The S.S. Del Sud, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 1958
This page is for my Dad and the Merchant Marines that sailed out of New Orleans on the Delta lines’ post war trio of cargo/passenger sister ships, the Del Norte, Del Sud and Del Mar. These were all shot with an Argus. Unfortunately, the Ansco slide film has not held up as well as those shot with Kodachrome. One day I will photoshop them all, but for now, here they are.
My dad, Verne Humble, a young steward taking a break on the aft deck of the Del Sud.
A couple shots of a Track Chart hanging somewhere on the ship.
After deck cargo hatch and unnamed crew.
[Top] Unnamed cookie and seaman Guy de Giavano (“Little Guy” son of “Big Guy” who also sailed out of New Orleans) with Dad [bottom] having a last brew before leaving St. Thomas for the 2 week sail around the hump and down to Rio.
At the camera shop on St. Thomas where dad bought his first twin lens reflex, a Minolta Autocord. These kodachromes sure held up pretty well over the years. Kodachrome was only 10 asa back in those days…sunny days were a necessity.
Homer “Chips” Workman, ship’s carpenter and fellow photographer that had a darkroom set up on board, St. Thomas.
2 unnamed seamen, pot walloper on left and able-bodied on right, coming into Rio with Sugarloaf in view on right.
S.S. Del Sud, New Orleans arriving Rio with WWII cruiser in background.
Launch approaching in Rio.
Unnamed seaman and cargo in Rio.
Little Guy in front of the eldest sister of the Del triplets, the Del Norte in Santos.
Friend, Eric Joseph, in Montevideo, Uruguay with seaplane landing over his shoulder. Dad and Eric shared the same birthdate.
Russian ship in Curacao. It was quite the novelty in the late 50’s. Dad said the few crew allowed off were escorted in groups.
Leaving Curacao for the final leg to the Mississippi River.
A passing shot of one of the sisters, the Del Mar, shot by my father from the deck of the Del Sud.
Humbled Pie 
Unforgettable memories. You´re lucky to keep those old photos.
So Eric visited my place: Montevideo!
Lovely blog and beautiful pictures!
Thank You!
Pingback: Humbled Pie – Studio for the Arts | Ryu Writes
Wunderful memories – I´ve really enjoyed your post! This one picture with your dad and the camera shop – I´ve recognized this street because I was last year there when I visited St.Thomas. Today the street looks always similar 🙂 . Old buildings and much more shops for the tourists!
I had a really nice holiday – this picture on your blog could me remember on my great memories of it again – thanks for sharing!
Thank you for stopping by on my “Photos On The Go” and for the follow – it´s my pleasure to discover your blog!
Greetings,
Sunelly Sims
Great photos! I’m in the process of collecting and trying to restore a batch recovered from my grandmother’s room back home (Philippines), after she passed away. If your Kodachrome pictures held up good, then I’m hoping those from my grandmother’s are just as good.
Precious memories.
What a terrific photo essay!
Good stuff, Homie. A window into an era we are too young to remember but have heard much about.
Lovely photos that remind me the beatiful trip I made on th SS DELSUD, in 1964. We left New Orleans, made a stop in Barbados, what a beatiful Island and turquoise sea, the next stop was in Rio and then my final destinatioin; Santos. I was 25yrs and still remember the glamour of the dinners , balls, captains night etc. It was good to remeber, Altamir C. de Lima
I know your page seems
to be about photography.. but imagine the JOY in my heart seeing it listed on a search for the “DEL~TRIPLETS”.. my father also sailed with Delta Line.. he sailed on the Del Sud, Del Norte and Del Mar.. out of New Orleans. He died in 1964 on one of these ships right before it sailed off. I was only 10 at the time. So thanks for sharing this page.. it has blessed my heart.. and who knows maybe our dads sailed together at some time .
Very cool! Some of those old Kodachromes are looking 3D!
Thank you for posting this page and your photos. I was fortunate to return to the States from Rio to New Orleans on the Del Mar with my family. Great memories of a time gone by. For some reason, we never took any photos, or very few, which cannot now be found. We were having too good a time! Thank you, again!
Love to use some of your photos on http://www.cruisingthepast.com. My aunt and uncle sailed from New Orleans to Rio during the 1950s. I have a lot more photos of the ship and want to do another story.
Here is the link to one we did sometime ago…
http://cruiselinehistory.com/the-delta-line-cruising-to-south-america-from-new-orleans-in-the-1950s/
Yes, please feel free to use the photos, just properly credit them and post a link back to this page. I have more photos that I need to scan and put up but they are all crew type stuff.
Enjoyed your site…
Hello Humbled Pie. I sailed on the Del Sud as a mess boy in June 1948. We visited St. Thomas, Rio, Santos, Montevideo, Buenos Aires on the way down then stopped at Santos, Rio, Curacao, Port-of Spain, and Venezuela on the return trip. I was 16 at the time and had just graduated from high school in New Orleans. The photos are remarkable to say the least. Thank you for sharing them.
I’m happy you enjoyed them!
I am currently digitally transferring a large reel of 16mm color film of a South American trip aboard one of the Delta Line sisters out of New Orleans. The film stock is 1948 so the trip took place in either that year or 1949. We are searching for the identity of the filmmaker but have so far been unsuccessful in finding passenger listings for the Delta Line for those years. Can anyone offer some suggestions? We have other films of his from a 1940 New Zealand trip aboard the ‘Mariposa’ and hope to compare passenger manifests.
Rick Helin
rickhelin@aol.com
I was woeking for the USDA in 1969 had had the oppertunity to board all 3 ships. They were great ladies to visit. Too bad I did not have the chance to take the cruise.
Loved the pictures! Thanks for sharing. I’ve been at sea practically my whole life and missing the kind of ships and the stories the guys who sailed them got to live! It’s not the same now. Not at all. 😦
These are awesome! My family lived in Brazil from 1960 – 1968 and we always took these ships back to the USA! Thanks for sharing!
This is great. It was 1965, I was 17 yrs. old, just out of High School and not registered for college. My father, and ex-sailor, asked me if I wanted him to see if he could get me a ship. I said sure, why not? He went to the SIU and asked “Buck” if I could join the union. Next thing I knew I was on my way to South America working in the stewards department on the Del Sud. I’ll never forget it! I’m almost 70 now but I remember the great memories like it was yesterday.
Kathy Flemming…
I was the store gal on the Del Mar in 1962/3 and on the Del Norte in 1966 for 6 months… What a great time it was…. loved the Camerones Paulista in Santos, Brazil and the Chorizo sandwiches in Montevideo…. Not to mention the restaurant “La Estancia” in Buenos Aires on La Vaje… I hear tell it is still there.
Life on board was quiet and serene… I spent many an afternoon on the top deck laying in the sun listening to the music that was ever present. Unfortunately, I was only 20 years old and straight out of the French Quarter in New Orleans so I did not really understand the enormity of the opportunity I was given to work on those ships…. I was too busy doing hairdressing and running the gift shop.
I will never forget Lee Leslie the head purser on the Mar and the dances we attended on board.
I still have a beautiful Topaz pendant that Mr. & Mrs. Zaporski gave me…. he was the president of IBM of Brazil and he and his wife were returning to Rio from a vacation and business as passengers on the Mar. Then there was Mr. & Mrs.Ben Fenton of California who I met on my first trip and returned to take my last trip with me on the Mar. a year and a half later…. They owned a dance hall in California…
I was so very fortunate to have known and spent time with the wonderful passengers & crew of the 2 ships to say the least!!!
I might have been a passenger on that 1958 trip. Summer between high school sophomore and junior year I sailed round trip with my mother NO to BA. My Dad joined us for the trip back through Curacao. Fond memories include my first girl friend.
Mike Finley
Thank you so much for sharing these memorable photos.
My family sailed from New Orleans on the Deltasud in 1967 all the way to Buenos Aires Argentina – 21 days…! What an experience of a lifetime. So sad this era has passed…
Hi, we made the Rio to New Orleans trip #30 in Oct 1951 when I was 10 months. I attached a few pictures my Dad took aliong the way in this tweet.
Thanks for your story.
https://twitter.com/ItheMissingLink/status/1490886406482259968?t=B9AaxiowcShrIv8KWiXhHQ&s=19