House Flags of U.S. Shipping Companies: M

Josiah Macy & Son

  image by Joe McMillan

Josiah Macy & Son, New York
Like the others from this source, a mid-19th century firm. I believe, but am not sure, that the Macys of this company were related in some way to the W. H. Macy who founded the big New York department store. The flag is interesting in that it is identical to the modern ICS signal flag for the letter "A."
Source:  chart of "Private Signals of the Merchants of New York"

Joe McMillan, 26 October 2001

Maine Steamship Co (Portland Line)

  image by Joe McMillan

Maine Steamship Co (Portland Line), Portland, Maine <us~messc.gif> (Source: 1909 supplement to [ruh05])
A coastal line serving the northeastern U.S. IIRC, this was one of the companies that was consolidated into the Eastern Steamship Company. The flag was just a white P on red.
1909 update to Flaggenbuch 1905

Joe McMillan, 26 October 2001

Mallory Line (New York & Texas Steamship Co.)

  image by Joe McMillan

Mallory Line (New York & Texas Steamship Co.), New York (1866-1932)
One of the old family-owned lines in the coastwise trade. As its formal name suggests, the line connected New York with Galveston, Texas, and later expanded with routes to New Orleans, Havana, and Mobile. The company was bought by Charles Morse's short-lived Consolidated Steamship Lines, then was transferred after Morse went bankrupt to the Atlantic, Gulf and West Indies (AGWI) SS Co. AGWI continued to provide service under the Mallory name and flag until 1932, when it combined Mallory's routes with those of the old Clyde Line (also an AGWI subsidiary) under the name of the Clyde-Mallory Line. The flag was a vertical tricolor burgee, white, red, and blue, with a red star in the hoist. As late as 1972, Lloyd's Register of American Yachts showed variations of this flag in use as private signals by Mallory descendants: WBR with blue star in hoist for Philip R. Mallory, RWB with red star in center for H. R. Mallory.
Sources: Lloyds 1912, Wedge (1926), Talbot-Booth (1937)

Joe McMillan, 26 October 2001

Mallory Line (New York & Texas Steamship Co.). It seems that the Mallory family was more involved in shipping than with the New York & Texas Steamship Co. According to Talbot-Booth Charles H. Mallory first formed the Mallory Steamship Co. and then in 1886 C.H. Mallory & Co. and this latter firm appears to be the parent company which operated through subsidiaries, one of which, the Mallory Steamship Co. ended up becoming part of Clyde-Mallory Lines. C.H. Mallory seems to have become C.D. Mallory & Co. Inc. which explains why sources, such as Talbot-Booth 1937 refer to the latter name, the earliest reference I have found being the 1933 Lloyd Reedereiflaggen cigarette card collection. They seem to have kept going and according to Talbot-Booth in his 1942/1944 Merchant Ships series this flag, which had been taken over by Clyde-Mallory Lines in 1932, was relinquished back to the parent company in 1935. For the period 1932-1935 my guess is that C.D. Mallory & Co. Inc. used the design which appears as a panel on their funnel (which Talbot-Booth notes in 1938 as having been adopted) and which is shown elsewhere on this page for their successors, Marine Transport Corporation. This funnel mark was retained even though the original flag was back in use, though not for long it seems as Clifford D. Mallory died in 1941 which saw the end of the family control in the company which was reorganized as Marine Transport Lines Inc. the following year.

Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2004

Manhanset Line (T. Hogan & Sons)

  image by Joe McMillan

Manhanset Line (T. Hogan & Sons), New York
In Lloyds 1912 as North Atlantic Steamship Co (T. Hogan & Sons). No other information except that the flag was a blue-white-blue horizontal triband with a blue H for Hogan.
Source: Reed (1896), Lloyds 1912

Joe McMillan, 26 October 2001

There is a little info on the line at www.theshipslist.com. It ran between Bristol and Swansea to New York and Baltimore

Ned Smith, 27 October 2001

Mannesmann Demag Material Handling Corp.

Blue, with white logo and the word "MANNESMANN", centered. The logo consists of an "M" over a "W" within a ring.

Jorge Candeias, 27 March 2001

P.D. Marchessini & Co.

  image by Ivan Sache

From Scott, R.M., The Caltex book of Flags and Funnels, Capetown, Caltex Africa Ltd. (1959)
P.D. Marchessini & Co., New York - red burgee, white disk, blue star. Ships under British, Greek, Italian and Liberian flags. Nearly identical to the house flag of the Blue Star Line, which has a tapered swallowtail.
Jarig Bakker, 28 December 2004

Marine Transport Corporation

  image by Ivan Sache

Marine Transport Corporation - quite the same as (former?) Marine Transport Lines, but a rectangular flag and not a burgee.
Source: http://www.mtlx.com
Dov Gutterman, 11 October 2001

Marine Transport Corporation is the eventual successor to the Mallorys and results from the 1998 takeover merger of Marine Transport Lines inc. by Omi Corporation. It is now a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corporation.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2004

Marine Transport Lines

  image by Joe McMillan

Marine Transport Lines, New York
I can find nothing in my notes about this company, which obviously operated in the post-WWII period. The flag was a red burgee with a white diamond bearing a blue M.
Sources: US Navy's 1961 H.O., Stewart (1953)

Joe McMillan, 26 October 2001

Marine Transport Lines resulted from the 1942 reorganisation of C.D. Mallory & Co.. and is the link with the current Marine Transport Corporation.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2004

Mason & Thompson

  image by Joe McMillan

Mason & Thompson, New York
Mid 19th century firm. Flag red with a white disk.
Source:  chart of "Private Signals of the Merchants of New York"

Joe McMillan, 29 October 2001

Mathiasen's Tanker Industries

  image by Joe McMillan

Mathiasen's Tanker Industries, Philadelphia
A small independent tanker operator (9 ships totalling 93,000 gross tons as of 1949). Flag red with a white M.
Source: US Navy's 1961 H.O.

Joe McMillan, 29 October 2001

  image by Ivan Sache

Mathiasen's Tanker Industries. Brown 1958 shows a black band at the top of the flag [see us~236a.gif attached] which makes it a replica of the funnel which was red with a black top and a white "M". Quite possible but it would seem the plain red version with letter either applied or was changed to, supported by subsequent funnel sightings which showed blue or grey funnels with a red band with a white "M" i.e. a normal "band based on the flag".
Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2004

Matson Navigation Co.

  image by Joe McMillan

Matson Navigation Co., San Francisco (1901-present)
William Matson was born in Sweden in 1849, went to sea at the age of ten, arrived in New York at 14, and was captain of his first ship by the time he was 21. By 1882, Matson owned his first ship, a schooner that he built and commanded in service between San Francisco and Hawaii, the beginning of a thriving business carrying sugar cargoes from the islands to the mainland. To finance the conversion of his fleet to steam, Matson incorporated the Matson Navigation Company in 1901. At first, Matson faced an uphill struggle against the better-financed American-Hawaiian SS Co., but American-Hawaiian's opportunistic decision to abandon Hawaii in 1916 to pursue profits as a neutral shipper in the wartime North Atlantic set Matson Navigation on its way to dominance of the market, which it has retained ever since. Matson continues to focus on traffic between the US west coast and Hawaii, Guam, and other areas of the mid-Pacific. It currently operates some 17 vessels. The flag is a red swallowtail with seven white stars surrounding a blue M on a white disk.
Source: www.matson.com, US Navy's 1961 H.O.

Joe McMillan, 29 October 2001

In this photo from a defunct webpage (Google cache) is an actual swallowtail with smaller stars.

Jan Mertens, 8 April 2004

O. Mauran

 image by Joe McMillan

O. Mauran, New York
Another 19th century firm on which I have no other information. Flag a red swallowtail with a white M.
Source: chart of "Private Signals of the Merchants of New York"

Joe McMillan, 29 October 2001

Mayflower SS Corp.

 image by Joe McMillan

Mayflower SS Corp.
No information other than the flag, white with red stripes at the upper and lower edges and a blue M on the center.
Source: Stewart & Styring (1963)

Joe McMillan, 29 October 2001

Mayflower Steamship Corporation. Operated the tanker "Mayflower" built 1961 and sold 1966 to Overseas Oil Carriers Inc. who were managed by Maritime Overseas Corporation who also just happened to be the agents for Mayflower Steamship Corporation.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2004