Arranged by topic, as follows: business papers for the offices in New Orleans and New York; papers dealing with business partners, organized geographically by foreign country; a section on steamships arranged alphabetically by name of ship; and minutes of internal divisions.

The collection consists of 17 boxes and 44 volumes. It is 30 linear feet.

Date Acquired: 00/00/1981. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Fruit trade -- Latin America -- History., Fruit trade -- Louisiana -- New Orleans., Latin America -- Commerce -- North America -- History., Louisiana -- History -- 20th century., New Orleans (La.) -- Commerce., Standard Fruit & Steamship Co., Steamboat lines -- History -- 20th century., Steamboats -- History -- 20th century.

Forms of Material: Annual reports., Certificates of incorporation., Clippings (information artifacts), Contracts., Correspondence., Financial records., Minute books., Minutes., Reports., Tax records.

Languages: English, Spanish;Castilian

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection is composed of the business records of Standard Fruit & Steamship Co. and related bodies, including the files of Salvador D'Antoni as well as administrative records throughout the corporate evolution of the company. Items include business papers, blueprints, newspapers, correspondence, minute books, articles of agreement, financial papers, minutes, contracts, telegrams, reports, clippings, and pamphlets.

Biographical Note

The history of the Standard Fruit and Steamship Company traces the success of two Italian immigrant families in building a small fruit stand into a large trading conglomerate, chiefly the efforts of the four Vaccaro Brothers and Salvador D'Antoni in developing a fruit-export business from Honduras. This New Orleans-based firm united with Fruit and Steamship Company, Bragman's Bluff Lumber Company, Standard Navigation Company, Bluefields Lumber Company, Eastern Seaboard Corporation, and Southern Banana Corporation. The company owned plantations, railroads and lumber camps in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean Islands, as well as a fleet of steamships. The family businesses continued to extend and combine until 1926 when the company was reorganized with a group of bankers into the Standard Fruit & Steamship Corporation. In earlier and later years it was also known as the Standard Fruit & Steamship Company.

Subject/Index Terms

Fruit trade -- Latin America -- History.
Fruit trade -- Louisiana -- New Orleans.
Latin America -- Commerce -- North America -- History.
Louisiana -- History -- 20th century.
New Orleans (La.) -- Commerce.
Standard Fruit & Steamship Co.
Steamboat lines -- History -- 20th century.
Steamboats -- History -- 20th century.

Administrative Information

Repository: Louisiana Research Collection

Accruals: Additional records donated in 1984 by Thomas L. Karnes.

Alternate Extent Statement: 30 linear feet

Access Restrictions: Collection is open to the public. No known restrictions.

Use Restrictions: Physical rights are retained by the Louisiana Research Collection. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Acquisition Source: Standard Fruit & Steamship Company.

Acquisition Method: Gift.

Preferred Citation: Standard Fruit & Steamship Company records, Manuscripts Collection 653, Louisiana Research Collection, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118

Processing Information: Collection processed in 1986 by Sue McGrady Woodward.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid information entered in Archon by LAC Group in 2011. Revised by LAC Group 4/21/11.

Other Note: OCLC Number: 298132161

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: History and business papers, undated, 1901-1928],
[Box 2: Business papers, 1929-1938],
[Box 3: Business papers, 1939-1945 August],
[Box 4: Business papers and Cuba, 1945 September-1957, 1906-1927],
[Box 5: Cuba and Haiti, 1928-1947, 1939-1945],
[Box 6: Haiti, 1946-1948 August],
[Box 7: Honduras, 1906-1932],
[Box 8: Honduras and Jamaica, 1933-1963, 1925-1947],
[Box 9: Mexico, 1910-1947],
[Box 10: Nicaragua, 1923-1931],
[Box 11: Nicaragua and Panama, 1932-1947, 1920-1928 August],
[Box 12: Panama and steamships: Amapala to Kosmos],
[Box 13: Steamships: Louis Geraci to Worden],
[Box 14: Steamships Yoro-Yuma, other blueprints, Castle and Cook, United Fruit Company, Newspapers and printed material],
[Box 15: Haiti diplomatic correspondence],
[Box 16: Vaccaro minute books, 1918-1920, 1927-1935],
[Box 17: Serials],
[Volume 1: Abbott Motors, Incorporated, minute book, 1923-1927],
[Volume 2: Alonzo Church and Company, Incorporated, 1928-1931],
[Volume 3: American Fruit and Steamship Corporation, minute book number 4, 1929-1932],
[Volume 4: American Fruit and Steamship Corporation, minute book 5, 1933],
[Volume 5: Banana Distributing Company and Gulf Banana Dispatch Company, 1926-1930],
[Volume 6: Bluefields Lumber Company minute book, 1921-1922],
[Volume 7: Bluefields Lumber Company minute book, 1921-1927],
[Volume 8: Bragman's Bluff Lumber Company, Incorporated, minute book, 1921-1926],
[Volume 9: Bragman's Bluff Lumber Company, Incorporated, board of directors minutes, 1926-1934],
[Volume 10: Bragman's Bluff Lumber Company, Incorporated, corporate records, 1935-1942],
[Volume 11: Bragman's Bluff Lumber Company, Incorporated, minute book, 1935],
[Volume 12: Ceiba Steamship Company, corporate records, 1915-1921],
[Volume 13: Cerveceria Hondurena, Sociedad Anónima, a history, 1916-1966],
[Volume 14: S. DiGiorgio and Company, Incorporated, 1918-1922],
[Volume 15: Eastern Seaboard Corporation, number 1, 1930],
[Volume 16: Eastern Seaboard Corporation, finance committee, 1930-1933],
[Volume 17: Eastern Seaboard Corporation, collateral trust indenture, 1930],
[Volume 18: Gravier Realty Company minute book, 1912-1923],
[Volume 19: The Grunewald Hotel minute book, 1917-1923],
[Volume 20: Mexican-American Fruit and Steamship Corporation, executive committee minutes, 1924-1926],
[Volume 21: Mexican-American Fruit and Steamship Corporation, executive committee minutes, 1925-1928],
[Volume 22: Mexican-American Fruit and Steamship Corporation, board of directors and stockholders minutes, 1923-1924],
[Volume 23: Mexican-American Fruit and Steamship Corporation, board of directors and stockholders minutes, book 2, 1924-1926],
[Volume 24: Mexican-American Fruit and Steamship Corporation, board of directors and stockholders minutes, book 3, 1927-1930],
[Volume 25: New Orleans Independent Laundries, Incorporated, board of directors minutes, 1929-1940],
[Volume 26: Seaboard Steamship Corporation, board of directors minutes, 1933-1941],
[Volume 27: Southern Banana Corporation, number 1, 1923-1925],
[Volume 28: Southern Banana Corporation, number 2-A, 1926-1927],
[Volume 29: Southern Banana Corporation, number 3, 1927-1934],
[Volume 30: Southern Banana Corporation, number 4, 1935-1941],
[Volume 31: Southern Steamship and Banana Company, 1910-1924],
[Volume 32: Southern Steamship and Banana Company, 1926-1938],
[Volume 39: Standard Fruit and Steamship Company Banana Handling Committee, 1953-1955],
[Volume 40: Standard Fruit and Steamship of Mexico, board of directors and stockholders minutes, 1932-1941],
[Volume 41: Standard Navigation Corporation, 1936-1949],
[Volume 42: United States Development Company, minutes of directors and stockholders, number 2, 1923-1931],
[Volume 43: Wawa Boom, Incorporated, 1927-1932],
[Volume 44: Winship Fuel Oil Service, Incorporated, 1922-1932],
[Volume 45: Yoro Steamship Company, 1915-1921],
[Volume 46: Zito Trading Company, Incorporated, 1917-1925],
[Volume 47: Castle and Cook, Incorporated, annual report, 1969-1977],
[Volume 48: Castle and Cook, Incorporated, report, 1970s],
[All]

Box 6: Haiti, 1946-1948 August

Folder 1: Haiti, 1946 January 1-9

Correspondence about the new contracts and base pay per stem of bananas, "bad press", the Habanex-Thatcher contract and stranding of the Steamship Yoro with photographs.

Folder 2: Haiti, 1946 January 10-31

Correspondence about coup with President Lescot out (January 10), threat of strikes, members of new government, and charge against President Lescot for planning to eliminate French priests from Haiti.

Folder 3: Haiti, 1946 February

Correspondence dealing with development of a new ripening shed in Miami and general problems of pricing versus profit.

Folder 4: Haiti, 1946 March

Problems of George Rode held at Ellis Island awaiting visa for Haiti.

Folder 5: Haiti, 1946 April

Review of meeting with employees in the Artibonite called the Amicale and problems of purchasing Cavandish bananas.

Folder 6: Haiti, 1946 May

Cost of operating refrigerated ships, description of elections and later disturbances, and lack of rumored strike.

Folder 7: Haiti, 1946 May

Cablegrams on repair of Steamhip Granada.

Folder 8: Haiti, 1946 July 1-15

Description of strike at Port-de-Paix and wage demands, costs of the Societe Generale d'Entreprise Agricole, and cost of loading ships.

Folder 9: Haiti, 1946 July 16-31

Comments of Senator Henriquez about labor problems, articles from Le Nouvelliste, changes in pay scale, scholarships, and continued wage demands.

Folder 10: Haiti, 1946 August

Review of wage increases, President Estime's Cabinet, participation contract, foreign ownership under new constitution and draft of Standard Fruit's position in Haiti to United States Department of State.

Folder 11: Haiti, 1946 September 1-23

Problems of new constitution and permits to purchase bananas granted to new buyers, and a bill to nullify contract of 1945 between the government of Haiti and Standard Fruit.

Folder 12: Haiti, 1946 September 24-30

Review of Standard Fruit's actions from September 20-23 and discussions of export of bananas and coffee.

Folder 13: Haiti, 1946 October

Problems with new government of Haiti, effect of lifting of price controls on foodstuffs, charges of Minister of Finance Fignole against Minister of Agriculture Rigaud and their replacement in the government, and the purchase of bananas by Lanasa.

Folder 14: Haiti, 1946 November 1-12

Problems with another buyer and Standard Fruit's protest.

Folder 15: Haiti, 1946 November 12-19

Folder 16: Haiti, 1946 November 20-30

Folder 17: Haiti, 1946 December 1-26

Folder 18: Haiti, 1946 December 27-31

Folder 19: Haiti, 1947 January 1-26

Folder 20: Haiti, 1947 January 27-31

Folder 21: Haiti, 1947 February 1-6

Folder 22: Haiti, 1947 February 7-8

Folder 23: Haiti, 1947 February 9-28

Folder 24: Haiti, 1947 March 1-21

Folder 25: Haiti, 1947 March 22-28

Folder 26: Haiti, 1945 March 29-31

Correspondence concerning the light weight of Haitian bananas and higher cost of production.

Standard asks for reparation from Government because of price required above contract maximum, creating a loss of profit.

Ernest Chauvet, Director of Le Nouvelliste visits Artibonite.

Haitian Export and Steamship Company is incorporated. Salvadore Lanasa is given license to buy in entire district of north.

Folder 27: Haiti, 1947 April 1-4

Eric Tippenhaur, President of Hafrusco, wishes to have Standard Fruit's aid in reasoning with Haitian President about banana land allocations.

Folder 28: Haiti, 1947 April 5-10

Letter of Standard Fruit to United States Secretary of State about other companies' buying bananas in Standard Fruit's area.

April 7. W.A. Blackmon to President Dumareais Estime: reviewing Standard Fruit's reasons for being in business in Haiti.

Report of Farnham of a man seeking expropriation of Standard Fruit's lands in the Artibonite Valley.

Correspondence about operating under the Constitution of 1945 with the Secretary of State and Agriculture.

April 8. Georg Rode Memorandum to E.F. Hurlson: concerning buying stations and policies in practice in the Port-de-Paix area and suggestions for dealing with the competition. Copy.

April 10. List of new cabinet members.

Folder 29: Haiti, 1947 April 11-15

Detailed memorandum of Haiti banana problems by W.A. Blackmon.

Folder 30: Haiti, 1947 April 16-17

Company, Le Nord de Travil, has started buying in Cap-Haitien area, and also a report of Georg Rode's buying in the same area.

Folder 31: Haiti, 1947 April 18-20

List of banana companies doing business in Haiti.

Correspondence concerning development of a syndicate to control production in Artibonite Valley with bylaws and demands on Standard Fruit, and attempt to improve quality of export bananas.

Folder 32: Haiti, 1947 April 21-24

Correspondence concerning problem of handling syndicate, drainage problems of Artibonite, Government views of agriculture problems and solutions as stated by Francois Georges, drainage project started with police protection, and the President of Haiti may want to negotiate with Standard.

Folder 33: Haiti, 1947 April 25-26

Folder 34: Haiti, 1947 April 27-30

Banana law of President Estime. Land procurements for Cap-Haitien, correspondence concerning costs and variance in ideas about 1945 contract.

Folder 35: Haiti, 1947 May 1-5

Correspondence concerning lightermen request raise in pay scale and increase of sigatoka disease in the North and decrease in banana quality.

Folder 36: Haiti, 1947 May 5-10

Correspondence concerning threat of strike by lightermen referred to Labor Department, Jean Elie has problems with the takeover of Habanex, and there is a new banana company, "Banana Export Company."

Standard Fruit wants to inform the President of the conditions under which they will do business in the Artibonite Valley and the North.

Folder 37: Haiti, 1947 May 12-16

Article on proposed banana law.

Correspondence concerning replanting authorized and report on other agents.

Folder 38: Haiti, 1947 May 17-31

Memorandum of Rode's May 15 conversation with President.

Correspondence concerning an attempt to enforce banana law by government agents.

Folder 39: Haiti, 1947 June

Correspondence concerning Blackmon to visit Haiti, lawyers' opinion on Haiti's banana law, and unified policy with buying bananas.

Report that Haiti's banana-producing area to be divided between Banana Senators and Standard Fruit left with Artibonite Valley and two other small areas.

Folder 40: Haiti, 1947 July

Planters' reaction to request for propping and forking of bananas and Haitian government bonds to be redeemed.

Folder 41: Haiti, 1947 August

Report of President on Miami speculators.

John Brownson appointed Manager of Foreign Operations.

Folder 42: Haiti, 1947 September-October

Le Nouvelliste on Standard Fruit and Rode's report on strike by labor syndicate and armed bands.

Folder 43: Haiti, 1947 November

Report by Stephen Kliman, soil chemist, on part of Artibonite Valley.

President Estime told of problems with contract and his suggestions and he decides to help negotiate.

Folder 44: Haiti, 1948 March

Report of Dr. George D. Scarseth on poor soil in Artibonite Valley and promissory notes.

Folder 45: Haiti, 1948 July

Correspondence concerning decline in banana production and lack of fruit for export, economics and reduction of payroll, President Estime's pressure for development in Artibonite Valley, estimates for school at Saint-Marc to be dedicated by Standard Fruit, problems with f.o.b. prices, and Standard Fruit contributes to reconstruction of town of Belladeres.

Folder 46: Haiti, 1948 August

Thank you note from President Estime for contribution for Belladeres.

Tulane University Special Collections