRMAIL $4.50 at Buyer's risk ::: REGISTERED AIRMAIL $24.95 with tracking

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