Monday, October 25, 2010

Ocean Passage Tickets Revisited - Oelrich & Co. New York

BLOG UPDATE - 2/20/2011
OELRICHS & CO.
AUG/3/1899
* NEW YORK *
Most likely the $5 R175 Commerce stamp above bearing an Oelrichs & Co. cancel is from an Ocean Passage ticket sold by that firm. Tickets taxed $5 would have cost in excess of $60, a tidy sum in 1899.

ORIGINAL BLOG - 10/26/2010


North German Lloyd Steamship Co. - Oelrichs & Co. Agents
Steerage Passenger Ticket for the S/S Luitpold
New York to Bremen July 21, 1898


Bob Patetta answered the call in our prior posts by sending scans of four more examples of ocean passage tickets tripling the number reported to six. Today we review a ticket for the S/S Luitpold of the North German Lloyd Steamship Co. Some considered the North German Lloyd line to be the most luxurious of all the ocean lines at the time, although steerage travel on any liner wasn't exactly the finest way to travel.


The ticket was sold by Oelrichs & Co. of New York to a Miss K. Leilich for $30, the tax for which was $1, properly paid here by an R173 Commerce issue documentary.


double ring cds cancel
OELRICHS & CO.
JUL/21/1898
* BREMEN PIER, HOBOKEN. *


Oelrichs & Co. was a respected firm and the Oelrich family was active in the New York social scene. In 1898 the firm celebrated its 100th Anniversary by publishing a 116 page history tracing its beginnings to a firm established in New York by Caspar Meier in 1798. In 1898 the firm was conveniently located at 2 Bowling Green on the first floor of the same building that housed the German Consulate.
Oelrichs & Co. Office
2 Bowling Green, New York City
On Ground Floor of the Building Housing the German Consulate


We'll review Bob's other tickets in upcoming posts. They too are all taxed $1, so we're still looking for tickets bearing the higher $3 and $5 rates. Can anyone else show us examples? Here again are the Ocean Passage tax rates:


$1 for a ticket up to $30.
$3 for a ticket more than $30 to $60
$5 for any ticket more than $60

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