I am trying to better understand how my grandmother was able to transport a large, heavy Russian made samovar when she immigrated with my mother and uncle from Poland to the United States in 1923. They went to Antwerp to board the ship SS Belgenland in November, 1923. I can only guess that this item was placed inside a trunk or other piece of 'luggage'. I am wondering how this trunk/luggage was stored on the ship. Did they have storage rooms for your personal items that you retrieved when you reached New York? Or were you required to keep such belongings with you at your berth? The fact that such an item came with her as well as other storage items + two children seems like a remarkable feat. Certainly all immigration was a remarkable achievement. I now possess this samovar and it is a direct link to family history. Also, I am wondering if there were 'porters' at the dockside to assist travelers with their possessions when they arrived in Antwerp by train? I am trying to get a feel for the process involved in the transportation segment of immigration. Thank you for any observations you can share. Stanley Goldberg
When I toured Ellis Island, there is a display of all types of baggie and trunks used by immigrants. There were all sorts of items carried in the baggage on display too. People wrapped their precious items in clothing or bedding to protect them. There were porters who moved the baggage around, on and off the steamship to the island, then on the ferries to the city itself.
If you do an image search for Ellis Island Baggage Room you'll see what it looked like.
