Cunard Line - Cigar Box Label - Not Actual Cigars

Oval shaped baggage label. Actual Cigar Box Label or Remainder - Not Actual Cigars

Cunard Line is a British shipping and cruise company headquartered at Carnival House in Southampton, England. It operates under Carnival UK and is owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its fleet of four ships have been registered in Hamilton, Bermuda. The origins of Cunard date back to 1839 when Samuel Cunard received the first British transatlantic steamship mail contract. The following year, he established the British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company in Glasgow, collaborating with shipowner Sir George Burns and renowned Scottish steamship engine designer Robert Napier. This partnership aimed to operate the line's initial four paddle steamers on the Liverpool–Halifax–Boston route.

For the majority of the next three decades, Cunard held the prestigious Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing. However, in the 1870s, the company began to lag behind competitors such as the White Star Line and the Inman Line. To address this challenge, Cunard was restructured in 1879 as the Cunard Steamship Company Ltd to secure additional capital. In 1902, White Star became part of the American-owned International Mercantile Marine Co. In response to this development, the British Government extended significant loans and subsidies to Cunard, enabling the construction of two superliners essential for maintaining Britain's competitive edge. The Mauretania held the Blue Riband from 1909 until 1929, while her sister ship, the Lusitania, was tragically torpedoed in 1915 during World War I.