Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay [Norfolk & Washington Steamboat Company]

Take a cruise aboard the New Steel Palace Steamers to the Jamestown Exposition!

his uncommon promotional booklet was produced by the renowned Matthews-Northrup Works of Buffalo in 1907 for the Norfolk & Washington Steamboat Company. Founded in 1890, the firm operated a fleet of ‘floating hotels’—steel-hulled steamers that served as the premier link between the nation’s capital and the Tidewater region of Virginia.

The booklet was specifically designed to capitalize on the Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposition, held at Sewell’s Point to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Virginia Colony. The contents provide a lavish window into early 20th-century maritime travel, featuring high-quality illustrations of ornate staterooms, sweeping vessels, and grand parlors.

A striking panorama of Hampton Roads and a detailed centerfold map are particular highlights; the latter identifies several Civil War battlefields along the Potomac, catering to the era’s burgeoning interest in ‘battlefield tourism.’ This twelve-hour excursion offered a seamless blend of luxury and history, with round-trip first-class fares priced at a premium $5 – a small price for a front-row seat to the ‘Great White Fleet’ anchored in the bay.