{"product_id":"william-minshall-birchall-british-1884-1941-empress-of-australia","title":"William Minshall Birchall (British 1884-1941) 'Empress of Australia'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWilliam Minshall Birchall (British 1884-1941)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEmpress of Australia\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewatercolour, signed, inscribed and dated lower left \"Empress of Australia W M Birchall 1931\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 21,860-ton vessel was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1921 and renamed Empress of China. She had originally been launched in 1913 from Stettin,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGermany, as the SS Tirpitz for the Hamburg-America Line (HAPAG). In 1922, after a refitting in Clydebank, the ship was once again renamed, this time as Empress of Australia. She was scrapped in 1952. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe trans-Pacific services of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and its later steamship subsidiary the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company (CPSC) were begun by the Canadian-American builder of the railroad network in 1887. During the early years, three ships were chartered and managed by Adamson, Bell and Company to transport passengers.  Once the route proved to be profitable, the CPR chose to manage the lines independently.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween 1889-1891 the CPR and the British government signed a contract for subsidized mail service between Britain and Hong Kong via Canada.  The contract called for Canadian Pacific to deliver mail from Halifax to Vancouver by rail, and Japan and China by ship, reaching Hong Kong in 684 hours from April to November and 732 hours for the rest of the year. Canadian Pacific received £60,000 annually, £15,000 of that was paid by the Canadian government. The Admiralty was granted the right to hire the ships employed on the route at any time and to have troops carried at cost. Fulfillment of the contract required three ships, built to the Admiralty's specifications for armed merchant cruisers, capable of 16 knots for regular service, and 17.5 knots in emergencies- the RMS Empress of China, the RMS Empress of India and the RMS Empress of Japan. All three were built by Naval Construction \u0026amp; Armament Co. of Barrow. Each of these \"Empress\" steamships sailed regularly in the period from 1891 through 1912.  Empress of India would continue in service through 1914. The RMS Empress of Japan sailed regularly from 1891 through 1922. These three ships and the others which comprised the \"Empress fleet\" carried mail, passengers, and freight speedily across the Pacific for over half a century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSize: 8 h x 12 w (with frame 12.25 h x 16.25 w in)\u003cbr\u003eJ21819\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Uno Langmann Limited","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47375578890393,"sku":null,"price":775.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0581\/4032\/8089\/files\/21819.jpg?v=1778616314","url":"https:\/\/www.langmanngallery.com\/products\/william-minshall-birchall-british-1884-1941-empress-of-australia","provider":"Uno Langmann Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}