The 'New' Argentina
by Published on 19th March 2016 04:44 PM
When they entered service in September and December of 1958,
the US-flag sisters Brasil & Argentina seemed very modern, quite advanced, the ships of the future.
They sailed on the New York-East Coast of South America run -- down to Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Montevideo & Buenos Aires.
The "dummy" funnel on board was actually a solarium, for example, and the actual uptakes were twin devices placed aft.
(That solarium induced top-less sunbathing by South American ladies, by the way, and was later removed by the ships'
conservative owners, the Lower Manhattan-based Moore McCormack Lines.)
Their bows were sharply curved, amenities included two outdoor pools, the cabins were unusually large and spacious and, to commemorate their delivery, the Revell Company
issued a plastic model of the 23,000-ton, 553-berth Brasil.
Six inches long, it sold for $1.98.
The photo shows the Argentina in mid-Hudson and just before the ship set off on its maiden run to Latin America.
Built at Pascagoula, Mississippi, the liner had some "finishing touches" made at the Todd Shipyard in Hoboken.
My thanks to John Strange for this most interesting article.
Brian Probetts (site admin)
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