The Swedish America Line´s S/S Drottningholm on its first arrival in Gothenburg in 1920

The S/S Drottningholm was built in Glasgow for the Allen Line in 1905. The 164,4 x 18,3m,  11,285 gross ton ship originally sailed between Liverpool and Montreal under the name "The Virginian". 

The classic ocean liner S/S Drottningholm, which the Svenska Amerika Linjen (The Swedish America Line) had acquired from its Canadian owners, was warmly welcomed to its new home port Gothenburg on February 20th, 1920. 


On the following day, the local newspaper Göteborgstidningen published an enthusiastic report: 

"The Drottningholm in Gothenburg"


"It will be the fastest Scandinavian America steamer"


"There are two smoking lounges and two meeting lounges for third class passengers"


"The Swedish America Line´s new steamer Drottningholm yesterday arrived in Gothenburg on its first voyage under the Swedish flag. At eleven in the morning it glided up the river and was greeted in the usual manner. The steamer was met at Bottö by a Swedish America Line tugboat, with managing director Lagergren, a couple of journalists and a cinematographer on board. The slender hull with the white topside decks were quite imposing." 

--

"The furnishing of passenger cabins, lounges and other areas is most elegant. Particularly, the hall, with a three floor high double staircase, catches one´s attention, as does the music lounge, the luxury of which is almost dazzling".

The  first class music lounge

The navigation room

The state of art radio room - the "Marconi station"

A first class cabin

"The first class dining room is also luxurious. It has comfortable seating for about 200  passengers.  In addition to the  side portholes, daylight is streaming down from a dome, richly decorated with gryphon ornaments and allegorical figures  composed of marine designs".  (Göteborgstidningen)

The second class smoking lounge

The third class music lounge

A third class cabin

"The steamer has altogether six decks, with the the promenade decks  more than  a couple  hundred  feet  long" (Göteborgstidningen)

The Drottningholm still painted with the Allen Line colours

The S/S Drottningholm, which sailed under the Swedish flag for 28 years, became a favourite of the Gothenburgians, who called it "the most beautiful ship of the harbor". In 1948 the Drottningholm was sold and began sailing between Genoa and South America under the name Brasil. A couple of years later it again had a new owner, which operated it on the route Hamburg - New York until 1955, when it was scrapped. 


More information on the S/S Drottningholm here and here

(The pictures above are from the book "Sveriges sjöfart", published in Stockholm in 1921)