Marcus Garvey believed in the power of ships and transportation to change the lives of Black people all over the world.

Photographer Albert Durant approached the opportunity to be on board the SS United States during its trial run to focus on fellow people of color whose service made the passengers’ journey pleasurable.

USO clubs helped soldiers feel at home and gave them the opportunity to step away from the job and the realities of war. They provided leisure, like dances, ping pong tables, and other games; entertainment, sometimes local bands or even Hollywood celebrities would make an appearance (!); and they often had a snack bar, too, selling sandwiches, smokes and soda (but not liquor!) to service people.

The United States Army Nurse Corps (ANC) was formally established by the US Congress in 1901. Women served as nurses in previous wars, but it wasn’t until 1901 that they were officially on Army Payroll.

The Mariners' Staff Photographers share their favorite photos they created for The Mariners' Museum and Park in 2020.

Photographs of British lighthouses purchased for The Mariners’ Museum Collection in 1936 from Bertram M. Chambers, an admiral in the Royal Navy. Symbolically, lighthouses offer a message of hope and determination when facing adversity.

The Women’s Army Corps (WAC) was formed in 1942. It was the first time, and the only group, that integrated women into the United States Military. Around 150,000 women volunteered to serve in the WAC during World War II.

The Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation (HRPE) was the third largest US Army Transportation Corps port of embarkation during WWII. It served as a hub for the movements of millions of troops between 1942-1946. 

Train accident, Laurel Delaware 1904. Locomotive plunges into river crushing schooner "Golden Gate."

Marion Barbara “Joe” Carstairs would be the first to tell you that she was “never a little girl.” Joe saw a lot of racing success, taking the trophies at several competitions in Southampton and Cannes. In 1925 Joe became “the fastest woman on water” during the Duke of York’s Trophy, a four-and-a-half mile race down the Thames.