Menu from the SS MONTEREY
Maker
Matson Lines
(American, founded 1882)
Date8 June 1946
Object number00008760
NameMenu
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 228 x 165 mm
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Molly Mountney
DescriptionMenu from the SS MONTEREY for Saturday, June 8, 1946.HistoryThe SS MONTEREY was built in 1932 for the Matson Lines to promote travel to Hawaii and for the Pacific Ocean. She included stops in ports along the West Coast of the United States, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia.
She was requisitioned by the US government in WWII to act as a troopship and during her time could carry upwards of 6,000 troops on a voyage. After heavy workload during the war, including evacuating casualties from the Pearl Harbour bombing, SS MONTERAY was planned to be returned to commercial service at the end of 1946. However due to insufficient funds, she was unable to be completely refitted and ended up being bought by the US government.
In 1956, Matson Lines bought her back and renamed her SS MATSONIA but only five years later she was rested up again due to the decreasing demand from passengers. However, her time came again in 1963 when she replaced the SS LURLINE who had suffered debilitating engine trouble. The MATSONIA was renamed LURLINE but in 1970 Matson Lines sold her and got out of the passenger liner business.
Over the next thirty years the original SS MONTERAY was renamed, refigured and rerouted. She ended her days in 2000 off the coast of South Africa where she sunk on her way to be scrapped in India.SignificanceMenus became a popular souvenir for passengers aboard cruise ships. They often featured decorative covers to reflect and promote the holiday locations and exotic ports the shipping lines stopped at.
