Ariadne – She loved the waves of the Baltic

S1. Artist: Frank Mason, 1914.

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About Ariadne

Mention the name Ariadne to a knowledgeable, Finnish connoisseur of travel and ships and see a nostalgic tear start into his eye.

The Ariadne and her sister ship the Oihonna were the queens of the seas.

Ariadne was, amazingly enough, in the service of the Finland Steamship Company (FÅA) from 1914 up to 1969. During the First World War she served as a hospital ship in Helsinki harbour, while during the Continuation War against the Soviet Union (1941-44) she transported Finnish children from Vaasa to Umeå in Sweden. These so-called ‘war children’ (sotalapset) were evacuated from Finland and given sanctuary by Swedish families.

However, Ariadne’s normal task was the transportation of civilian passengers. Her working life was spent on lines such as Helsinki-Tallinn-Berlin-Stettin, Helsinki-Copenhagen and Helsinki-Stockholm.

About the artist

The British artist Frank Mason received his education as a cadet on the naval training ship, HMS Conway. After having served in the British navy during World War I, Mason concentrated on a career as an artist and illustrator. Among his works are posters and postcards for shipping and railway companies.

The first exhibition of his work was arranged in 1900. In 1911, Mason illustrated the book North Sea Fishers and Fighters, written by Walter Woods. In 2002, some unknown etchings of Mason were found, dating from the 1930s.

Hungry for more?

The above text and the poster can be found in the book Come to Finland. It's a quality coffee table book filled with vintage travel posters from Finland – and many travel tales and historical anecdotes. The book is the result of a long and successful cultural history project. You can order the book here.

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