The SS Kenya was built by the British India Steam Navigation Co., and entered service in August 1951. Alongside her sister ships, the SS Uganda, the SS Kenya travelled between Britain and East Africa via the Suez Canal. The journey took around 60 days and 4 voyages were completed each year.
Charles Trotter sailed to Kenya on the SS Kenya's maiden voyage. His photographic business was in its infancy, and it was on his arrival in Kenya that it was properly established. Trotter appears to have been the ship's quasi-official photographer, and the images in this series show all aspects of on-board life, including exterior views of the ship, day and night views from the deck, the engine room, dining room and various forms of entertainment including dinners, children's parties, adult fancy dress parties, shows and processions, and facilities such as the swimming pool. The majority of the images seem designed to capture the jollity of on-board life, including pranks and playfighting. There is a slip of paper in Trotter's handwriting preserved with the images, outlining in jest the "crimes" committed by various of the passengers in the style of a gossip column. One of the exterior views of the ship bears the caption "Taken at Port Said, when cameras forbidden."
A more complete box of prints from this voyage was rearranged into the large series of prints catalogued by BECM, and can be found within 2001/090/1/3/10.
August 1951- October 1951
1 file, 1 box
67 b/w photographs, all bearing Trotter's stamp on reverse and many also bearing a negative number. A few carry Trotter's manuscript captions. The original Kodak Photographic Paper box in which the prints were stored has been kept, this also bears manuscript annotations by Trotter. Some of the photos are slightly bent at the edges from being kept in this box.
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