Topic starter
28/08/2011 4:35 pm
Hello
Ive been searching for some info on a set of 20 china coffee cups in the original crate from the SS Admiral when they were still doing dinner cruises I suppose I bought them at an auction and cant find anything on them but I thought they were so cool thought maybe some of you might know about them
any help would be great
thanks Nancy
28/08/2011 6:57 pm
Unless there is overwhelming provenance to otherwise I suspicion these are not from the Steamboat Admiral of St Louis. While she had food service during all of her career as an excursion boat those cups do not appear to be anything like she used on a regular basis.
If ADMIRAL was not stenciled on the wooden carrying crate I suspect they could have been used by the Six Flags incarnation....but I tend not to propose that theory.
There has been for some years a 'ADMIRAL PARTY & TENT" Company in St Louis. They-or a successor management still exists. The telephone # is 314-993-3600. (this came from a google search.)
The reason I believe they are probably from that company, or a similar company is that the wooden crate appears to be quite worn. Catering companies would use cases and crates similar to that to do parties out on location.
One last very sad footnote: The real ADMIRAL is approximately three quarters destroyed. Everything forward of approx. wheelhouses is gone to hull level. Demo is moving rapidly.
Topic starter
28/08/2011 9:58 pm
thanks so much for your reply ill look into that admiral catering co
nancy
29/08/2011 11:46 am
*RE: Steamboat/Steamship China etc.*
Hi, Nancy, Jim & Steamboating colleagues:
Interesting photos of the ADMIRAL cups with box posted on this thread. I agree with Jim that 'provenance' is important on such pieces pictured. Several books have appeared recently on identification/logos/collecting of steamboat/steamship china, cups, glasses, silver, menus and related materials. Unless identified by stenciled, engraved or gilt 'logo' of the vessel name or company placing a dollar value difficult. Many companies then/now only marked pieces with the company name only--no vessel in particular. The old L&C LINE here marked such as 'L&C LINE.' Now defunct UNITED STATES LINE so marked as all could be interchanged as needed on various ships. Some pieces also included the house flag or 'colors' of the company often mass produced from the pottery as stock items.
CUNARD LINE, and others, began ordering dinner services with no logo at all to cut expenses. Unfortunately I didn't write down the name/author of the one fine book but will try to research, dig it out if posters interested. One leading collector dealing in paper menus considered such from ships on the north Atlantic 'express runs' more valuable than those on the ship in passanger cruise service. I 'think' Keith Norrington showed me once a framed piece of china from the Str. ECLIPSE. Am I right Keith? Well, what do I know?
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.
29/08/2011 2:28 pm
Would be interested to know the book of which you speak. I have a few pieces of steamboat china and had wondered about its value. Doubt if it's worth much, but would like to know.
29/08/2011 7:51 pm
Capt. Blum, I think that you are correct Sir in saying that the cups are Admiral Rental Co. property. After having worked as Steward on the Admiral and a couple of years on Gulf Coast towboats, I worked for a couple of the larger St.Louis hotel properties that used rental china for larger functions requiring more china than their normal inventory. Even now some of the finer rental pieces are sent in wood crates but most come in plastic or metal racks. Some company probably rented those cups and never returned them and eventually had to pay Admiral Rental for their loss.