White Star Line

The story of the short-lived Liverpool shipping line, whose ships were some of the most luxurious afloat, and which included the Titanic, Olympic and Britannic.

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In 1871, a bright new star appeared on the Liverpool shipping scene. Like a phoenix, the White Star Line grew out of the ashes of a bankrupt sailing ship line to become the fastest-growing and most famous of all shipping companies. Their first transatlantic steamships set a new standard for travel, a standard that was to remain as long as the company existed. Operating between Europe, the USA and Canada, the White Star Line also sailed to New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. The White Star Line never had the fastest ships, but theirs were the most luxurious. From Oceanic of 1871 to Georgic of 1932, there were many ground-breaking White Star Line ships. The company's most famous are undoubtedly the Olympic, Titanic and Britannic, but the other seventy or so ships of the line also helped White Star become the most famous shipping line of all time. White Star merged with Cunard in 1934 and the last liner, Britannic, was scrapped in 1960. Today, only the passenger tender Nomadic survives of this once great fleet. Using photographs and ephemera, Janette McCutcheon tells the story of the White Star Line and its ships, transporting us back to a time of luxury travel that has gone forever.