Emigrants departing from Vippetangen, Kristiania

The picture for February 2005 is from an old postcard. The card was mailed by a Swedish emigrant to his friends in Sweden when he departed from Christiania on the S/S United States on October 19, 1905. The S/S United States was owned by the Scandinavian America Line, and was the sister ship of the S/S Oscar II and S/S Hellig Olav. These ships sailed on a regular route between Copenhagen and New York, calling at Kristiania and Kristiansand on the way to pick up passengers. They usually did the voyage from Copenhagen to New York via Kristiania and Kristiansand in about 12 days. The point of departure at Copenhagen was from the West Pier in "Frihavnen", and when at Kristiania, as seen on the picture from "Vippetangen", just west of the "Akershus" castle. At Kristiansand the passengers were brought out to the ship by smaller steamships, as the harbor was very narrow and difficult and time consuming to navigate for the large ships. At New York they would dock at Hoboken.

The S/S Hellig Olav at Frihavnen in Copenhagen

Feeder bringing passengers to and from a Scandinavian America Line steamship at Kristiansand