Ortman (Sylvia M.) motion picture film and postcard collection, 1966-1972

Summary

Title:

Sylvia M. Ortman motion picture film and postcard collection

Dates:

1966-1972

Creators:

Ortman, Sylvia M.

Abstract:

The Sylvia M. Ortman motion picture film and postcard collection, 1966-1972, (SAFR 23855, P10-004) is comprised of a Matson Lines motion picture film titled "South Seas Cruise Adventure" and a postcard of the Pacific Far East Line steamship MARIPOSA (built 1953; passenger vessel). The collection has been processed to the Collection level and is open for use.

Extent:

15 items

Language:

In English.

Preferred citation:

[Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item Number], P10-004 (SAFR 23855), Sylvia M. Ortman motion picture film and postcard collection, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Background

Scope and content:

The Sylvia M. Ortman motion picture film and postcard collection, 1966-1972, (SAFR 23855, P10-004) is comprised of a Matson Lines motion picture film titled "South Seas Cruise Adventure" and a postcard of the Pacific Far East Line steamship MARIPOSA (built 1953; passenger vessel). The collection has been processed to the Collection level and is open for use.

Contains a motion picture film and postcard related to passenger ocean travel, 1966-1972. There is 1 color film reel and 14 identical color offset lithographic postcards.

Item 1: (1) reel of a Super 8mm color film titled "South Seas Cruise Adventure." Produced for Matson Navigation Company by Travel-8, Inc., probably 1966-1970. The film begins with a Matson vessel underway in San Francisco Bay, California, near the Golden Gate Bridge. Includes views on board Matson steamships, likely MARIPOSA (built 1953; passenger vessel) and/or MONTEREY (built 1952; passenger vessel), of passenger activities such as swimming, shuffleboard, and dancing as well as a crossing the line ceremony with King Neptune. Also includes local scenery and natives in Bora Bora, Tahiti, Rarotonga, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, American Samoa, and Hawaii. Running time is approximately 26 minutes. Approximately 400 feet. Information on the film header: Recut / M-801 / South Seas Cruise Adventure / Travel 8 / No.1. The film does not have a soundtrack. The film color is faded. The top of the film's original box is torn and a piece of the top edge is missing. The tear has been taped.

Item 2: (14) color offset lithographic postcards, 3.5 x 5.5 in., of MARIPOSA (built 1953; passenger vessel) underway, 1970-1972. The image on all fourteen postcards is identical. View slightly off the port bow. The Pacific Far East Line bear logo is on the vessel's stack. The text on the verso of the postcard reads: "SS MARIPOSA - SS MONTEREY / Designed especially for cruising, these twin luxury liners are two of the most beautifully appointed ships afloat. Accommodations for 336 passengers, exclusively first class. Frequent sailings from California to the South Seas - New Zealand - Australia and Hawaii. Also to Alaska, and special cruises to other destinations. American flag cruising at its finest - Pacific Far East Line. / Length 563 feet - Speed 20 knots - Gross Tonnage 18, 497 (Br.) - Displacement 20,600." Thirteen of the postcards have "Stock No. S-140 - Litho in U.S.A" printed on the dividing line on the verso and one has "Stock No. S-145 - Litho in U.S.A" printed on the dividing line and "SC13096" printed in the lower left corner on the verso.

Biographical / historical:

MARIPOSA (built 1953; passenger vessel) was built by Bethlehem Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, as PINE TREE MARINER. In 1955, the Oceanic Steamship Company (a subsidiary of Matson Navigation Company) purchased the vessel and converted her to a passenger vessel. She was christened MARIPOSA in 1956. In 1970, Matson sold the vessel to the Pacific Far East Line, Inc. Source: Stindt, Fred A. Matson's Century of Ships. Kelseyville, CA: F.A. Stindt, 1991, c1982.

Acquisition information:

SAFR-02105

Sylvia Ortman offered the film and postcard to San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in 1998 along with 95 artifacts and other assorted ephemera. The collection was accepted and formally accessioned in 2010. The items were collected by Sylvia and Kenneth Ortman. Mrs. Ortman was one of the last Pacific Far East Line, Inc. employees on the payroll when the company went out of business in the late 1970's. She saved some of the items that the company was discarding at the time of their closure.

Processing information:

Fourteen copies of the same postcard (Item 2) were kept in the collection to illustrate the mass marketing of souvenir items related to passenger cruises.

The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information. Such sources include the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material and subject matter experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors in this guide please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide.

Please cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff.

Arrangement:

No arrangement due to the small size of the collection.

Physical location:

San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department

Physical description:

.

Rules or conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard .

Related resources

Related material:

Related manuscript collections: Sylvia M. Ortman papers, 1972-1975. SFMNHP, (SAFR 22677, HDC1608). Comprises ephemera collected during a trip to Alaska aboard MONTEREY (built 1952; passenger vessel) in 1975, and a telephone directory for the Pacific Far East Line, Inc., where Mrs. Ortman was employed in the finance and payroll department during the 1970's.

Researchers should note that there are several objects donated by Sylvia M. Ortman related to Pacific Far East Line, Inc. (PFEL) as well as other books and collections with materials related to PFEL, Matson Navigation Company, and passenger ships in general in the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. See catalog nos. SAFR 22622 to 22651 in the Park's web catalog (http://go.usa.gov/vD3z) for more information.

• This material is located at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Passenger ships
Ocean travel
Motion pictures (visual work)
Picture postcards

Names:

Mariposa (Ship)
Matson Navigation Company
Pacific Far East Line, Inc.

Places:

Oceania
Australia
San Francisco Bay (Calif.)

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:

Processed by: L. Bianchi, July 2014.

Date Prepared:

2014

Date Encoded:

Machine-readable finding aid derived from ICMS database and converted into xml from a template revised and updated by San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department. 9/30/2014 .

Restrictions:

This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted.

Terms of access:

Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

Preferred citation:

[Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item Number], P10-004 (SAFR 23855), Sylvia M. Ortman motion picture film and postcard collection, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Location of this collection:

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Building E, Fort Mason

San Francisco, CA 94123, US

Contact:

415-561-7030

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