Historical information

"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.

Significance

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.

Physical description

Black and white photograph of the "crossing the line" ceremony aboard the Ariston in 1946. Crew members are dressed as King and Queen Neptune.

Inscriptions & markings

Black ink on reverse: Crossing the equator/ 10.9.46