SOCIAL HISTORY: THE LOS ANGELES TIMES – FROM THE CHANDLER FAMILY TO SAM ZELL – THE DECLINE AND FALL OF A GREAT NEWSPAPER IN THE CITY OF THE ANGELS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF A “FOREIGNER” FROM OBAMA’S CHICAGO…
NORMAN CHANDLER (THE FAMILY THAT FOUNDED THE LOS ANGELES TIMES) ON THE COVER LIFE – WHEN THE LA TIMES WAS A GREAT NEWSPAPER
REVIEW -
HOLLYWOOD TO HONOLULU: The story of the Los Angeles Steamship Company
Written by Gordon Ghareeb and (MaritimeMatters publisher) Martin Cox
Review published in Sea Classics, April 2010 by Rod Redman
Travel nostalgia lovers will be thrilled by this well-illustrated tribute to one of the most celebrated regional steamship lines of the Roaring Twenties – The Los Angeles Steamship Lines. Every Saturday for well over a decade, a gleaming white ocean liner would sail from the Port of Los Angeles Berth 156 to the cacophony of hooting whistles and cheering well- wishers as the steamship embarked for the majesty of the Hawaiian Islands. With the vessel’s band playing to the strands of popular jazz rhythms and the ever-popular Aloha Oe as the ship inched away from the dock, everyone present knew those aboard the liner were destined to enjoy an unforgettable vacation in a tropic wonderland. With a puff of smoke and belch of its whistle, the liner would emerge from the sea of confetti and colored streamers and soon begin its near 3000-mile romantic trek across the broad Pacific
In this distant era, it is difficult to believe now that in the 1920s, the only way to get to Hawaii was by one LASSCO’s gleaming white liners. The regal well-appointed ships were known for their haute cuisine, superb service, and leisurely comfort. From Hollywood film stars to island-bound missionaries and well-heeled vacationers, LASSCO’s fleet of ships set a standard that made everyone know Los Angeles was fast becoming a major world class harbor.
This delightful book shares the stories of this era in an easy reading style largely gleaned from the pages of the Los Angeles Times. As such, it covers all of the tempestuous stories of the day including the major and minor scandals about the crew’s misbehavior and periodic drunkenness. It pulls no punches and relives the era of prohibition that was in itself no stranger to garish headlines and scandals. This is a fun book for serious armchair travelers who delight in reliving what was and what might have been as America and the Hawaiian Islands came of age.
HOLLYWOOD TO HONOLULU: The story of the Los Angeles Steamship Company By Gordon Ghareeb and Martin Cox 286 Pages, over 100 illustrations, 8.5-in x 11-in, Hardback. ISBN: 978-1889901-44-2 – $35.00.
Cruise History: New book published by the Steamship Historical Society of America features company founded by Harry Chandler, Los Angeles Times publisher, during the 1920s. Hollywood to Honolulu, the story of the Los Angeles Steamship Company by Martin Cox and Gordon Ghareeb.
Social History: The Los Angeles Times reports in a great story by Hugo Martin the RMS Queen Mary is getting a long-overdue makeover. The company that leases the cruise ship turned floating hotel from the city of Long Beach is investing $5 million to upgrade rooms and restaurants.
The RMS Queen Mary, famed Cunard liner, which Long Beach purchased in 1967, is getting long-overdue upgrades. So far, 75 of the 314 hotel rooms and two of its three restaurants have been renovated. Cruise ship seen behind the RMS Queen Mary is docking at Carnival Cruises terminal in Long Beach. (Courtesy Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
LOS ANGELES TIMES – By Hugo Martín – 9:15 PM PST, March 2, 2010
The Queen has seen better days.
A makeover has been long overdue for the venerable Queen Mary, the retired cruise ship turned tourist attraction and hotel docked in Long Beach Harbor since 1967.
But repairs to the city-owned ship have been delayed because of financial crisis and organizational wrangling.
THE QUEEN MARY IN SERVICE – TRANS-ATLANTIC – PHOTOS OF THIS GREAT LINER FROM 1939 UNTIL THE LATE 1960s – WHEN SHE WAS RETIRED FROM CUNARD LINE SERVICE.
THE FIRST CLASS SMOKING ROOM
Cruise Line History – Harry Chandler built the Los Angeles Times into arguably the most powerful and successful newspaper on the West Coast. He also was instrumental in starting the Los Angeles Steamship Company in the 1920s to rival San Francisco’s Matson Lines. A wonderful new book tells the story.
Los Angeles photographer Martin Cox grew up in the south of England, half a world away from California. But as a teenager he read about an obscure L.A. institution and a bit history that for some reason he was never able to forget: The Los Angeles Steamship Company. 
The LASSCO steamships began to ferry passengers between Los Angeles and Honolulu during the roaring 1920 in smaller and less refined vessels than today’s massive cruise ships. But Cox was surprised when, after moving to Los Angeles as an adult, no one seemed to know what he was talking about when he mentioned the steamship company and its fleet of ships, some of which had a habit of getting into trouble as well as into Hollywood films.
The Los Angeles Times or other bios don’t mention Harry Chandler’s strong association with LASSCO and the publisher’s involvement in organizaing the steamship line.
So, Cox, a 40-something commercial photographer, set out to find out more about the shipping line, a years-long adventure that resulted in a book he co-authored with Gordon Ghareeb, “Hollywood to Honolulu – The Story of the Los Angeles Steamship Company.” Cox will be reading about the book during an appearance this Sunday at Skylight Books in Los Angeles.
Cox’s obsession with the defunct steamship company has also lead him to start a shipping website and to collect more than a 1,000 photos and hundreds of pieces of LASSCO memorabilia, from passenger lists to the ship’s china adorned with poppy and hibiscus blooms – the state flowers of California and Hawaii. But for all his interest in nautical history, Cox rarely travels by water. He gets terribly seasick.
Read more about the book signing and interview with Martin Cox in the LA Eastsider by clicking here.
