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Compagnie des Bateaux à Vapeur du Nord (Shipping company, France)

Last modified: 2007-03-31 by ivan sache
Keywords: compagnie des bateaux a vapeur du nord | star (red) |
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[Flag of CBVN]         [Flag of CBVN]

House flag of Compagnie des Bateaux à Vapeur du Nord; left, first version - image by Jarig Bakker, 20 December 2004 ; right, second version - image by Ivan Sache, 15 October 2005


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History of Compagnie des Bateaux à Vapeur du Nord

According to Talbot-Booth [tbb36], the company originated as Compagnie Générale, Dunkirk becoming steamship owners in 1854 and subsequently changing their name to Compagnie Générale des Bateux à Vapeur à Hélice du Nord with the change to their last name noted in Lloyd's 1904. The company appears to have ceased operations around 1970.

Neale Rosanoski, 24 September 2005

In spite of having been founded in the north of France, Compagnie des Bateaux à Vapeur du Nord operated several ships on the Algerian market, in connection with the local shipowner Charles Jullian (1852-1913). Jullian founded in 1876 in Oran a trade house, quickly transformed into a successful shipping company. In 1890, he operated two weekly scheduled lines, which help to resolve the crisis of sheep breeding in Algeria. He was one of the first shipowners in Algeria to extend his operations to international lines; in 1892, he registered big ships in the port of Oran. In order to export the products of the Algerian agriculture and breeding, Jullian created the Oran-Antwerp and Oran-New York lines He convinced the then powerful Compagnie des Bateaux à Vapeur du Nord to open three monthly scheduled lines to Algeria, and was appointed manager of the company in Oran. Jullian was elected in the Court of Commerce in 1889 and reelected twice; he was also appointed member of the board of the Bank of Algeria in 1895 and Councillor for Trade in 1909. The Russian government appointed him Consul of Russia in Oran in 1887 and awarded him the Orders of St. Stanislas and St. Ann. The Greek government awarded him the Royal Order of the Savior.
His daughter Jeanne (1884-1973) married in 1904 the biochemist Eugène Derrien (1879-1931), Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier. Their son Yves Derrien (1905-1999) was also a famous Professor and Director of the Faculty of Biological Sciences in Marseilles. He taught at the University of Uppsala (Sweden) and was member of the jury of the Nobel Prize of Medicine.

Source: Les Pages Tambour, by Françoise Bernard Briès

Ivan Sache, 20 March 2006


House flag of Compagnie des Bateaux à Vapeur du Nord

Brown's Flags and Funnels (1926) [wed26] shows the house flag of Compagnie des Bateaux à Vapeur du Nord as blue with a white diamond not touching the edges of the flag and a red star.

Jarig Bakker, 20 December 2004

Talbot-Booth notes the diamond on the flag had been extended to the edges of the field but continues to show the original version and in 1944 states that the livery had remained unchanged throughout the name changes. However he may have been right about a change as Stewart in his 1950s editions and Brown of 1982 [lgr82] show such a version.

Neale Rosanoski, 24 September 2005

In 1927, Compagnie des Bateaux à Vapeur du Nord was bought by Société Anonyme de Gérance et d'Armement (SAGA). This could be the cause of the changement on the design of the flag.

Dominique Cureau, 16 October 2005

In 1930 (flag plates in Larousse Commercial [hok30]), Sandy Hook still shows the house flag with the white diamond not touching the edges of the flag.

Jan Mertens, 16 October 2005