HISTROY - BELLE ÉPOQUE on board COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE

COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE had it first real peak in the BELLE ÉPOQUE, when liners transfered from mere ferries to Grand Hotels. It was the time when steam ships and steam technology became more secure and passengers demanded for more luxuries on board. BELLE ÉPOQUE was an era, characterized by prosperity and affluence for the aristocracy and bourgeoisie, optimism, a new class - the laborers, social reforms, new arts and peace in Europe. But it was also a period of imperialism, building of colonial empires, strickt if not rude social regulations and militarism in each rank of societies.
by Earl of Cruise

Belle Époque and Cie. Gle. Transatlantique

FRANCE (II), Le Versailles sur la Mer, what made FRANCE appear to be bigger than 23,000 GT, was the white coated Main Deck - colouring courtsey by Daryl LeBlanc

French imperialism was in its prime. It was a cultural center of global influence, and its educational, scientific and medical institutions were at the leading edge of Europe. But France, as any other industrialized or industrializing country, had a large economic underclass who never experienced much of the BELLE ÉPOQUE's wonders and entertainments. Poverty remained endemic in these countries and leading to emmigration.
BELLE ÉPOQUE style was an oppulent recalling and mixing of historic styles and art forms, but ended in Art Nouveau (France), Jugendstil (Germany), Style Liberty (Britain) and Wiener Sezession (Austria-Hungary).
While the steam technology improved, the vessels itself grew nearly each year. It was a time with new inventions and reinventions of forgotten technologies. Medicine improved. And travel started to become an art. Up to the BELLE ÉPOQUE there had been a few really luxurious hotels, most in France, where luxury was "invited" in the times of Louis XIV. The first of these Grand Hotels was surprisingly the GRAND HOTEL in Covent Garden, United Kingdom, in 1729. The first real 5star Grand Hotel was the TREMONT HOUSE in Boston, 1829 - 170 luxurious rooms and French Cuisine. Hôtel Le Meurice, [otɛl møʁis], founded in 1771, but opend in 1815, by Charles-Augustin Meurice, Rue de Rivoli 228 in the 1^st arrondissement, now owned by Brunei Investment Agency of Brunei and operated by the Dorchester Collection, today the oldest top luxury, palace hotel in Paris.
During BELLE ÉPOQUE the most still today known famed Café Parisienne had been established. These ventured into literary salons. And these Cafès at the time considered an etiquette school for fine manners, social behavior, and tact and secured the visitors a spiritual and cultural peak. Many aristocrats, writers, poets, philosophers, composers, painters and musicians. Here stimulating conversations resulted in the latest issues of the time and discussed spirited literary, philosophical and musical works for hours.
Paris became la Ville Spectacle and la Ville de Lumière, because of early near complete electrification.

"Pratiquer la musique, danser, jouer du théâtre, converser, se comporter avec goût et agrément —ici, on cultivait tout cela comme un art particulier. Ce n'étaient pas les affaires militaires, politiques ou commerciales qui occupaient la place prépondérante dans la vie de chacun, non plus que de la société dans son ensemble; le premier regard qeu le Viennois moyen jetait chaque matin à son journal ne se portait pas sur les discussions du Parlement ou les événements mondiaux, mais sur le répertoire du théâtre, lequel prenait une importance dans la vie publique qu'on n'eût guère comprise dans d'autres villes."
Le monde d'hier (Die Welt von Gestern / The World of Yesterday)

Stefan Zweig (1881-1942)

It was the time when women´s gowns à la mode had the Cul de Paris (ky də paʀi) 1872–1876 and 1882–1886 (1^st and 2^nd Tournure/Hoop Skirt) and gemtlemen wore cylinders or elegant hats with their different dresses during the day.

Cul de Paris, 1^reTournure

Gentleman in London 1904

Les Deux Magots was opened in 1875 and thousands of visitors since then attracted through the centuries, among which had been Hemingway, Jean-Paul Sartre and Picasso. The Spanish painter has met on the rooftop terrace of the cafe of the talented photographer Dora Maar, who became his companion and muse over the course of time, her charisma inspired him to many of his masterpieces. Some researchers even pose the thesis that Picasso created Cubism here!

Le Deux Magots, a Saint Germain Des Pres - courtsey G.francesca

Café de Flor, founded in 1887, is today another way to explore the character and style of that era and its prevailing trends - the Golden Café has gained prominence when Guillaume Apollinaire transformed the first floor into his study and regularly housed since André Breton (the founder of Dadaism). If you are lucky, you might meet today world-famous stars personally in this Cafè - Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Johnny Depp enjoy breakfast here quite often! Other etablissements, still famed today, have been founded in those days, 1893 Maxim's by Maxime Gaillard. Maxim´s became in the 1960s the caterer for PAN AM ´s First CLass. And not to forget Moulin Rouge, founded in 1889 by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia, close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18^th arrondissement. And not to forget the Folies Bergère as another landmark venue.

Poster for Vin Mariani, founded 1863 by Jules Chéret captures the vibrant spirit of BELLE ÉPOQUE

The BELLE ÉPOQUE was too the time of bigottery and double moral ... It happend in these times that cocottes or courtesans, à la la Païva (Esther Lachmann [ɛstɛʁ laʃman], May 7^th, 1819 - January 21^st, 1884) grew to fame and wealth - so Cora Pearl (1835-1886) and Laure Hayman (1851-1932), Lianede Pougy (July 2^nd,1869 - December 26^th, 1950) - dancer, socialite and courtesan, the `Queen of Montmartre´ La Goulue (Louise Weber, July 13^th, 1866, - January 30^th, 1929) and Jane Avril (June 9^th, 1868 - January 17^th, 1943) "La Mélinite", after an explosive - all to be named demimondaine. BELLE ÉPOQUE too saw a new type of socialite, coming from bougeoise backgrounds. In the 21^st century, the term "socialite" is still attached to being wealthy and socially recognized.

Mata Hari, born Margeretha Geertruida Zelle on 7th August 1876 in Leeuwardan, spoilt by her father, married to Rudolf McLeod, a soldier 20 years her senior, May 1879they all set off to the east Indies as Rudolf returned to service.
Tineke Hellwig writes that "Indos had an image of being indolent, unreliable, oversubmissive ... incredibly recklass. The women were known to be sensual, coquettish and seductive.
The couple parted in 1902 with granted custody of her daugther Louise. She had to temporarily turn to prostitution to be able to pay her bills.
"She developed a series of sacred dances that she ostensibly learned in the Indies and began to create a mythology about herself. Her style was utterly novel; her ability to create a mood was strong; and her costumes were extremely revealing."
"She distinguished herself... by claiming hers [dances] were sacred, holy dances - a form of worship, part of a fusion of sexuality and religion."
March 13 1905 was her debut of Mata Hari.
In 1915, she was living back in 'The Hague' and was visited by Karl Kroemer who was recruiting espionage agents for Germany. The rest is known history ... And filmed not only in Hollywood, e.g. the most intense film with La Garbo

Passengers began demanding for even those luxuries, they would not have at home ... as electric light, a security nessessaty, water toiletts and running water in the cabins - even at home their had been chamber pots and wash bowls, or bath rooms with tubs - to many of even in First Class a luxury.

ORIENT EXPRESS of COMPAGNIE INTERNATIONAL de WAGONS-LITS near Gare de L‘ Еst - copy from my book The Belle Époque of the ORIENT EXPRESS by M. Wiesenthal

On October 4^th, 1883, the express train of COMPAGNIE INTERNATIONAL de WAGONS-LITS from the Paris train station Gare de L‘ Еst took off to Istanbul - nobody has at the time suspected that ORIENT-EXPRESS transformed after more than a century into a real legend and popular means of luxurious transport - the synonym for voyaging in luxury with a train.
While finally the Atlantic liners grew out of their hulls, with added superstructures, space, ever scarce on board ships, grew and more luxuries could be added, as additional salons, except the main dining room. US American liners in the 1860s and 1870s had a kind supuerstructer, a deckhouse streching from the middle of the ship to its stern. The dining room used to be for a long time as well a social room, was along the longitudinal axis of a ship. It was more a hallway with a long table in the middle and benches at its side. Now a Ladies Room, a Smoking Room, a Writing Room and a Library were added in these days, increasing the public space to cover up time, and walk around there and giving space to avoid "unloved" co-passengers on board.

Source: Wikipedia

When the GUION liner ARIZONA (1879) and later ALASKA (1882) had been introduced with a superstructure and a promenade deck, where passengers could stroll along to get some fresh air and a healthy walk, this novelty was copied by most new liners. Up to then, a walk on deck was an adventure, avoiding seamen during their labor with the sails, or other duties, and no longer stepping over equipment needed to navigate the ship, and without a chance for breaking ones legs or getting twisted ankles.
For ARIZONA and ALASKA it was a sheer nesccessaty to have a superstructure, as there was not enough room in the hull to accomodate the passengers because the huge machine. It was adopted first by NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD´s director Hermann Henrich Meier who was influenced by the later director Johann Georg Lohmann for these improvements for the FLÜSSE Class (ELBE, 1881).
The BELLE ÉPOQUE was a time of technical progress, social and cultural vibration and new forms of communication and arts. With the new breed of transatlantic liners too started the Transatlantic Society for real, at first between USA and United Kingdom - Sir Winston Churchill´s mother, Jennie Jerome, was originally from New York, later but too with Continental Europe. The Columbian Exchange took a new step forward. Transcontinental families started to build up.
And with the new wealth created by trade and industry in the USA and the imense furtunes created in Europe, the traveling public became far more willing to sail across the Atlantic with the new kind of liners. For the first time those who could afford a Transatlantic trip to visit relatives on the other side of the pond started travelling, and if only to see or search for their roots in Europe, or see the fortunates in the "Colonies".
Only a few directors and marketing geniusses and foresighted men did realize the opportunities and needs for these new kind of passengers. These men combined the luxuries of the Grand Hotels ashore with the liners - the FLÜSSE Class of NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD, the AUGUSTA VICTORIA Class (1888) of Albert Ballins HAMBURG AMERIKA LINIE, the LA CHAMPAGNE Class (1886) of COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE, INMAN LINE´s City of Paris (1889), City of New York (1888), the first twin screw liners, and earlier City of Rome (1881) and WHITE STAR LINE´s TEUTONIC (1889) and MAJESTIC (1890). CUNARD LINE introduced its UMBRIA and ETRURIA showcasing the latest Victorian interior design (Bric-à-Brac), offering its 550 First Class passengers besides the dining room a ladies room, a smoking and music salon.

Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE´s second BELLE ÉPOQUE Grand Hotel liner - courtsey The Peabody Museum of Salem

LA CHAMPAGNE, Salon Fumoir - own collection

LA CHAMPAGNE, Salle à Manger - own collection

The tables, as usual in those days had been arranged as for a banquette, the stools had been fixed to the deck

These BELLE ÉPOQUE liners resembled the interior style of the shore based Grand Hotels. But it was at first Mr. Lohmann of LLOYD and in permanent hanseatic rivalry Albert Ballin of HAPAG who saw passengers for the first time not only as added cargo and transfered the Grand Hotel service into liners.

LA CHAMPAGNE, Grande Descente de Première Classe - own collection

LA CHAMPAGNE, Salon de Conversation, located in the superstruture above the Salle à Manger - own collection

COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE´s rivals in first place had not been across the chanel but in Germany - LLOYD and HAPAG. And on the British Isles the companies had been hooked up with their inner British rivalry, relying on `Britannia rules the waves´, with no focus and real interest towards the continent.
COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE´s four sister ships - LA CHAMPAGNE (1886), LA GASCOGNE (1886), LA BOURGOGNE(1886), LABRETAGNE (1886) and earlier fleet mate LA NORMANDIE (1883). Even if carrying the French mail, getting subsidiaries for from the state, and being partly owned by the state, the company withstand the pressure from state officials to build speed queens. But the liners had been at the speed hight of the time, only a bit slower than competitors from across the Chanel. Similar the German liners, never subsidised, did not build speed queens, but within the fast top end of crossing the pond in reasonable time.

LA NORMANDIE, the first of Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE´s BELLE ÉPOQUE liners - own collection

The five fleet mates reflected the taste of French BELLE EOQUE´s interior design resembling the Grand Hotels of their days ashore. In first place this choosen design was for distracting the passengers of being at see. The French liners but showed too the refinery and best of French cuisine on board. And a French without good cusine is quite unimaginable.

Hotel de Crillon, Salon Bar after Renovation - courtsey Hotel de Crillon

Food storage in those days improved too by inventing usable cooling systems. These guaranteed that products stayed longer fresh. And the neccessaty of mashed potatoes was reduced.
In 1882 a new vessel for COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE was laid down at Vicker’s Shipbuilding Company in Barrow-in-Furness in Great Britain. He was called VILLE DE NEW YORK. Progress continued during the year and by late October, time had come to launch the ship. It had a projected gross tonnage of over 6,000 tons - the largest ship in the COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE. At the time of launch, the vessel had been renamed NORMANDIE. The liner should have a service speed of over 15 knots to put France for the first time in the race for the prestigious BLUE RIBAND of the Atlantic.
The speed gave other benefits than prestige. The French Government agreed to renew Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE’s mail contract because of NORMANDIE’s speed. The annual subsidy was 5,480,000 million Franc Français. Some shipping companies (e.g. CUNARD since 1840) had realised long ago that profitable business was best possible with a mail contract from the Government.
NORMANDIE’s engines were indeed something special for the time. A safety precaution was installed, making the engines capable of running at a slow speed if one of them should fail to work. Many other liners had to stand still in such an event, or use old-fashioned sails if available.

NORMANDIE sailing across the Atlantic, with sails set - copy fom my book Von den Kreuzzügen zu den Kreuzfahrten by B.W. Bathe

February 19^th, 1883 NORMANDIE was ready for the trials. During these trials NORMANDIE managed to reach a very impressive top speed of 17.25 kts. Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE was delighted and gladly received her from the builders in Britain on the February 27^th, 1883 Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE had advertised their new liner keenly, and for the maiden departure to New York from Le Havre on May 5^th, 1883 1,066 people were on the passenger list. Upon arrival in New York it was evident that NORMANDIE would not be able to capture the BLUE RIBAND from GUION LINE’s ALASKA. Nevertheless, NORMANDIE had proved a worthy competitor on the North Atlantic and the French Line was more than happy with NORMANDIE.
NORMANDIE became the role model for the LA CHAMPAGNE Class liners. The liners had a 6 cylinder compound steam engine of 9,000 hp from a 6 cylinder tripel expansion steam engine and achieved 17,5 kts and had around 7,000 GT and above (LA BOURGOGNE was constructed at Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée on the Côte d’Azur and had 7,395 GT.

LA BOURGOGNE, the biggest of the qunited of BELLE ÉPOQUE liners of Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE - courtsey coloured by Daryl LeBlanc

These liners had been built at COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE in Penhoët at Saint-Nazaire, then a part of Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE. The interior design was created by Parisian interior architect and designers Jules Allard et Fils, then one of the most popular designers of BELLE ÉPOQUE in France, Jules Allard was especially known for his extravagant fashion design. LA CHAMPAGNE Class was neither the biggest class of ships nor the fastest, but fast enough, securing the mail contract, but their luxuries had been exceptionel. 390 First Class passengers, and 65 in Second Class, found state-of-art accomodations in each of the liners. The 600, later 1,500, steerage passengers found the typical mass quarters. It was the high tide of mass emmigration from Europe into the USA.

LA CHAMPAGNE Class vessels deck plan - courtsey Norwegian Heritage

First Class accomodations offered the latest luxuries, which BELLE EPQUE technique and fashion could offer. While the dining room still was used as the main social room, the five liners had a Salon des Dames, a Salon Fumoir and above the dining room and open to the dining room, one deck below, a Salon de Conversation. While these liners resembled the "actual fashion of interior design" and in general the actual internal concept lay-out of the liners.
Similar to the German liners of the FLÜSSE Class and AUGUSTA VICTORIA Class it was the exceptional, pampering, service, including the service à la russe and excellent cuisine on board the French liners. This drew an illustrous list of passengers, as well the laszivous image of France, and Paris especially - those adventurous from prude countries, as the buttoned USA and Victorian prude United Kingdom. On British liners of that time the menues still had service à la française. A style that is dating back to medieval times. And these have been most table d'hôte [tablə.dot] - lit. "table of the host", where the menu where a multi-course meal with only a few choices.

LA CHAMPAGNE menu Card First Class from his later days - own collection

The service à la française, combined with the vast long tables, is disturbing free talk with your neighbours at your table, not only to the next forward neighbour, but too for serving yourself and eventually the "unloved" neighbour. With that service style too dishes tend to get cold. And towering evering on the plate was even then suggested as uncultured.
All dining rooms, had instead of the Grand Hotels of these days loong tables and lines of stools on both sides, not quite right for free conversation, especially if the neigbour is tied up, for whatever reason, or is in another way "uncomfortable". Then the passenger had to look for another sitting arragement with the Maître d’hôtel [mɛːtʁə d‿otɛl].
When reading in the passenger lists, that had been printed and handed out to the passengers - a source of information about the fellow passengers, but for us today too. Somtimes it seems to like reading a how-is-how of the BELLE RPOQUE society, which became international, while the world was shrinking more and more into a global village. Globalisation was put on another new level. But global we had allways been - it is the human nature, looking behind horizons, searching new frontiers. Only in BELLE ÉPOQUE the wheels turned faster.

This book found by - © Moppenheimer is a compendium of several passenger lists from January to March 1890, printed for Cie. Gle. TANSATLANTIQUE by Imprimerie Francois Appel, Paris.

Front page of the passenger lists compendium - © Moppenheimer

Train lines in France and Europe had been depicted besides the TRANSAT connections too - © Moppenheimer

It has a number of wonderful chromolitographics displaying the five above mentioned liners and their passenger lists, as well wonderful state-of-the-art advertising like pictures. the book includes too a map with French and international trans European train connections, including the famous ORIENT EXPRESS of COMPAGNIE INTERNATIONALE des WAGONS-LITS.

LA CHAMPAGNE, as depicted in the passenger list booklet - © Moppenheimer

Cie. Gle. Transatlantique passenger booklet, depicting New York - © Moppenheimer

Further hotels would have been displayed with whon Cie. Gle. Transatlantique was cooperating with back then.

Advertised hotels in the booklet - © Moppenheimer

Reading the names, research wishes tickled, so googling ...
January 4^th 1890 LA CHAMPAGNE

LA CHAMPAGNE First Class passenger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	Mr. C. C. E. Fibiger - member of the Danish phatogue and Nobel Price winner Johannes Andreas Grib Fibiger
<>	Miss Theodora de Gillert - a primaballerina of the Metropolitan Opera New York, picture
<>	Mr. Louis Keller - member of the US AMerican high society, publisher and golf club owner
<>	Mr. Henry S(idney) Oppenheimer - born November 2^nd 1866 in New York, a member of the Oppenheimer-Family, nephew of Salomon Oppenheimer, and a relative to Heinrich Hertz, the man after whom we name the electrical frequency: Hz
<>	Jacques Schorestene
<>	Ekko Sollmann - an inventor from Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey, inventor of the elektrische Eisenbahn (Bild) electric model trains, including the needed models for passenden Zug (Bild), the German born Ekko Sollmann inveted too hier
<>	Meyer Louis van Moppes - a diamond dealer from Amsterdam

January 11^th 1890 LA NORMANDIE

LA NORMANDIE First Class passenger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	Edgar P. Allen - picture (Mr. Allen in the middle), im Manganhandel tätig war und später irgendwie seine Finger bei der Ausrüstung der US-Army im 2. Weltkrieg im Spiel hatte.
<>	Mr Wilber A. Bloodgood - no information than being the son of William A. Bloodgood and of his death April 6^th, 1923
<>	Mr. Thomas Cranage und seine Familie - a publication about Thomas Cranage, where his wife (Mrs. Thomas Cranage), his daugther Mary and his son Samuel Pitts Cranage are mentioned
<>	Mr. John Baptiste Ford Jr - member of the Ford Dynasty, and founder of the US American flat glass industry, picture of his house.

January 18^th 1890 LA BOURGOGNE

LA BOURGOGNE passenger list - © Moppenheimer

LA BORGOGNE sank after a collision with a tremendous loss of lifes ... In certain circles it told, that this was bad seamanship, and lack of disciplin, especially seen with French! An accusation fueled by natinalistic opportunism - when it comes to a catastrophy, in each of us takes over the survival instinct. And the strongest is fighting for his own survival ... passengers and crew! There is noone to be balmed at least. Modern scientists did prove this human aspect.

<>	The Most Reverend M. A. Corrigan D. D. Archbishop of New York - an important member of the Catholic Churh of New York, his vitae
<>	Louis Lasher Lorillard and his brothers Mr Beekman Lorillard and George - tobaco millioneires of New York, including their entourage of servants

January 25^th 1890 LA GASCOGNE

LA GASGOCGNE passenger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	Edward D. Adams - constructor of the Niagara waterfalls power station, where for the first time the Nikola Tesla (best known for his development and design of the modern alternating current/AC) electricity supply system was used
<>	Mr Beauveau Borie und Familie - Mr. Borie was according to his University-Annales a manufacturer, banker and broker (a painting of his wife and son), Mr. Borie and his son had been president of the New York Stock Exchange

February 1^st 1890 LA CHAMPAGNE

LA CHAMPAGNE passenger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	Alban G. Anderson no information about him, but his death
<>	Family Vanderbilt Sloane - member of the railroad dynasty, including two daughter of William Henry (who had a fortune of US$ 231,6 milliard / compared to todays worth, Emily (later married to Henry White (March 29, 1850 – July 15, 1927) a prominent U.S. diplomat during the 1890s and 1900s, and one of the signers of the Treaty of Versailles, and L. (Margaret Louisa?) who later owned Elm Court in Massachussetts. Malcolm Douglas Sloane, later owner of the legendary Swope-Mansion, waa among the group of William Henry.
<>	Mr. E(manuel) Wertheimer - a German-Austrian, of Hungarian descent, philosopher and writer of aphorisms

February 8^th 1890 LA NORMANDIE

LA NORMANDIE passenger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	Mr. Hyppolyte (Hipp) Didisheim - Swiss manufacturer of the renowned Marvin-Watches (for English click change button)

February 15^th 1890 LA BRETAGNE

LA BRETAGNE passenger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	Ursula Figi - a Swiss Mormon emmigrant
<>	J. J. Glessner - partner in the firm of Warder, Bushnell & Glessner, a farm machinery manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Ohio
<>	A(bbott) Lawrence Lowell - writer, lawyer and – Autor, Jurist, political scientist and president of Harvard-University from 1909 to 1933, brother of the astronomer Percival Lowell and womens right activist Amy Lawrence Lowell, an American poet, who posthumously won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926, member of the wealthyiest und Mitglied der reichsten Patrizierfamilien Bostons, the Boston Brahmins
<>	Miss Violette E. Scharff - writer
<>	Mr. Milton Weil - co-founder of the oldest US classical music publishing paper: Musical America

February 22^nd 1890 LA GASCOGNE

LA GASCOGNE passenger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	Mrs. W(illia)m (Waldorf) Astor (Mary) - born Dahlgren Paul, wife of William Waldorf "Willy" Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (March 31^st, 1848 - October 18^th, 1919) a wealthy American-born attorney, politician, businessman, and newspaper publisher. He moved with his family to England in 1891, became a British subject in 1899, and was made a peer as Baron Astor in 1916 and Viscount Astor in 1917 for his contributions to war charities. He was a prominent member of the Astor family. His middle name is referring to the village Walldorf, from were the Astor family emmigrated. At the time of her crossing, William was starting the construction of the WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL, with his cousin John Jacob Astor IV, who later drowned on board TITANIC. This first WALDORF-ASTORIA was located were we find today the EMPIRE STATE Building and prior an Astor mansion had been errected. "No wonder why Mary escaped to Europe."
<>	Georges de la Bouglise - a French mining engineer and co-inventor/develpoer with Pierre Michaux, Pierre Lallement and the Olivier brothers of the front-steerable high wheel velocipede (Michaux-velocipede)
<>	Mr. M. De Forest Bolmer - US American painter
<>	Alfred N. Beadleton - owner of an brewery, who died in the White Mountains August 10th 1917 NEW YORK TIMES article
<>	Mr. Nouailhac-Pioch and his French engineering collegues, who had been engaged in the construction of the PANAMA CANAL till 1899 took over, what became a disaster for the French company. in this article M. Nouailhac-Pioch is mentioned Panama-Kanal, a German essay by blogger Moppenheimer
<>	Mr. Jacob Dangler – Besitzer einer Firma für Fleischwaren-Portionspackungen. (google books Schlegels American Families of German Ancestry)
<>	Gustav (von) Hochwaechter - Landrat (district administrator) of Kreis Moers in 1870-1871 and writer of “Mit den Türken in der Front im Stabe Mahmud Muchtar Paschas. Mein Kriegstagebuch über die Kämpfe bei Kirk Kilisse, Lüle Burgas und Cataldza” a war diary of his engagement in Turkey and a book about hunting in Africa “Afrika ruft den Jäger – Praktisches aus der Praxis”
<>	Mr. John W. Johnston - eventually the son of an equally named politian
<>	Mr. Maurice W. Kozminsky - a Polish emmigrant, who obviously made some fortune
<>	Mr. W. A. J. Sparks (later Honorable Sparks - Commissioner of the General Land Office, adjustment of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe land grant in the state of Kansas)
<>	Mr. Edward Tuck - a US Amerikan bankier and philanthropist, who moved around 1890 from New Hampshire to Paris, a street in Paris is named after him, near Champs-Élysées
<>	Mr. Eugene Winthrop - brother of Robert Winthrop, an opponent to JP Morgan and the Rothschild-Bankers

LA GASCOGNE with wounded soldiers in reconvalence on the open promenade deck during WWI and use as hospital ship

LA GASCOGNE as trooper during WWI

March 1^st 1890 LA CHAMPAGNE

LA CHAMPAGNE passenger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	C. P. E. Burgwyn (Collinson Pierrepont Edwards), 1852-1915 - writer and writer of stage plays: The Huguenot Lovers and The Lost Diamond
<>	Mr Burgwyn named besides Admiral Viel, dem Vicomte Paul d’Abzac, Judge Thacher, George Nathaniel Pratt, J. A. Durand-Bailhot, Henry A. Robbins und H. C. Godell in an artikel "Sailed for Europe" in NEW YORK TIMES March 2^nd.
<>	Mr. Charles Renauld – wohl ein französischer Bankier
<>	Mr. Harry Rosenhaupt - 1869-1938, later legislator in the State Washington, who´s papers are at the Library of the University of Washington

LA CHAMPAGNE sectional cut, displaying the mschines - own collection

March 8^th 1890 LA NORMANDIE

LA NORMANDIE passenger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	Mrs. E. G. Hubbard - wife of Elbert Green Hubbard, an Amerikan writer and publisher. Both died May 7^th, 1915 on board LUSITANIA, when she was hit by one torpedo from U-20 of the Kaiserliche Marine, comanded by Walther Schwieger

March 15^th 1890 LA BRETAGNE

LA BRETAGNE passnger list - © Moppenheimer

<>	J. J. Astor - John Jacob Astor IV, who had been sailing February 22^nd 1890 om board LA GASCOGNE (above)
<>	Mr. Jacob Dreicer - Russian descended exklusive juweler in Manhattan (Dreicer-House)

The published lists in the book seem to be shortend, since the ships carried 390 in First Class, 65 in Second Class and 65 in Third Class, as welll 600 steerage passengers, I suspect, positive, that only the most important passengers of First Class were mentioned here. Another reason could be that fewer passengers had been on board, as it was a "winter crossing", which allways tended to be rough and therefore much more unpleasant and uncomfortable.

This lacking of business drew Albert Ballin to his glorious idea of cruising, using at first his luxurious Grand Hotels on the Sea - the AUGUSTA VICTORIA and her near sisters, as NORMANNIA and COLUMBIA. These cruises starting in winter of 1891 had been the first modern cruises ever. The start of the multi billion Dollar business today.

The passengers of First Class enjoyed their lifestyle and its luxuries enabled by their imense fortunes, they gained via entrepreneuring, inheriting or marriage. And for this clientele was done the best to attract them, with outfitting the liners, to distract them of thinking about the sea they are sailing on, and with excelent and refined cuisine.

The travel conditions experienced by steerage passengers, most emmigrants, journeying to and some back from the United States between 1890 and 1914, had been far different to those in First Class. Contrating dormitories mostly, but changing in the decade prior to WWI to small two to four or eight bed spartanous cabins. Only in steerage the overprised TITANIC offered unknown luxuries to its steerage passengers. Half of all voluntary immigrants to North America before 1914 came over the course of those two and a half decades of late BELLE ÉPOQUE, arriving from all over Europe. But most of them started their crossing to a new future in German ports. But for carrying this now massively growing flood of emmigrants caused Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE to enlarge their steerage cappacity onboard their LA CHAMPAGNE Class vessels from 600 to 1,500 ...

BELLE ÉPOQUE steerage passengers on their "promenade deck", only in fair weather they had been allowed to stay on the outer decks of their ferry to the new world and life, a total contrast to the palacial ambience in First Class - copy from my book, LUXUSLINER by Ulrich Bliumenschein

The food for steerage passengers ranged in their retrospect from tasty to inedible, as for most of all the lines offering steerage passage for emmigrants. This was largely depending from were they came from.

But in First Class the kitchen brigades rushed themselves when producing the dishes for First Class and had been on the same level as those in kitchens of the Grand Hotels ashore. And the dinners on board Cie. Gle. TRANSATATLANTIQUE liners and those of other companies turned into social gatherings, as if taking part in a soirée or a ball, only in those days, there was no ball room onboard. But as the liners had been a gathering of an international high society clientele in First Class, passengers arranged their personal entering on the scene. It was even in those days all a matter of being recognized ... today we have Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and such.

Since the Napoleonic era, table manners and table culture developed into a very sophisticated and manieristic style of table etiquette. Anything else is considered uncultured.

Traditionally in Western Europe, the host or hostess takes the first bite unless he or she instructs otherwise. The host begins after all food for that course has been served and everyone is seated. In a group dining situation it is considered impolite to begin eating before all the group have been served their food and are ready to start.

Napkins should be placed on the lap and not tucked into clothing. They should not be used for anything other than wiping your mouth and should be placed unfolded on the seat of your chair should you need to leave the table during the meal or placed unfolded on the table when the meal is finished.

The fork is held with the left hand and the knife held with the right. The fork is held generally with the tines down, using the knife to cut food or help guide food on to the fork. When no knife is being used, the fork can be held with the tines up. With the tines up, the fork balances on the side of the index finger, held in place with the thumb and index finger. Under no circumstances should the fork be held like a shovel, with all fingers wrapped around the base. A single mouthful of food should be lifted on the fork and you should not chew or bite food from the fork. The knife should be held with the base into the palm of the hand, not like a pen with the base resting between the thumb and forefinger. The knife must never enter the mouth or be licked. When eating soup, the spoon is held in the right hand and the bowl tipped away from the diner, scooping the soup in outward movements. The soup spoon should never be put into the mouth, and soup should be sipped from the side of the spoon, not the end. Food should always be chewed with the mouth closed. Talking with food in one's mouth is seen as very rude. Licking one's fingers and eating slowly can also be considered impolite.

Food should always be tasted before salt and pepper are added. Applying condiments or seasoning before the food is tasted is viewed as an insult to the cook, as it shows a lack of faith in the cook's ability to prepare a meal.

Butter should be cut, not scraped, from the butter dish using a butter knife or side plate knife and put onto a side plate, not spread directly on to the bread. This prevents the butter in the dish from gathering bread crumbs as it is passed around. Bread rolls should be torn with the hands into mouth-sized pieces and buttered individually, from the butter placed on the side plate, using a knife. Bread should not be used to dip into soup or sauces. As with butter, cheese should be cut and placed on your plate before eating.

Only white wine or rosé is held by the stem of the glass; red by the bowl. Pouring one's own drink when eating with other people is acceptable, but it is more polite to offer to pour drinks to the people sitting on either side. Wine bottles should not be upturned in an ice bucket when empty.

It is impolite to reach over someone to pick up food or other items. Diners should always ask for items to be passed along the table to them. In the same vein, diners should pass those items directly to the person who asked. It is also rude to slurp food, eat noisily or make noise with cutlery.

Elbows should remain off the table.

When one has finished eating, this should be communicated to other diners and waiting staff by placing the knife and fork together on the plate, at approximately 6 o'clock position, with the fork tines facing upwards.

At family meals, children are often expected to ask permission to leave the table at the end of the meal.

Should a mobile telephone (or any other modern device) ring or if a text message is received, the diner should ignore the call. In exceptional cases where the diner feels the call may be of an urgent nature, he should ask to be excused, leave the room and take the call (or read the text message) out of earshot of the other diners. Placing a phone, keys, handbag or wallet on the dinner table is considered rude.

Source: Wikipedia

Rude gesturing or snipping with the fingers to get the attention of a waiter is too considered as disgraceful and shows arrogant disrespect.

Cie. Gle. TRANSATLANTIQUE had to be forced by a special law to build faster liners, where the then director answered to that request: "The coal will be more expesive than our caviar." This symbolising the company´s aim for luxury in first palace, than winning the famed Blue Riband. But TRANSAT started a newbuilding program following the law.

In 1890 the twin screw liner era for Cie. Gle. TRANSTALNTIQUE started with the inuaguration of LA TOURAINE, 19 kts. In the same year they got hold of the former HAMBURG AMERIKA LINIE liner NORMANNIA, 18 kts, when she was seized to cover Spanish depts in France. As L´AQUITAINE she was intergrated in the fleet till 1906. in 1899 and 1900 followed the bigger and quite fast LA LORRAINE, 20 kts, till 1922, and LA SAVOIE, 20 kts, till 1927. In 1905 the near 14,000 GT LA PROVENCE, 21,2 kts, torpedoed in 1916 in the Mediterranean, was introduced. But in 1912 emerged the biggest liner pre WWI for Cie. Gle. TRANSTALANTIQUE, FRANCE (II) with 23666 GT and 23 kts. While the previous named liners recalled the Grand Hotel interior decor, FRANCE, nicknamed the Versailles oof the Atlantic, recalled the style of 18th century - Louis XV. and Louis XVI. But this too was still an interior art that was fitting perfect in the BELLE ÉPOQUE style.

FRANCE´s style, size and speed was an answer to the German competing Greyhounds and the marine cruiser styled liners of CUNARD and the giants of WHITE STAR.

Deckplan of FRANCE (II) - own collection

Longitudinal cut of FRANCE (II) - own collection

Prior to the inaugural crossing of FRANCE, April 20^th, 1912, she got further lifeboats and other safety equipments, ensuring crew and passengers, that sailing with the new liner was safe ... FRANCE was the first to show reactions on the TITANIC disaster. The German superliner trio of HAMBURG AMERIKA LINIE got a complete new lifeboat arrangement, which is the base for todays SOLAS regulation for cruise vessels.

Onboard FRANCE the lifeboats had been swung out to enlarge the deckspace for passengers, who wanted to strol in fresh air on the boat deck.

Following to recips, that had been handed out to passengers of France (II).

Traditional French cuisine

The Great Depression sounded the death knell for the liner. Many of the millionaires she had carried over the years had been financially destroyed and the general downturn in business cut deeply into transatlantic travel. FRANCE spent more and more time idle, until she finally was withdrawn from service in 1932. Laid up at Le Havre, she sat unattended until January 1933, when a fire was discovered by a night watchman. Although it was rapidly extinguished, the fire had caused some minor damage, but by now she was outclassed by her newer running-mates. CGT had by then commissioned a new flagship, the great NORMANDIE which was nearing completion. As a result, the company decided it was time to scrap the 21-year-old liner. On 15 April 1935, the old FRANCE departed Le Havre under her own steam to the scrappers at Dunkirk, France.

"In its liberal idealism, the nineteenth century was honestly convinced that it was on the straight and unfailing path toward being the best of all worlds. Earlier eras, with their wars, famines, and revolts, were deprecated as times when mankind was still immature and unenlightened. But now it was merely a matter of decades until the last vestige of evil and violence would finally be conquered, and this faith in an uninterrupted and irresistible 'progress' truly had the force of a religion for that generation. One began to believe more in this 'progress' that in the Bible, and its gospel appeared ultimate because of the daily new wonders of science and technology.

In fact, at the end of this peaceful century, a general advance became more marked, more rapid, more varied. At night the dim street lights of former times were replaced by electric lights, the shops spread their tempting glow from the main streets out to the city limits. Thanks to the telephone one could talk at a distance from person to person. People moved about in horseless carriages with a new rapidity; they soared aloft, and the dream of Icarus was fulfilled. Comfort made its way from the houses of the fashionable to those of the middle class. It was no longer necessary to fetch water from the pump or the hallway, or to take the trouble to build a fire in the fireplace. Hygiene spread and filth disappeared. People became handsomer, stronger, healthier, as sports steeled their bodies. Fewer cripples and maimed and persons with goiters were seen on the streets, and all of these miracles were accomplished by science, the archangel of progress.

Progress was also made in social matters; year after year new rights were accorded to the individual, justice was administered more benignly and humanely, and even the problem of problems, the poverty of the great masses, no longer seemed insurmountable. The right to vote was being accorded to wider circles, and with it the possibility of legally protecting their interests. Sociologists and professors competed with one another to create healthier and happier living conditions for the proletariat. Small wonder then that this century sunned itself in its own accomplishments and looked upon each completed decade as the prelude to a better one.

There was as little belief in the possibility of such barbaric declines as wars between the peoples of Europe as there was in witches and ghosts. Our fathers were comfortably saturated with confidence in the unfailing and binding power of tolerance and conciliation. They honestly believed that the divergencies and the boundaries between nations and sects would gradually melt away into a common humanity and that peace and security, the highest of treasures, would be shared by all mankind."

Le monde d'hier (Die Welt von Gestern / The World of Yesterday)

Stefan Zweig (1881-1942)