He first sailed from Antwerp to New York, from where the cruise started on 17 January 1929. In two weeks, the passengers explored the Caribbean, Panama, Mexico and Bermuda on this ‘West Indies Cruise’ on the Lapland. The photographs that François collected show that he was impressed by the immense streets and buildings of New York, the wild seas that they passed through, the ports, life at sea – and the sunbathing female passengers.
François De Ridder
François De Ridder was hired by the Red Star Line as a ‘writer’, in charge of passenger records.