Kan family travels to and from New York by ship
Creator(s)
- Robert F. Kan
- Robert F. Kan (Subject)
- Ms. Betsy Klein
Biographical History
Born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Robert Kan and his family escaped the Nazis on May 13, 1940 and emigrated to Queens, New York via the Dutch East Indies. He received a BA in Economics from Hofstra Univeristy and worked for thirty years for the US government at the Department of Commerce, the Atomic Energy Commission, the National Science Foundation, and the American Embassy in Tokyo. After retiring from the government, he became a Certified Financial Planner. He was a lifelong Boy Scout and accomplished philatelist. He was married for 58 years to Francisca Verdoner Kan and had three daughters, Jeanette, Susan, and Eleanor.
Scope and Content
Color. "Transatlantique - Linea Frances" and title: "Le Havre - Southampton - New York - Depart du Mercredi 15 Fevrier." New York City. Camera pans up and down showing city streets and skyscrapers (shot from the top of a building). 01:08:36 Man, woman (Jeanne?), and young boy walk towards the camera - it appears the cameraman knows them although they are unidentified. More scenic shots of New York from street level. 01:09:46 Bridge from inside a car, shots of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge (driving on Manhattan Bridge?) New York from street level. Camera pans up to buildings. 01:11:07 Poster showing the Queen Mary. Another title card reads "R.M.S. 'Queen Mary' Captain G. Gibbons, R.D., R.N.R. Left New York, March 24, 1939 - Gross Tonnage - 81,235.18; Length - 1,018 feet; Breadth - 118 feet." Men and women on deck of a ship. Dock. Crowd waves. A sign off the dock reads "Cunard White Star." Manhattan skyline in BG. Boatyard and skyline as the ship departs. 01:14:00 Statue of Liberty seen from the ship. Dock, camera positioned next to a large ship. From another angle, camera focuses on the side of the ship, American flag near the bow. 01:14:44 Ship pulls away from the dock and on the stern the name "Queen Mary-Liverpool." Camera lingers on the ship moving out to sea before cutting.
Note(s)
The "RMS Queen Mary" was built by the Cunard White Star line, the same company that built the "Titanic." The "Queen Mary" was a transatlantic ocean liner and was later commissioned during World War II (1940-1946) to serve as a troop transport ship. Following the war, the ship was still used until eventually being sold and placed in Long Beach, CA where it is now a hotel, museum, and tourist site.
Subjects
- STREETS
- JEWISH LIFE (PRE-WAR)
- BUILDINGS
- FLAGS (AMERICAN)
- FAMILIES
- JEWS
- SHIPS
- AUTOMOBILES
Places
- New York, NY, United States
Genre
- Film
- Amateur.