Bill Miller has sent this suggestive image of five great Finmare passenger liners in Genova in December 1954.
Bill comments: "After the devastation of the Second World War, the Italian passenger fleet was in ruins - only 4 sizable liners remained. Even the likes of the giant Rex and Conte di Savoia were gone. But on December 28th 1954, nine years after the War ended, there was a coincidental gathering at Genoa. It symbolized Italy's postwar renaissance.
From left to right are 5 liners belonging to the Italian Line -- the new Cristoforo Colombo, Vulcania, Conte Grande, Giulio Cesare and Andrea Doria. There were two other passenger ships, the Saturnia and Amerigo Vespucci, in port as well -- creating a gathering of 7 Italian Line ships. But by midnight, this grand collection changed -- the Saturnia, Vulcania and Amerigo Vespucci sailed."
Dieter wrote back: "This brings back so many wonderful memories. Often, I lie awake at night and try and remember all the names of the great people I worked with at One Whitehall Street in the early 60's.
Bill further adds on the Italian Line subject:"My friend Dieter Killinger worked in Lower Manhattan, in the steamship industry and this included Italian Line on Whitehall Street. It was still the boom days of trans-Atlantic service. I sent out a photo recently of a grand gathering of 5 Italian liners at Genoa in December 1954.
Dieter wrote back: "This brings back so many wonderful memories. Often, I lie awake at night and try and remember all the names of the great people I worked with at One Whitehall Street in the early 60's.
Those were the days! I met all incoming Italian Line ships and sailed up the Hudson to the Pier and while doing so, I interviewed passengers in all three classes. On sailing day, I would have a VIP list and make the rounds of the important passengers. Two I particularly remember are Joan Crawford and Giovanni Martinelli, the opera singer. He was gracious; she was not!! Oh what fun! "Thanks for the memories," as Bob Hope used to say. I snapped this photo of the inbound Raffaello at Naples, in August 1973. I was boarding the next day for a 10-night homeward voyage to New York."
Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. Favor não piratear. Respeite o meu trabalho / No piracy, please. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia
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