The Rise and Fall of the New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company by Dr. Yamil H. Kouri

Dr. Yamil H. Kouri joins the Club on Wed. Jan. 15th 2020 to share “The Rise and Fall of the New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company”.

The Collectors Club cordially invites you to join us on Wednesday 15 January 2020 to learn about “The Rise and Fall of the New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company” from Dr. Yamil H. Kouri Jr.

This is the story of the longest active American steamship company, in continuous operation for more than a century, between 1856 and 1959. The company evolved with the times, adopting the latest technology and absorbing it main competitor. It moved from sail to steam, from mainly cargo to include passengers, from wood-hulled vessels to iron and steel liners, and it also changed its name a few times. The line survived several major disasters, a depression, and three wars, but it succumbed to the advent of air travel and a revolution in Cuba.

Well known ships of the Ward Line include:

  • SS Morro Castle (1930) – A minimum of 137 passengers and crewmen lost their lives on 8 September 1934 in a tragic fire. The carcass became a morbid New Jersey tourist attraction.
  • City of Washington – an American merchant steamship that aided in rescuing the crew of USS Maine when it exploded in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, in 1898.
  • SS Valencia – Her sinking on 22 January 1906 killed 100 people (including all of the women and children aboard) – considered the worst maritime disaster in the “Graveyard of the Pacific”.
  • and more.

Dr. Yamil H. Kouri, Jr. began collecting stamps as a child. He has been studying, exhibiting, speaking and writing about postal history for more than four decades. Some of his multiple collecting interests include the postal history of Cuba, the Spanish Americas, Spain and U.S. maritime mail.

Hear more about The Rise and Fall of the New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company from Dr. Kouri on Wednesday the 15th of January 2020 at the Collector’s Club (22 East 35th Street, New York, NY). The social hour opens at 5:30, and the talk begins at 6:30 pm. A dutch treat dinner (attendees pay for their own cheque) with Yamil follows the presentation at a local restaurant. Participation in the dinner is optional. There is no charge for the social hour or the talk.











When: Wed., Jan. 15, 2020 at 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Dr. Yamil H. Kouri joins the Club on Wed. Jan. 15th 2020 to share “The Rise and Fall of the New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company”.

The Collectors Club cordially invites you to join us on Wednesday 15 January 2020 to learn about “The Rise and Fall of the New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company” from Dr. Yamil H. Kouri Jr.

This is the story of the longest active American steamship company, in continuous operation for more than a century, between 1856 and 1959. The company evolved with the times, adopting the latest technology and absorbing it main competitor. It moved from sail to steam, from mainly cargo to include passengers, from wood-hulled vessels to iron and steel liners, and it also changed its name a few times. The line survived several major disasters, a depression, and three wars, but it succumbed to the advent of air travel and a revolution in Cuba.

Well known ships of the Ward Line include:

  • SS Morro Castle (1930) – A minimum of 137 passengers and crewmen lost their lives on 8 September 1934 in a tragic fire. The carcass became a morbid New Jersey tourist attraction.
  • City of Washington – an American merchant steamship that aided in rescuing the crew of USS Maine when it exploded in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, in 1898.
  • SS Valencia – Her sinking on 22 January 1906 killed 100 people (including all of the women and children aboard) – considered the worst maritime disaster in the “Graveyard of the Pacific”.
  • and more.

Dr. Yamil H. Kouri, Jr. began collecting stamps as a child. He has been studying, exhibiting, speaking and writing about postal history for more than four decades. Some of his multiple collecting interests include the postal history of Cuba, the Spanish Americas, Spain and U.S. maritime mail.

Hear more about The Rise and Fall of the New York & Cuba Mail Steamship Company from Dr. Kouri on Wednesday the 15th of January 2020 at the Collector’s Club (22 East 35th Street, New York, NY). The social hour opens at 5:30, and the talk begins at 6:30 pm. A dutch treat dinner (attendees pay for their own cheque) with Yamil follows the presentation at a local restaurant. Participation in the dinner is optional. There is no charge for the social hour or the talk.

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