The letter was written by Allan Quinn to his mother. Allen started working as a seafarer when he was 16 years old, and frequently wrote to his mother during his travels. He also created an extensive photograph collection, which corresponds with the letters.The letter is part of an ongoing correspondence between Allan and his mother. In this letter, Allan talks about travelling from South America to Canada, and the ship being fumigated.Letter addressed to Mrs S. Quinn, "Sanlorenzo", 63 Ocean Beach, Manly, N.S.W, Australia, in four parts. Part 0157 Envelope Part 0157.1-3 Letter Pages. The letter pages are tissue-like air mail paper. The letter begins "My Dear Mum, This letter is very late..." and concludes with "Your ever loving son, Allan..." In the top right hand corner of the first page is "M/I Ariston, At Sea" and is dated 10/8/47.On front of envelope: MRS S QUINN / SAN LORENZO / 63 OCEAN BEACH / MANLY NSW / AUSTRALIA handwritten in black ink. VIA AIR MAIL is printed on the right hand side, and there are two Canadian stamps, both valued at 5 cents. There are three stamped postmarks, the first is round: MONTRAL / AUG 14 / 2 PM / 1947 / P.Q., the second is rectangle: -S / -OS / EPAR/ UTILISEZ LA POSTE AERIENNE, the third is also round: T / 60 / CENTIMES. On the back of the envelope: (indecipherable) / 7A6714 / OR 7AA6603 handwritten in pencil.allan-quinn, letter, handwriting, south-america, canada

This is one photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection. Allan worked on the Goonawarra during 1946 working between Sydney, Melbourne, Palmyro Island, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Panama Canal, Falmouth, Le Havre and Goteborg.The Allan Charles Quinn collection is a collection of photographs and letters that provide a very intimate portrait of life at sea for a young man in the period following World War II.Sepia toned photograph of bow view of Goonawarra including anchor ropes and nets hanging from the side.Black ink on reverse: Bow view of Goonawarra/ in Melbourne/ discharging oil from/ Long Beach/ 13 Jan 1946allan-charles-quinn, goonawarra, sydney, melbourne, palmyro-island, san-francisco, los-angeles, panama-canal, falmouth, le-havre, goteborg

Photograph of the side of the Goonawarra loading wool at Melbourne. Allan Charles Quinn worked on the Goonawarra during 1946. The Goonawarra worked between Sydney, Melbourne, Palmyro Island, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Panama Canal, Falworth, Le Havre and Goteborg.The Allan Charles Quinn collection is a collection of letters and photographs taken and written when Allan went to sea at 16 years of age. They provide a snapshot of life at sea in the period immediately following World War II.Black and white photograph of the Goonawarra at berth in Melbourne, loading wool.Black in on reverse: Goonawarra loading wool at/ Melbourne 13 Jan 1946allan-charles-quinn, goonawarra, sydney, melbourne, palmyro-island, san-francisco, los-angeles, panama-canal, falmouth, le-havre, goteborg

This photograph is taken from the deck of the Goonawarra and belongs with the Allan Charles Quinn collection. Allan worked on the Goonawarra during 1946. The Goonawarra worked between Sydney, Melbourne, Palmyro Island, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Panama Canal, Le Havre and Goteborg.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of photographs and letters that depict the life of a young man who has gone to sea to work in the era immediately following World War II.Black and white photograph looking forward from the deck of the GoonawarraBlack ink on reverse: Monkey Island looking/ forward on Goonawarra/ at Melbourne/ 13 Jan 1946goonawarra, sydney, melbourne, falmouth, goteborg, le havre, france, allan charles quinn, panama canal, los angeles, san francisco, palmyro island

This photograph depicts the ritual of "crossing the line" which marks the point at which a sailor first crosses the equator. Allan worked aboard the M.T. Ariston during 1946 and worked between Sweden, Central America, North West Indies and South America.This photograph is from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photographs depicting life at sea for a young man in the period immediately following World War II.Black and white photograph of the "crossing the line" ceremony aboard the Ariston.Black ink on reverse: Crossing the equator on Ariston/ 10.9.46allan-charles-quinn, crossing-the-line, sweden, central-america, north-west-indies, south-america, equator, ariston

"Crossing the line" ceremonies were routinely conducted when a crew member made their first crossing of the equator. This photograph depicts aspects of that ceremony and, as Allan Charles Quinn is the photographer, it is obviously not his first crossing. This photograph was exhibited by the Mission to Seafarers as part of the exhibition "Letters from Abroad" in 2012.This photograph is from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photographs depicting aspects of the life of a young man who went to sea in the period immediately following World War II.Black and white photograph depicting aspect of the "crossing the line" ceremony performed at sea on the Ariston. This ceremony was performed to mark a person's first crossing of the equator.Black ink on reverse: Crossing the equator 10.9.46allan-charles-quinn, crossing-the-line, sweden, central-america, north-west-indies, south-america, equator, ariston, letters-from-abroad

"Crossing the line" was an important maritime ritual and denoted the first crossing of the equator by a sailor. This photograph has been taken by Allan Charles Quinn and obviously is not his first crossing but depicts aspects of the ceremony, in particular the way in which crew members would dress up to represent King and Queen Neptune. This photograph was exhibited by the Mission to Seafarers as part of the exhibition "Letters from Abroad" in 2012.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.Black and white photograph of the "crossing the line" ceremony aboard the Ariston in 1946. Crew members are dressed as King and Queen Neptune.Black ink on reverse: Crossing the equator/ 10.9.46allan-charles-quinn, crossing-the-line, sweden, central-america, north-west-indies, south-america, equator, ariston, letters-from-abroad

The crossing the ceremony was an important part of maritime lore and marked a sailor's first crossing of the equator. This photograph was taken by Allan Charles Quinn and therefore it is presumably not his first crossing but the photograph does depict aspects of the ceremony.This photograph is from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photographs depicting life at sea for a young man in the period immediately after World War II.Black and white photograph of various members of the crew of the Ariston participating in the "crossing the line" ceremony in 1946.Black ink on reverse: Crossing the equator/ on Ariston/ 10.9.46allan-charles-quinn, crossing-the-line, sweden, central-america, north-west-indies, south-america, equator, ariston

The photograph is part of a series of five, depicting the Ariston in dry docks in Hoboken, New jersey, on the 26th of August, 1947. This photograph shows the front and side of the ship while in the dry dock.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph of the Ariston in dry dock, in Hoboken, New Jersey.Handwritten in black ink on reverse: ARISTON IN DRY SOCK / 26.8.47 / D (handwritten in pencil). There is also a small mark in blue ink in the bottom right hand corner.allan-quinn, photograph, dry-docks, hoboken, new-jersey, ariston

The photograph is part of a series of five, depicting the Ariston in dry docks in Hoboken, New jersey, on the 26th of August, 1947. This photograph shows the propeller screws of the ship.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph showing one of the propeller screws of the Ariston while in dry dock.Handwritten in black ink on the reverse: SCREWS OF ARISTON / 26.8.47 / D (handwritten in pencil). There is also a small blue ink mark in the bottom right hand corner.allan-quinn, photograph, dry-docks, hoboken, new-jersey, propeller-screws, ariston

The photograph is part of a series of five, depicting the Ariston in dry docks in Hoboken, New jersey, on the 26th of August, 1947. This photograph shows the front of the ship while in the dry dock.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph of the Ariston in dry dock.Handwritten on reverse in black ink: ARISTON IN DRY DOCK / 26.8.47 / D (in pencil). There is also a small mark in blue ink in the left hand bottom corner.allan-quinn, photograph, dry-docks, hoboken, new-jersey, ariston

The photograph is part of a series of five, depicting the Aniston in dry docks in Hoboken, New jersey, on the 26th of August, 1947. This photograph shows the front of the ship while in the dry dock.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.Black and white photograph of the Aniston in dry dock, in Hoboken, New Jersey.Handwritten in black ink on reverse: ANISTON IN DRY DOCK / HOBOKEN NEW JERSEY / 26.8.47 / D (in pencil). There is also a small blue mark in the bottom left hand corner.allan-quinn, photograph, aniston, dry-docks, hoboken, new-jersey

The photograph is part of a series of five, depicting the Aniston in dry docks in Hoboken, New jersey, on the 26th of August, 1947. This photograph shows workers painting the "bootopping"of the ship.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.Black and white photograph of workers painting the "bootopping"of the Aniston, while in dry dock.Handwritten in black ink on reverse: WORKERS PAINTING / BOOTOPPING IN DOCK / 26.8.47 / D (in pencil). There is also a small mark in blue ink in the bottom left hand corner.allan-quinn, photograph, aniston, dry-docks, hoboken, new-jersey, bootopping

This photograph is part of series of four, the only colour photographs taken by Allan Quinn while docked in Rio De Janeiro on-board the M/S Fenris. The photographs are mentioned in one of Allan Quinn's leters to his mother (Object 0150).This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.Colour photograph of Copacabana Beach in Rio De Janeiro. The photograph has been mounted on a 7.4x9.8 white card.Date on verso: 25-12-48allan-quinn, colour-photograph, fenris, rio-de-janeiro, copacabana

This photograph is part of series of four, the only colour photographs taken by Allan Quinn while docked in Brazil on-board the M/S Fenris. The photographs are mentioned in a letter Allan Quinn wrote to his mother (Object 0150).This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A colour photograph of the M/S Fenris , docked in Paranague , Brazil, and being loaded with coffee. The photograph is mounted in a 7.5x9.7 white card.Date on verso: 29-12-48allan-quinn, colour-photograph, fenris, paranaque, brazil, coffee

This photograph is part of series of four, the only colour photographs taken by Allan Quinn while docked in Brazil on-board the M/S Fenris. The photographs are mentioned in one of Allan Quinn's letter to his mother (Object 0150).This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.Colour photograph of the ocean and deck of the M/S Fenris, looking forward to the sea. The photograph is mounted on a 7.4x9.8 white card.Date on verso: 30-12-48allan-quinn, colour-photograph, fenris, coffee

This photograph is part of series of four, the only colour photographs taken by Allan Quinn while docked in Paranague, Brazil on-board the M/S Fenris. The photographs are mentioned in a letter Allan Quinn wrote to his mother (Object 0150).This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A colour photograph of the M/S Fenris , docked in Paranague , Brazil. The photograph is mounted in a 7.4x9.8 white card.Date on verso: 29-12-48allan-quinn, colour-photograph, fenris, paranaque, brazil, coffee

This photograph is part of series of colour photographs taken by Allan Quinn while sailing to Cape Town from New York on the S.S. Morgenster. This ship is mentioned in some of Allan's letters (such as Object 0152).This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photographs depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A colour photograph of the S.S Morgenster, sailing from New York to Cape Town.Date on verso: 19-2-48allan-quinn, colour-photograph, morgenster, cape-town, new-york

This photograph is part of series of colour photographs taken by Allan Quinn while sailing to Cape Town from New York on the S.S. Morgenster. This ship is mentioned in some of Allan's letters (such as Object 0152).This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A colour photograph of the S.S Morgenster, sailing from New York to Cape Town, Date on verso: 19-2-48.allan-quinn, colour-photograph, morgenster, cape-town, new-york

This photograph is part of series of colour photographs taken by Allan Quinn while sailing to Cape Town from New York on the S.S. Morgenster. This ship is mentioned in some of Allan's letters (such as Object 0152).This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A colour photograph of the S.S Morgenster, sailing from New York to Cape Town.Date on verso: 19-2-48allan-quinn, colour-photograph, morgenster, cape-town, new-york

This photograph is part of series of colour photographs taken by Allan Quinn while sailing to Cape Town from New York on the S.S. Morgenster. This ship is mentioned in some of Allan's letters (such as Object 0152).This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A colour photograph of the ocean and the S.S Morgenster, sailing from New York to Cape Town.Date on verso: 19-2-48allan-quinn, colour-photograph, morgenster, cape-town, new-york

This photograph is part of series of colour photographs taken by Allan Quinn while sailing to Capetown from New York on the S.S. Morgenster - which is mentioned in some of Allan's letters (such as Object 0152).This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A colour photograph of the ocean and a ship - the Cape Town Castle - off the coast of Cape Colony, dated 29-2-48.allan-quinn, colour-photograph, morgenster, cape-town, new-york

The photograph is part of a series of six, depicting the Fenris in dry docks in at Finn Boda ship yards, in Stockholm, Sweden, between the 4th and the 27th of May, 1948. This photograph shows the front and side of the ship while in the dry dock.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph of the M/S Fenris in dry dock, in Stockholm.On reverse: STOCKHOLM / 18-5-49 handwritten in blue ink. There is also an indecipherable mark handwritten in pencil below this.allan-quinn, photograph, fenris, dry-dock, sweden, stockholm, 1949

The photograph is part of a series of six, depicting the Fenris in dry docks in at Finn Boda ship yards, in Stockholm, Sweden, between the 4th and the 27th of May, 1948. This photograph shows the dry docks themselves, including the Fenris and another ship.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph of the Finn Boda dry dock, in Stockholm, dated 18-5-49.Reverse: FINN BODA STOCKHOLM / 18-5-49 handwritten in blue ink. There is an indecipherable mark below this.allan-quinn, photograph, fenris, dry-dock, sweden, stockholm, 1949, finn boda

The photograph is part of a series of six, depicting the Fenris in dry docks in at Finn Boda ship yards, in Stockholm, Sweden, between the 4th and the 27th of May, 1948. This photograph shows the stern of the ship.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph of work being donw on the stern of the M/S Fenris while in dry dock, in Stockholm.Reverse: STOCKHOLM / 18-5-49 handwritten in blue ink. Below this is an indecipherable mark in pencil.allan-quinn, photograph, fenris, dry-dock, sweden, stockholm, 1949

The photograph is part of a series of six, depicting the Fenris in dry docks in at Finn Boda ship yards, in Stockholm, Sweden, between the 4th and the 27th of May, 1948. This photograph showsa new plate being fitted to the Fenris.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph of a new plate being fitted on the M/S Fenris while in dry dock, in Stockholm.Reverse: STOCKHOLM / 18-5-49 handwritten in blue ink. Below this is an indecipherable mark in pencil.allan-quinn, photograph, fenris, dry-dock, sweden, stockholm, 1949

The photograph is part of a series of six, depicting the Fenris in dry docks in at Finn Boda ship yards, in Stockholm, Sweden, between the 4th and the 27th of May, 1948. This photograph shows the front of the ship.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph of the front of the M/S Fenris in dry dock, in Stockholm.Reverse: STOCKHOLM / 18-5-49 handwritten in blue ink. There is an indecipherable mark in pencil below this.allan-quinn, photograph, fenris, dry-dock, sweden, stockholm, 1949

The photograph is part of a series of six, depicting the Fenris in dry docks in at Finn Boda ship yards, in Stockholm, Sweden, between the 4th and the 27th of May, 1948. This photograph shows refinishing being done on one of the ship's propellers.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph of one of the propellers from the M/S Fenris in dry dock, in Stockholm.Reverse: STOCKHOLM / 18-5-49 handwritten in blue ink. Below this is an indecipherable mark in pencil.allan-quinn, photograph, fenris, dry-dock, sweden, stockholm, 1949

This photograph is part of series depicting Allan Quinn's travels through San Francisco in 1949. This photograph is a landscape shot of the San Fransisco Oakland Bay Bridge.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white photograph of the San Francisco Bay and the Oakland Bay Bridge.Reverse: 12-11-49 handwritten in blue ink. Below this are some indecipherable marks in pencil.allan-quinn, photograph, san-francisco, bay-bridge, 1949, merchant navy

This photograph is part of series depicting Allan Quinn's travels through San Francisco in 1949. This photograph is a landscape shot of the Golden Gate Bridge.This is a photograph from the Allan Charles Quinn collection which is a collection of letters and photograph depicting aspects of life at sea for a young man in the era immediately following World War II.A black and white distance photograph of the Golden Gate Bridge, in San Francisco.Reverse: 9-11-49 handwritten in blue ink. K8 / B handwritten in pencil, upside.allan-quinn, photograph, san-francisco, golden-gate-bridge, 1949, merchant navy