In 1918-1919 at least two firms, both located in New York City, published "Souvenir Folders" of U.S. Navy ships. Most of these were clearly intended for sale to troops returning home from Europe during the months following the 11 November 1918 Armistice. However, an emerging population of battleship folders strongly indicate that the target audience also included crew members of larger warships.
Though the great majority of folders observed so far concern troop transports, we are aware of eight folders that feature combat warships: the armored cruisers Pueblo and Seattle; the larger protected cruisers Charleston and St. Louis; and the battleships Delaware (we do not have a copy of the Delaware folder), Utah, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Mississippi. The cruisers listed were all assigned to troop carrying service during 1919, but the battleships were not.
"Souvenir Folders" have been published since the early Twentieth Century, and serve much the same function as picture post cards, though offering several images instead of just one. Most commonly they feature scenic attractions, but, as the examples shown here demonstrate, the medium readily lends itself to other subjects.
All U.S. Navy ship Souvenir Folders encountered thus far contain ten black and white halftone images, generally photographs taken on board the ships, though most also offer at least one overall view of the ship concerned. In some cases, all showing ships' guns, identical images were used in more than folder, but we have seen no indication that the folders' other photographs were not taken on board the ships they represent.
All but three of the Navy ship Souvenir Folders in our collections have identically printed outer enclosures featuring an image of the Statue of Liberty. At least six different colors of paper stock (tan, light tan, orange-tan, gray, green-gray and light green) were used for these covers. The exceptions have more elaborate cover designs and were produced by a different firm than the "Statue of Liberty" type. These three folders represent the large transports Leviathan, George Washington and Troy. The extra expense of their rather fancy covers was probably justified by those ships' relatively large customer base of Soldier and Marine passengers.
In addition to the Souvenir Folders in our collections, we are aware of the existence of "Statue of Liberty" type folders for two other U.S. Navy ships: USS Delaware (Battleship # 28) and the transport USS Mobile (ID # 4043). Note that we DO NOT have copies of these two folders. Though we have not yet seen examples, we also believe that folders were probably made for most, if not all, of the transports based in the New York City area in 1919, those armored cruisers and protected cruisers that were used as transports, the "all big gun" type battleships that were in commission in 1919, and at least some of the older battleships that saw transport service.
This page features, and provides links to, examples of World
War I era "Souvenir Folders".
Note: The Souvenir Folders presented below are grouped by
cover design and color. The images presented of these covers do
not necessarily reflect the paper stock colors with complete accuracy.
For additional views of "Souvenir Folders", including "Statue of Liberty" types with light tan, orange-tan, gray, green-gray and light green covers, and those for which there are no covers, see:
For a list of ships for which "Souvenir Folders", are known to exist, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
"Souvenir Folders"-- Part I: Items published circa
1918-1919 by the National Specialities Company of New York City.
The following images shows the covers of Souvenir Folders concerning
the World War I era U.S. Navy transports Leviathan
(ID # 1326), Troy
(ID # 1614) and George
Washington (ID # 3018), and provides links to the individual
photographs they contain (listed in the order they appear in the
folders).
Note: these items' covers are more ornate than those of
the "Statue of Liberty" folders seen in the other parts
of this presentation.
Photo #: NH 103207-KN (color) USS Leviathan (ID # 1326) "Souvenir Folder", published in 1919 by the National Specialties Company of New York City, featuring ten halftone reproductions of photographs of and on board the ship. The individual photographs have Photo #s NH 103198, NH 103198-A, NH 103199, NH 103200, NH 103201, NH 103202, NH 103203, NH 103204, NH 103205, and NH 103206. The artwork on the folder cover's lower half has NH 103207-A-KN. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2005. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 100KB; 440 x 765 pixels |
![]() See below for another souvenir folder dealing with this ship |
Photo #: NH 104084-KN (color) USS Troy (ID # 1614) "Souvenir Folder", published in 1919 by the National Specialties Company of New York City, featuring nine halftone reproductions of photographs of and on board the ship and another of USS Leviathan (ID # 1326). The first photo in this folder is identical to NH 103198. The others are: NH 104085, NH 104086, NH 104087, NH 104088, NH 104089, NH 104090, NH 104091, NH 104092, and NH 104093. The artwork on the folder cover's upper half shows USS Troy. That in the lower half, which is essentially identical to Photo # NH 103207-A-KN, depicts USS Leviathan being welcomed to New York Harbor. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2005. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 72KB; 420 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 104817-KN (color) USS George Washington (ID # 3018) "Souvenir Folder", published in 1919 by the National Specialties Company of New York City, featuring nine halftone reproductions of six photographs of and on board George Washington, plus others showing USS Leviathan (ID # 1326) and the sinking of USS Covington (ID # 1409), and two others showing New York Harbor scenes. This folder was mailed from on board the George Washington while at Brest, France (and using a French postage stamp), by H.B. Alsgood to Mrs. Emma L. Alsgood of Norfolk, Massachusetts. The first photo in this folder is identical to Photo # NH 103198. The fourth is a halftone reproduction of NH 55511. The eighth and tenth are identical to NH 104091 and NH 104093. The images unique to this folder (all of which concern USS George Washington) are: Photo #s NH 104818, NH 104819, NH 104820, NH 104821, NH 104822, and NH 104823. The artwork on the folder cover's upper half depicts USS Troy (ID # 1614). That in the lower half, which is essentially identical to Photo # NH 103207-A-KN, depicts USS Leviathan being welcomed to New York Harbor. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2007. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 74KB; 420 x 765 pixels |
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"Souvenir Folders"-- Part II: "Statue of
Liberty" type folders.
These folders all have identically printed covers, on at least
six different colors of paper (tan, light tan, orange-tan, gray,
green-gray and light green). Those for which a publisher is identified
were produced by A.M. Simon, 324 E. 23rd St., New York City.
Note: A.M. Simon also appears to have published post cards.
See Photo # NH 105388
for an example, showing the transport USS Mobile.
We have also seen, but do not have in our collections, a folder
for Mobile that features this same image.
Part II-A: "Statue of Liberty" type folders with
TAN covers.
The following images show the covers of Souvenir Folders concerning
the World War I era U.S. Navy transports Agamemnon,
Von Steuben,
Leviathan (featuring
different views than that shown above), and Wilhelmina.
Links to the individual photographs they contain are also provided,
generally listed in the order they appear in the folder.
In addition, this section includes listings of the photographs
from Souvenir Folders for the battleships Nevada and Mississippi,
the protected cruiser Charleston, and the transports Dakotan, Panaman, Plattsburg
and Santa Paula,
all of which also have tan colored covers.
We have also seen, but do not have, tan cover "Statue
of Liberty" type folders for the battleship Delaware
and the transport Mobile.
Photo #: NH 103111-A-KN (color) USS Agamemnon (ID # 3004) Interior (left) and exterior (right) of a "Souvenir Folder", published circa 1918-1919, featuring ten halftone reproductions of photographs of and on board the ship. The individual photographs have Photo #s (listed from top to bottom in the original "folder"): NH 103101, NH 103102, NH 103103, NH 103104, NH 103105, NH 103106, NH 103107, NH 103108, NH 103109, and NH 103110. Donation of Terri D. Lewis, 2005. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 96KB; 550 x 1240 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 103111-KN (color) USS Agamemnon (ID # 3004) "Souvenir Folder", published circa 1918-1919, featuring ten halftone reproductions of photographs of and on board the ship. For overall views of the entire "folder", see: Photo # NH 103111-A-KN. The individual photographs have Photo #s NH 103101, NH 103102, NH 103103, NH 103104, NH 103105, NH 103106, NH 103107, NH 103108, NH 103109, and NH 103110. Donation of Terri D. Lewis, 2005. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 66KB; 460 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 103963-KN (color) USS Von Steuben (ID # 3017) Cover of a "Souvenir Folder", published circa 1918-1919, that features ten halftone reproductions of photographs of and on board the ship. Postmarked on 25 June 1919, it was sent by Private William Schenck, Co.A, 339th Infantry, to Mr. Fred Hagermann of Niles, Michigan. Nine of these individual photographs have Photo #s NH 103964, NH 103965, NH 103966, NH 103967, NH 103968, NH 103969, NH 103970, NH 103971 and NH 103972. The other is a halftone reproductions of Photo # NH 97998. The message written on the back of the folder's final photograph is Photo # NH 103973-KN. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 73KB; 455 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 104686-KN (color) USS Leviathan (ID # 1326) "Souvenir Folder" published in 1919, featuring ten halftone reproductions of photographs of and on board the ship. It appears to have been mailed home to Springfield, Illinois, by a U.S. Army Private who was a passenger on the ship in 1919. The individual photographs in this "Souvenir Folder" have Photo #s NH 104687, NH 104688, NH 104689, NH 104690, NH 104691, NH 104692, NH 104693, NH 104694, NH 104695, and NH 104696. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2007. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 69KB; 465 x 765 pixels |
![]() See above for another souvenir folder dealing with this ship |
Photo #: NH 103974-KN (color) USS Wilhelmina (ID # 2168) Covers of two "Souvenir Folders", published circa 1918-1919, that feature ten halftone reproductions of photographs of and on board the ship. These individual photographs have Photo #s NH 103975, NH 103976, NH 103977, NH 103978, NH 103979, NH 103980, NH 103981, NH 103982, NH 103983 and NH 103984. One of the covers is printed on tan colored paper, and the other is on light green paper. Their contents are identical, except that the location of the images with Photo #s NH 103978 and NH 103979 is reversed in the tan folder. Donation of Dr. Mark Kulikowski, 2006. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 625 pixels |
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For additional views of "Souvenir Folders", including "Statue of Liberty" types with light tan, orange-tan, gray, green-gray and light green covers, and those for which there are no covers, see:
For a list of ships for which "Souvenir Folders", are known to exist, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 31 August 2005
Links updated 22 December 2009