Line |
Funnels |
Flags |
Night Signals |
American |
1873-1884 Red funnel with narrow white band below
black top. On the red a white keystone.
1884-1892 Red funnel with narrow
white band below black top. On the red, a white keystone containing a red
star.
1892-1933 Black with white band.
Flag: Red, swallow-tail,
white keystone in
centre, with red star |
Red light, Roman
candle throwing six
red balls, red light |
Anchor |
Black |
White swallow-tail,
red anchor in centre |
Red and white lights
alternately (lanterns) |
Allan |
Red with narrow white band below black top |
Red, white and blue,
with pennant |
Three blue lights
displayed in form of
triangle |
Atlantic Transport |
Red with black top |
|
|
Bailey & Leetham |
Black with a vertical broad white stripe, rounded
at the top
(giving the company the nickname "Tombstone Line") |
|
Beaver |
Black, two white
bands, black top. |
Beaver on white
ground, blue border
and pennant |
Three green lights
simultaneously, one
at each end of bridge
and one at stern of
vessel |
Ben Line |
Yellow |
|
|
Bermuda & West Indies |
Black with one narrow and one broad red band. |
|
Blue Anchor |
Black with white band containing blue anchor and chain. |
|
Booth Line |
1866-1946 Black
1947-1992 Black funnel with representation of house flag.
|
|
Bordeaux |
White, with black top |
White, red border,
three red crescents in
centre, blue letters
C.B.N.V. |
Blue, red and white
Coston light |
Bristol |
Black, red band, blue
and white circle,
black top |
Red, blue and white,
ball in centre |
A Coston pyrotechnic
signal showing red
and green alternately |
Bristol City |
Black, with white band and containing a star |
White swallowtail with star |
|
Canadian Northern |
Yellow with a blue top |
|
|
Chargeurs Reunis |
Buff with broad white band containing small
red stars |
|
Cosulich |
Red funnel with black top, broad white band
on the red. |
|
Cunard |
Red with two or three narrow black bands and black top |
Red, with yellow lion
holding world |
Blue light and two
Roman candles, each
throwing six blue
balls |
Deutsche Afrika |
see Woermann |
|
|
Deutsche Levante |
Black with broad white band containing reproduction of houseflag. |
|
Dominion |
Red with white band and black top |
Red white diamond,
and blue ball in
centre |
Roman candle
throwing six red stars |
East Asiatic |
1897-1966 Yellow
1966-1997 Yellow with blue letters E A C |
|
Elder Dempster Group |
British & African S.N. Co 1868-1929 black.
African SS Co 1852-1864, black.
African SS Co 1864-1932, buff.
Elder Dempster 1887-1890, black.
Elder Dempster 1890-1989, buff.
|
|
Elders & Fyffes & Geest |
Elders & Fyffes 1901-1970 &1986-on
Buff with black top
Elders & Fyffes 1970-1986 (see webpage)
Geest 1954-1960 (see webpage)
Geest 1960-1996 (see webpage) |
|
Ellerman & Bucknall |
1880-1935 Black with circlet of six white diamonds
(three visible from any viewing angle)
1935-1973 Buff with white band below
black top. |
Ellerman "City Line" |
1870-1901 Dark buff with black top
1901-1904 Buff with red. white and blue bands, black top.
1904-1988 Buff with white band below black top. |
|
Ellerman " Hall Line" |
1871-1901 Light yellow
1901-1973 Buff with white band below black top. |
|
Ellerman & Papayanni |
1855-1901
Pale pink, black top.
1901-1904 Pink, blue band below black top.
1904-1973 Buff, white band below black top. |
|
Ellerman - Westcott & Laurence |
Black |
|
Fabre |
Black |
White, with blue
cross |
|
Furness Withy & Co |
1870-1912 Black
1912-1920 Black with blue band containing white F
1920-1999 Black with one narrow and one broad red band. |
|
German Australian |
Black funnel with broad white & broad red stripe |
|
Great Western |
Black, red band, blue
and white ball |
Red, blue and white
ball in centre |
A Coston pyrotechnic
signal showing
alternately red, white
and blue in order
named |
Guion |
Black, red band and
black top |
Blue, white diamond,
black star in centre |
Blue lights forward,
aft and on bridge
simultaneously |
Hamburg |
1854-1889 Black
1889-1927 Black on cargo ships operating to Africa, Australia, Mediterranean
and Baltic.
1889-1927 Buff on passenger ships and cargo ships operating to the Caribbean
and China.
1927-1939 Yellow with black top on Baltic route ships.
1927- Yellow with black, white and red rings.
Flag: White and blue,
anchor, shield, and
letters H.A.P.A.G. |
Three Roman candles
at stern of vessel each
showing seven stars
as follows-white,
red, blue, white, red,
blue, white |
Hamburg South American |
1872-1911 Black
1900-1911 Buff (CAP liners only)
1911- White with red top. |
|
Holland America |
1873-1898 Black funnel with narrow green, white,
green bands.
1898-1971 Buff funnel with narrow green, white, green bands. |
Inman |
Black with broad white band |
White swallow-tail,
I.& I. In centre in red |
Blue light forward
and aft, red light on
bridge, and rocket |
Italia |
White funnel with narrow green band and broad
red band below narrow black top. |
Jamaica Banana Producers |
Blue funnel with two white bands below black top. |
|
|
Lamport & Holt |
Blue funnel with broad white band below black top. |
|
Leyland |
Pink, black top |
Red flag, square |
Three red lights in
succession |
Lloyd Sabaudo |
1907-1914 Yellow with green, white, green bands.
1914-1932 Yellow with blue, white, blue bands. |
|
Messageries Maritimes |
1835-1960 Black
1960 - Black with representation of
house flag. |
|
National |
White, with black top |
Red Union Jack,
ground white, cross
in centre |
Blue light forward
and aft, and red light
on bridge |
Nav. Gen. Italiana |
Black with broad white band. |
Red and white
ground, lion and red
cross |
Red, green, white,
red Coston light |
Nav. Libera Triestina |
1907-1935 Black funnel with blue band containing
white letters NLT.
1936-1937 Buff funnel with blue band containing white
letters NLT. |
Nelson |
Red with White, black, white bands below black top |
|
Neptune |
Black with broad red
band. |
|
|
Netherlands |
Buff funnel with black top |
|
|
Netherlands see Holland America |
Black, white band,
green border |
Green, white and
green, N.A.S.M. in
centre |
Green, white and
green lights |
North Atlantic SN Co |
Black |
|
|
North German Lloyd |
Red Star & White Star funnels were buff |
White, blue key and
anchor crossed, oak-leaf wreath |
Two blue and red
Coston lights
changing together |
Orient |
1877-1906 Black
1906-1965 Buff Yellow |
|
|
Pacific Steam Navigation |
1840-1909 Black
1910-1980 Buff.
|
|
|
Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company / P&O
Line |
1835-1972 Black
1931- Yellow (passenger ships)
1971- Light Blue with white P & O monogram |
|
Prince |
1891-1914 black funnel with broad red band containing
white Prince of Wales feathers.
(1914-1919 wartime grey) |
Prince & Rio Cape |
1919-1985 black funnel with narrow red band
above broad red band. White Prince of Wales feathers on broad red band. |
Red Star |
1873 Black with broad white band containing red star.
1884 Buff with red star and black top.
1893 Black with white band.
Flag: White, with red star |
Three red lights
forward, bridge and
aft |
Red Cross Line / (R.S.) |
1869-1901 Black with white band containing red
cross. |
|
Rotterdam Lloyd |
Black |
|
|
Royal Holland Lloyd |
Yellow with narrow black band. |
|
|
Royal Mail |
1841-1899 Black
1900-1972 Buff |
|
|
Shaw, Savill & Albion |
Buff with black top |
|
|
Société Générale de Transport Maritimes (S.G.T.M.) |
Black with broad red band. |
|
|
Standard Fruit |
black funnel with white
band containing a red (?) V. |
|
Thistle |
Black with two narrow white bands, widely spaced |
|
Transatlantic
C.G.T. |
Red, with black top |
White, red ball in
corner, and words "Cie. Gle. Transatlantique" (in 1860-1870s possible
C.G.T.A.) |
Blue light forward,
white light
amidships, red light
aft |
Thingvalla |
Yellow, white band,
blue stars |
White, with seven
pointed blue stars |
White, red, red white
Coston light |
Unione Austriaca see Cosulich |
|
|
Union Steamship |
1858 - 1863 Black
1863 - 1870 Buff, black top
1870 - 1891 Black
1891 - 1900 Buff
|
|
|
United American |
Yellow with two narrow blue bands. |
|
United Fruit |
Buff funnel with broad red band below black top. Red band
contains large white diamond. |
|
United States Lines |
Red with white band below blue top. |
|
Veneziana |
Black with narrow white, broad red and narrow
white bands. |
|
Warren |
1865 - 1921 Black
1922 - 1975 Black with one narrow and one broad red band.
Flag: Red flag, square, white diamond in centre |
|
White Star |
Buff with black top |
Red swallow-tail,
with white star |
Two green lights
simultaneously |
White Cross |
Yellow, black top |
Red, with white cross |
Green, white, green
Coston light |
Wilson |
Red, with black top |
White pennant, with
red ball |
Two red lights |
Woermann Line |
Yellow funnel with black, white, red, white,
black bands on the yellow. Black top.
(Deutsche Afrika Line the same). |
|