American President Lines

Following the demise in August 1938 of the Dollar Shipping Company, the United States Maritime Commission assumed control and in the same year the company was renamed as "American President Lines”. During the late 1940s and 1950s APL offered a round-the-world passenger service, advertising their ships as "your American hotel abroad".

This pack (actually published as a boxed double set) was probably produced during the early to mid-1950s as the card back appears to show the SS President Wilson (with Chinese fishermen in the foreground). This ship operated on a Pacific Ocean route, traveling from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Hawaii, or the far east before returning back to San Francisco. The ship remained in service until 1960. With the allure of air travel and the growth of containerisation the company's passenger services steadily declined throughout the 1960s, and by 1973, the last APL liner, the SS President Wilson, completed her final round-the-world trip and was sold off.

The cards show 52 black-and-white rectangular photos of places and monuments (presumably included in the APL cruises) in Hawaii, Cuba, Hong Kong, Panama, Bangkok, Egypt, Singapore, Japan and San Francisco. The jokers present the APL house flag. See the box►

Above: American President Lines souvenir playing cards, probably produced during the early to mid-1950s.