Behind the Scenes
The ship was a large, floating hotel with a commercial kitchen, laundry, and coal-fired engines. An army of more than 400 staff provided services for passengers and kept the ship running smoothly.
Kitchen, steam ovens, 1906. Peabody Essex Museum, 30931.
Portion of an automatic egg boiler. Royal Alberta Museum, Western Canadian History collection.
Modern communications systems provided a measure of safety and convenience for Empress passengers. Personal or urgent messages could be sent to the nearest ship or shore station by wireless telegraphy.
Marconi Room, 1906. Peabody Essex Museum, 30935.
Marconi Navy Phone. Royal Alberta Museum, Western Canadian History collection. Photograph courtesy of Rob Rondeau, ProCom Diving.
last review/update: Feb. 6, 2009
