Round the World Dollar Steamship Line

Original vintage travel advertising poster: Round the World – Dollar Steamship Line. Great design showing the President Monroe steamship sailing around the world depicted as the earth against a dramatic sunset with the routes between Europe, Egypt and America marked on the globe, including the ports of Alexandria Naples Genoa Marseille Boston New York Havana and California the text in stylised letters. Born in Scotland Robert Dollar (aka the Grand Old Man of the Pacific; 1844-1932) immigrated to Canada in 1857 and bought his first steamship in 1885; he incorporated the Dollar Steamship Company in 1901 and started a round-the-world cargo service in 1920 and the first scheduled round-the-world passenger service in 1924; the company (under control of Robert Dollar's sons after his death) was declared bankrupt in 1937 and taken over by the US Maritime Commission in 1938, before being purchased by American President Lines in 1952. The SS President Monroe was built in 1920; during World War Two she was converted to a hospital ship then used for Army Transport before being laid up in 1947 and scrapped in 1957. Printed by Stab. Caimo & C., Genoa. Fair condition, restored tear through the poster and minor loss and tears on margins, backed on linen.