1936 – Why Not Book the Lotus Time Cruise Round the Orient with Maud May Babcock

Looking for a holiday in 1936 with a bit of a difference? How about the “Lotus-Time Cruise” round Asia with the Dollar steamship line in the company of Maud May Babcock? Let me explain the details:

• Arguably it’s not a bad deal – $575 in 1936 is about $10,000 today – and its all inclusive, your meals, transfers, cabin and Maud May’s company;
• You’ll get to see loads of places including Shanghai and Peking;
• It’s a nice ship – not like doing it all China Eastern or Air Asia – the SS President Jackson’s a nice bunk;
• There are a lot of extras included in your $575 – a pool, movies, varied menus, dancing to a “college orchestra” (not sure what that is!);
• And it’s all in the company of Miss Babcock, who, the advert reassures us is an “Old China Hand”

Now while I believe the itinerary, the good price and the extras I’m not sure I buy Miss Babcock as an “Old China Hand”. Sure, she was known for many amazing things such as: she was recruited to the Mormons by a daughter of Brigham Young; she was as teacher of speech and drama across the USA and in London; she was a tiresome campaigner against wasp waist corsets but I’m not at all sure about her China credentials.

OK, she does seem to have visited Asia and taken an interest – later that interest involved her in the Aid China movement during the war. However, she was little more than a tourist herself to the Far East – let’s move her up to the rank of temporary sojourner. However, the only photographs in her archive (at the University of Utah) of China are taken on this trip advertised below. Anyway, I’m sure it was a lovely trip…..

SS President Jackson