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Today the lonely iron arch of Pier 54 is an often ignored reminder of what was New York’s Grand Central Terminal of the Hudson River waterfront, the original Chelsea Piers complex that extended from Little 12th Street to 23rd Street. Great ocean liners carrying millions of immigrants and some of the wealthiest people in the world once docked along the Hudson.

But how did it work? Thousands of passengers and pieces of luggage, supplies, mail, and cargo had to be loaded and unloaded. How did the ships prepare to depart or dock, and what did the passengers experience as they departed for or returned from their voyages overseas? This illustrated talk will explore this extraordinary period of New York’s waterfront, now nearly forgotten and unknown.

William Roka is the Director of Programs at Village Preservation. He is also an independent historian and writer. His research has focused on the history of travel and ocean liners in the early 20th century and has presented at conferences in the United Kingdom, Argentina, Australia, and across the United States.