Guide to the John Maxtone-Graham Papers , 1900-2015
(bulk 1930-1995)
Steamship Historical Society of America, Archives
Steamship Historical Society of America
2500 Post Road
Warwick, RI 02886
Tel: 401-463-3570
E-mail: info@sshsa.org
Published in 2023
Collection Overview
| Title: | John Maxtone-Graham Papers |
| Date range: | 1900-2015, (bulk 1930-1995) |
| Creator: | Maxtone-Graham, John |
| Extent: | 24 linear feet |
| Abstract: | John Maxtone-Graham's personal papers and files, as well as various photographs, souvenirs, and ephemera related to maritime history, steamships, steamship companies, and travel. |
| Language of materials: | English |
| Repository: | Steamship Historical Society of America, Archives |
| Collection number: | 2018.07 |
Scope & content
This collection comprises correspondence, contracts, journals, photo slides, and notes generated in the course of Maxtone-Graham's career as a maritime historian, speaker, and writer. There are numerous personal artifacts like cards, postcards, and photographs, and souvenirs from his travels aboard ocean liners, as well as his personal collection of postcards and ephemera. Favorite vessels include the Normandie and Queen Mary 2, and companies Cunard and the French Line.Access Points
Subject Names Subject Organizations Subject Topics Subject Topics Document TypesArrangement
This collection is arranged in five series based on material format.
Series 1: General Papers
- This series contains the personal papers, notes and correspondence collected in the course of John Maxtone-Graham's writing career. Correspondence includes fan letters as well as letters regarding the publication of his books. Notes and research for those books includes relevant photographs and slides.
Series 2: Ephemera
- This series contains Maxtone-Graham's collected ephemera gathered through his travels, research and general collecting interests. They've been organized alphabetically by company name, and where relevant, by ship name as well.
Series 3: Images
- This series contains the collected postcards and photographs that Maxtone-Graham gathered as collectables, as well as pertaining to his research, or documenting his travels and interests.
Series 4: Slides
- This series is comprised of 32 boxes, binders, or projector slide carousels of projection slides focused primarily around passenger ocean liners, but also New York Harbor, the British royal family and cruise ships. Most are color kodakrome slides, and their original order has been maintained. Some groups were prepared for talks or presentations around a specific subject, while others were for personal use or documentation.
Series 5: Memorabilia
- This series comprises of collected objects such as keys, signs, and souvenirs related to ocean liners.
Biographical note
John Kurtz Maxtone-Graham was born August 2, 1929 in Orange, New Jersey. His introduction to the sea was at six months old, when he and his family moved to London as a result of the stock market crash. His family frequently traveled by sea between the two continents, where he said he was frequently seasick, but the experiences nonetheless inspired a fascination with ships. He attended schools in Britain and the US before attending Brown University, where he graduated in 1959. He joined the marines and served in Korea as an infantry platoon leader, and was demobilized as a lieutenant. After his service he was a stage manager for theater productions, including “What Every Woman Knows,” with Helen Hayes, in 1955; Tennessee Williams’s “A Streetcar Named Desire” and a production of “King Lear” with Orson Welles in 1956; “Brigadoon” in 1957; and “The Night of the Iguana,” with Bette Davis and Margaret Leighton, in 1961-62. He married Katrina Kanzler in 1955, with whom he had four children: Sarah Francois-Poncet and Emily Maxtone-Graham, and Ian and Guy Maxtone-Graham. He later married Mary Bergeron in 1981, and they were together until his death in 2015.By 1967 he was writing about maritime subjects in articles, and published his first book in 1972 titled “The Only Way to Cross” a chronicle of the golden age of ocean liners and luxury travel by sea. It became one of his most well-known works, widely considered an essential book for ship enthusiasts and maritime historians alike. He would continue to write prolifically, publishing books about ocean liners in general such as “Liners to the Sun,” and about specific vessels such as the Queen Mary 2, and his favorite liner, the Normandie. He left his career in theater to pursue his passion for maritime history and ocean liners, traveling extensively on ships and giving numerous lectures and talks.
In 1981 he married Mary Bergeron aboard the Rotterdam in New York Harbor. Though he maintained a home in Manhattan, he and his wife were known to spend at least seven months of the year at sea. His son Ian went on to become a writer himself, for the popular show “The Simpsons.” With that connection, Maxtone-Graham appeared on episode 505 in 2012, where he was himself lecturing on a fictional ship called the Royal Valhalla. His lectures were very popular, and he traveled frequently on liners and cruise vessels as part of the entertainment. However, he expressed that “much as I enjoy cabaret -- jugglers, magicians and ventriloquists -- I find production shows over-amplified and often derivative.” He tried to create an “Edwardian-style” entertainment for the modern era, blending scholarship with curiosity. John Maxtone-Graham passed away on July 6, 2015 at 85 years old.
Access & Use
| Access to the collection: | This collection is available to the public by appointment at the Steamship Historical Society. Objects that are fragile, significant, or require additional tools to access may require archivist assistance. |
| Use of the materials: | Use, reproduction, and/or publication of archival material is prohibited without prior approval of the Steamship Historical Society. Fees and/or restrictions may apply. Please contact the SSHSA archivist, Astrid Drew, at adrew@sshsa.org for more information. |
| Preferred citation: | John Maxtone-Graham Papers, 2018.07, Steamship Historical Society of America Archives, www.sshsa.org. |
| Contact information: | Steamship Historical Society of America, Archives Steamship Historical Society of America 2500 Post Road Warwick, RI 02886 Tel: 401-463-3570 E-mail: info@sshsa.org |
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION | |
| Acquisition: | This collection was retrieved from Maxtone-Graham’s brownstone in New York City with the help of his son Guy, in March, 2018. The collection was formally transferred with Deed of Gift by Maxtone-Graham’s daughter Sarah Francoise-Poncet on May 4, 2018. The collection was then accessioned in May 2018 by Astrid Drew with an accession number of 2018.07. |
| Processing information: | This collection was partially damaged by water before it arrived to the SSHSA. A small amount of material was lost as a result, with the remaining collection in overall good condition following remedial actions. |
| ABOUT THE FINDING AID | |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Astrid Drew, Tessa Mediano. |
| Encoding: | Finding aid encoded by Tessa Mediano 2023 June 19 |
| Descriptive rules: | Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |