Episode #55: 1891 Timeline Twist & The Sinking of the SS Utopia

1/29/2025: On today’s episode, Valerie’s Timeline Twist presents the 1891 major events, we discuss the existence of Fig Newton recipes and Rayon, taking three luxurious years to paint cats, the “Original Italian Cookbook” (shaped after la cucina della nonna - grandma’s cooking!), and Tall-Tale postcards - Is that a giant ear of corn? Next, Amy Jo tells the tragic story of the sinking of the SS Utopia as it cruised into the Strait of Gibraltar. The SS Utopia was a Scottish Anchor Line vessel, with a bedazzled captain and not enough lifeboats. The swift current and high winds on that fateful night took things from bad to worse. The redemption arc? Ghost Tours anyone?

Cover Photo: Members of the Gibraltar Port Authority – most of them unidentified Gibraltarian men – wearing medals awarded for their bravery during the disaster.

1. Interior view of Kinetoscope with peephole viewer at top of cabinet.

2. The Johnstown Inclined Plane in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

   The upper station has an observation deck and visitor center/restaurant adjacent to it.

3. James Naismith with a soccer ball and a basket.

4. 19th century magic lantern with printed slide incorrectly inserted (upright, which would be projected by the lantern as an inverted picture).

5. Carl Kahler - My Wife's Lovers

6. Pellegrino Marcello Artusi

7. 1891 Vintage Ad J. H. W. Huckins Soup Canned Boston

8. 1891 Ad Mellin's Food Doliber-Goodale Infants Invalids

9. 1891 A Carload of Strawberries Postcard

10. Eyewitness painting of the sinking of Utopia in 1891

11. Anchor's 16,297 GRT liner RMS Cameronia (1919), a sister ship of the Cunarder RMS Lancastria

12. Cover of an Anchor Line Passenger Information booklet.

13. A list of the Anchor Line fleet, along with each vessel's weight and ports serviced.

14. Anchor Line notices

15. Rock of Gibraltar

16. Tunnels at the Rock of Gibraltar

17. Monkey at the Rock of Gibraltar

18. Wreck of Utopia in Gibraltar Harbour

Sources/Photo Sources

Intro Sources:

https://earthsky.org/tonight/brightest-comet-of-2025-atlas-g3-southern-hemisphere/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Sacramento_State_Historic_Park

Timeline Twist Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1891

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetoscope

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnstown_Inclined_Plane

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Naismith#University_of_Kansas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Products_introduced_in_1891

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1891_in_animation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_lantern

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Wife%27s_Lovers

https://www.foodstoriestravel.com/b/the-original-italian-cookbook

https://www.periodpaper.com/products/1891-vintage-ad-j-h-w-huckins-soup-canned-boston-original-advertising-043918-old-184

https://www.periodpaper.com/products/1891-ad-mellins-food-doliber-goodale-infants-invalids-original-advertising-076469-tfo1-360

https://emediava.org/l/73594 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exaggeration_postcard 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1891

Timeline Twist Photo Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetoscope#/media/File:Kinetoscope.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnstown_Inclined_Plane#/media/File:Johnstown_Inclined_Plane.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnstown_Inclined_Plane#/media/File:JohnstownIncline.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Naismith#/media/File:Dr._James_Naismith.jpg

https://ccdl.claremont.edu/digital/collection/fpc/id/481/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_lantern#/media/File:Magic_Lantern.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Wife%27s_Lovers#/media/File:Carl_Kahler_-_My_Wife's_Lovers.jpg

https://memoriediangelina.com/2009/07/25/pellegrino-artusi-la-scienza-in-cucina-e-larte-di-mangiar-bene/

https://www.periodpaper.com/products/1891-vintage-ad-j-h-w-huckins-soup-canned-boston-original-advertising-043918-old-184

https://www.periodpaper.com/products/1891-ad-mellins-food-doliber-goodale-infants-invalids-original-advertising-076469-tfo1-360

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125553009085

The Sinking of the SS Utopia Sources:

https://www.gibraltarairportguide.com/news/fancy-a-haunted-tour-of-gibraltar/ 

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1891/03/20/103299622.pdf

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1891/03/19/103299446.pdf 

https://www.jdpower.com/boats/shopping-guides/what-does-ss-mean-on-a-boat 

https://albiongould.com/interesting-facts-about-the-rock-of-gibraltar/

The Sinking of the SS Utopia Photo Sources:

https://www2.hsp.org/exhibits/Balch%20resources/destinationusa/html/body_anchor1.html 

www.freemaptools.com  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor_Line_(steamship_company)#/media/File:Sinking_of_SS_Utopia_1891.jpg

https://www2.hsp.org/exhibits/Balch%20resources/destinationusa/html/body_1anchor.html

https://www2.hsp.org/exhibits/Balch%20resources/destinationusa/html/body_2anchor.html

https://www2.hsp.org/exhibits/Balch%20resources/destinationusa/html/body_7anchor.html

https://albiongould.com/interesting-facts-about-the-rock-of-gibraltar/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Utopia#/media/File:Wreck_of_the_SS_Utopia_in_Gibraltar_Harbour.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Utopia#/media/File:Members_of_the_Gibraltar_Port_Authority_wearing_medals.jpg