Donnie Walks NYC: Downtown Walking Tour Site #3 - 25 Broadway

Postcard from 1920's

The Cunard Line had its' beginnings in Nova Scotia where Samuel Cunard was building a steam shipping company. He won a contract from Great Britain to carry the Royal Mail from Great Britian to Halifax, Nova Scotia and Boston in 1839. In 1840, the Cunard Line completed it's first Trans-Atlantic crossing with passangers, establishing a regular passenger service.

During the Gilded Age, luxury liners were built to accomodate the very wealthy. Immigrants also used these liners to come to America. They were housed in steerage, the lowest decks of the ship.

RMS Mauretania

The Cunard Line included the RMS Mauretania and RMS Lusitania in 1907. Lusitania was sunk by the Germans in 1915 helping push the United States into World War I. During the late 1930's they added the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. With the advent of jet airliners in the 1950's, the need for regular transatlantic sea travel collapsed. The company turned to tourism as a way to survive. Having been bought by Carnival Cruises, the Cunard brand is maintained as a luxury line with a return to the traditions of the early 1900s.

The building itself opened in 1921 and served as its' HQ for its' North American operations. The main floor contained a ticket booking hall. The hall itself is a work of art with domed ceilings filled with frescos. After the Cunard Line moved it's HQ to midtown, the booking hall was turned into a post office with the ceiling left intact. I was fortunate enough to have visited the hall while the Post Office was there. Sadly, they have shut it down and the booking hall is now closed.

The following photographs are details of the front of the building.