S.S. California List of Passengers (front cover)
1934
S.S. California List of Passengers (inside)
Tersilla Brondolo's name appeared as Miss T. P. Brondolo from San Francisco, destination: Genoa Italy. The Lloyd Triestina shipping company was created in 1919 and ran passenger services all around the world.
Back
I posted on June 29th, 2024 about my paternal grandmother Terry Brondolo (Nino) and her trip to Vesime, Italy in 1934. She was 23 years old. She took many pictures of her family still in Italy on that trip, which I shared. How did she get there? What was that trip like? Thankfully, she saved small nuggets of memorabilia, postcards, and her "log" which give us an idea of what steam ship travel was like in 1934!
Nino began her "Log" on April 14, 1934 "Somewhere out at sea nearly four and one half miles from San Francisco". I will at some point scan her papers and another notebook and transcribe them. Her beautiful handwriting can be hard to read! But for now, let's begin her trip.
Nino's "Log", page 1
On page 2 Nino described "A most memorable scene...is our own Golden Gate, as I watched it while we were steaming thru, with the Presidio, Cliff House and Beach on one side, and the Sausalito Hills and part of our new bridge on the other, while the sun was just beginning to wend its way to the other part of our world". And off she went!
She went on to describe her room on board...."After conversing and walking a bit I came down to my cabin to unpack, as I decided to stay. It really is more lovely than it seemed at first, for I have more privacy and it is so cozy and snug. In fact, I have a large board panel in my dresser which I pull out, and on which I am now writing". She made use of the ship's stationery to write letters as well as her log.
Post card of the "Salone da Pranzo" or
Dining Saloon on the S.S. California
Nino described her first lunch on board...."Now for lunch--first, antispasto of all kinds such as we have when we entertain company including mushrooms al olio, etc. Then came ravioli, and not until then did I realize today is Sunday! Veal and potato chips and egg plant followed sausages and sour kraut (?) Then pastry ...and cheese of three kinds, with fruit and strawberries and cream--ah! Now let me tell you, the courses were served by a gallant young man, with white gloves on, if you please, and each item we had a different plate, even a different fork and knife with each change. Oh boy I'd hate to be the dishwasher! Honest to--he changed plates, knives and forks seven times, no foolin'! And, Louie, take note, we had vino bianco di Santa Margarita-and it was good-also a bottle of vino rosso, Chianti Ruffino, which was almost better. Flowers on the table and music at intervals made a delightful atmosphere. My two friends were saying just what I thought 'marvelous service, grand food, delightful passengers, cheerful surroundings, grand boat, what more could we ask?' ".
Four kinds of fish knives for passengers on the SS Victoria, also in the Triestina Line. Pretty fancy!
Chiswick Chap April 2022/Wikipedia
The ship docked in Los Angeles to pick up more passengers and then continued on to Guatemala. While on board, Nino took Italian lessons from the ship's doctor (she referred to him as Il Dottore), got a haircut from the ship's barber and participated in a life-saving drill. She saw flying fish and huge turtles trying to keep up with the ship. She switched to using the Purser's typewriter (she had special permission to use his office during his lunch hour) to continue with her Log, making things much easier for me to read! She also gave Mrs. Perasso and Mrs. Podesta a "manicuring". After dinners, there were movies and dancing in the bar-room. Nino danced with a friend named Ingrid to "thunderous applause" from the guests.
April 27, 1934..."We are approaching the Panama Vicinity and we are all up at seven 0'clock so that we do not miss anything..."
A Postcard from the Panama Canal Zone 1934
Another postcard from the Panama Canal
After some shopping in Colon, Nino got back on board and the ship passed through the Panama Canal (there are copious notes on what she saw) and headed for the Canary Islands. On the way, she wrote, "Miss Dorothy McLain and Miss Winona W. are two very lovely young ladies who are traveling with W.'s aunts and intend to go around the world , after spending six months in Europe--Kay and I have befriended them and the other day we had a game of shuffle board. What an exciting game. Kay and I were winning and had only 1 point to get, when Kay shoves the last disc and pushes Winona on the winning side. Well, there were plenty of shrieks then. Next time, we'll see that we win. Practically living in a bathing suit--have a swing over the covered hatch and the children have a great time with me swinging with them. Also have other games such as hit the bull's eye, and a rowing machine, etc. Always something to do."
Postcard of the " Sala da musica" or the Music Room on the S.S. California 1934.
"Last nite we had a Musical Evening, and I was very happy to see that Miss Evelyn Antonelli had been invited here to play for us. She plays beautifully and received quite an applause...the Commandante (the captain) came over and congratulated the mother and Evelyn after the program was finished, and invited them to drink with him. He also asked Evelyn if she had some friend she would like to invite, as he noticed she and I had been quite friendly, and she mentioned me, so I , too, went along with the specially favored guests of the evening in the music room where a table set for six was waiting for us. Two glasses of champagne certainly did wonders for me, for I felt like dancing the rest of the nite. Which we did until twelve anyway. It certainly is a good thing that the officers are invited to dance with the passengers on nites of festivity, as otherwise we would have to dance with ourselves--the only male passengers are ancient."
Caption on back "May 9, 1934 In the Mid Atlantic
Terry, Kay, Evelyn
Day after the Masquerade"
Masquerade night was held May 8, 1934 on board. "There were several Mae Wests, a Zulu native, Indian Prince and Princess, Spanish Senoritas, ...And of course, the Sailorettes, namely Evelyn Antonelli and I..." Nino won third place and was presented with a "..darling little Italian Compact with powder and mirror" by the Captain. Ben Hur with the outfit made of bath towels received second prize and the Zulu native won first prize. Nino had borrowed a purser's sailor outfit for the party and returned it, to his delight, perfumed.
On May 15, 1934, Nino got up at 3 A.M. to view the Rock of Gibralter. She stayed up to see the sunrise, and promptly went back to bed. That night, she dined with the Captain for dinner.
Captain's Dinner Menu May 15, 1934. (inside)
"Three nites ago, we were invited over to the Captain's table, and are thrilled with our Captain--he simply is everything a man could be--charming, pleasant, sociable, and what not. At any rate, the dinner passed along beautifully...."
Captain's Dinner Menu (back and front)
"After which a dance followed. This is the last dance of the trip and I was thrilled to have had the very last dance with the Cap't. Oh Katia is our song!"
Nino arrived in Genoa on May 20, 1934 at noon. She had worked very hard at her job in San Francisco as a stenographer to pay for her trip; this cruise was a much different trip than the one she took from Italy to America in 1917 on the Giuseppe Verdi with her mother and two brothers as they immigrated to their new country. There is so much more to share with family about this trip (pages and pages in fact), but for now, we can see how much she enjoyed her first cruise back to her home country. She enjoyed every minute of it! She continued to go on cruises with friends and family and had other travel adventures throughout her life. She always made new friends where ever she was going. Her life was filled with family, friends, music, dancing and of course, shuffleboard.
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Shuffleboard Courts at the Valley of the Moon Mobile Home Park....the site of many games with family and friends!
Nino at her stenographer's job in San Francisco. Date stamp on back September 12, 1935.
Postcard of the Rex, the ship Nino came back to New York on, October 3, 1934. She had $10 in her pocket.
Relationship Reference: me->Dale Boothby->Tersilla Palmina Brondolo Boothby (Nino)
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