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Certificate of Discharge for Charles H Graham from SS TAIPING
Certificate of Discharge for Charles H Graham from SS TAIPING

Certificate of Discharge for Charles H Graham from SS TAIPING

Date15 July 1930
Object numberANMS1497[004]
NameCertificate
MediumPaper
DimensionsOverall: 193 x 137 mm,
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Gift from Anne Cooke
DescriptionThe Graham and Holden collections relate to the two sides of the family of donor Anne Cooke, with two very different connections to maritime history. Her ancestor Dr Charles Graham was a ship's surgeon on board the SS HECTOR, and an avid traveller. The collection depicts both his tour of duty on the SS HECTOR (before 1900) and his travels on the ocean liners SS SALAMIS and RMS MANUKA (after 1900). The objects from the Holden side of the family relate to several liner travels of the Holden family on the RMS ORMONDE and ORONSAY in the early 1920s. Graham would have received the certificates part of this archive series after being officially discharged from a ship he was working on. They are excellent objects to depict and understand his whole career as a ship's doctor. HistoryThe 1920s were a transitional period for the ocean liners. Those that survived World War I were either retired or upgraded with new technology – oil burning replacing coal. In general, the speed, safety and efficiency of ocean travel is greatly improved, and the fleets are expanded and restored. Some of the liners that are referenced in this collection will also serve in World War II, but not all of them would survive it. Charles Graham was a ship’s doctor and surgeon, but also travelled privately on ships. The objects reference both his professional travels from before 1900 and his liner travels in the 1920s. The most important object is the ladle from his time on SS SALAMIS. It it is a unique object connected to the practice of shipboard sports, in this case quoits as a popular past-time. The Holden items are focused on a wealthy family traveling the seas in luxury and recording their experiences in a similar time period. They focus on the ORMONDE and the ORONSAY, liners caught up in the transitions of the time: the change from coal to oil, and the inevitable transformation for war. While the ORMONDE would survive this transition, the ORONSAY was sunk by a submarine. SignificanceBoth collections are complete, very focused examples for ocean liner travels between 1880s and 1930. The collection is significant because it shows how an extended family travels around the world in an extended period of time. Charles Graham's objects lend extra depth to this collection, as his profession of ship's doctor provides a radically different perspective than that of his family when they travel for necessity or leisure. While some of the photos are not rare, others depict subjects that are not well represented in the National Maritime collection. This includes the Material about the RMS MANUKA, but especially the ladle as a quoit's prize, which is a unique object.