1900 Rummell Chromolithograph View of New York for the French Lines Steamships

This is a rare c. 1912 Richard Rummell chromolithograph view of the French Line steamship France on the Hudson River with New York City in the background. The France was the epitome of luxury in the post-Titanic age, dubbed the 'Versailles of the Atlantic'.

A Closer Look

The SS France is illustrated steaming northbound on the Hudson River, likely on its 1912 maiden voyage, with New York City in the background. The iconic spires of the Woolworth, Singer, and Park Row buildings are recognizable on the skyline. Well-dressed passengers line the ship's railings, admiring the view. In the foreground, several tugboats operated by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique prepare to pull the France into port. Dramatic clouds complement the choppy waters of the Hudson.

French Line, Compagnie Générale Transatlantique

The SS France was a transatlantic four-stacker steamship operated by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT), known as 'French Line'. The 711-foot steamship (for reference, the Titanic was 882 feet) was commissioned in 1908, launched in 1910, and introduced to the transatlantic route in 1912, just a week after the sinking of the Titanic. The new liner represented a landmark achievement in French maritime engineering. It would not only surpass all existing vessels in the French merchant fleet by more than double in size, but also mark several national firsts: the first French liner equipped with four propellers, the only one ever built with four funnels, and the first to utilize Parsons steam turbine propulsion. It was also the most 'electrified' ship afloat. The interior boasted elaborate baroque-revival architecture and interior design, after which it was nicknamed the 'Versailles of the Atlantic'. France was requisitioned and refitted as an armed merchant cruiser for the French navy during World War I (1914 - 1918). After the war, the liner returned to transatlantic passenger service, where she developed a cult-like following among elite passengers. By the early 1930s, however, the France was outclassed by more modern liners and retired from service in 1932. She was sent to the shipbreakers at Dunkirk in 1935.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process uses multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Generally, a chromolithograph begins with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors are layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color can be blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda.

Publication History and Census

This view was drawn by Richard Rummel and printed in New York for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique French Line by Albert J. Leon Lithographers. Rare.