1936 SS President Mississippi River Steamboat Moonlight Excursions

Date: 1936
Artist: Unknown    
Size (in): 22” x 14”
Size (cm): 56 x 35.5
Condition: B
Linen backed: No 

This is a vintage original 1936 window card style poster advertising “Moonlight Excursions” on the Mississippi River onboard the SS President paddle wheel steamboat.   This is a window card style poster printed one side only on cardboard.   

The SS President, originally named Cincinnati was launched in 1924 and still survives today in a dismantled state as the only remaining "Western Rivers" style sidewheel river excursion steamboat in the United States.  She was originally operated by the Louisville & Cincinnati Packet Company carrying passengers and freight primarily on the Ohio River until being acquired by the Steckfus Steamers Company of St. Louis in 1933.  After a complete refitting, she was renamed the SS President and made the flagship of the Steckfus Steamers fleet operating out of St. Louis mostly on Upper Mississippi River pleasure excursions.   The newly refitted SS President could accommodate 3,000 passengers and was advertised as "the New 5 Deck Luxury Super Steamer, Biggest and Finest On The Upper Mississippi". By 1941 the SS President had ceased operating on the Upper Mississippi and had been transferred to New Orleans where she remained for the next several decades.  

This poster isn’t dated with the year but would have been issued between 1934 and 1940 when the SS President was being operated by the Steckfus Steamer Company on the Upper Mississippi.   The poster advertises a excursion leaving Dubuque on Friday, July 17.  July 17 was a Friday in 1936 and that is the only year in the 1934 to 1940 time period in which July 17 was a Friday so thus the date.

This vintage original window card style poster is fully complete and well intact with moderate handling wear and a bit of dust staining and light foxing in places.   The poster is free of tape and pinholes and displays very nicely.  Overall condition is very good.