Welcome to our Ship Store where you can purchase exclusive O’Brien merchandise and souvenirs to remind you of your visit today. All purchases directly support the ongoing maintenance and preservation of the SS Jeremiah O’Brien.
During World War Two, the "Slop Chest" was a store aboard ship where the crew could purchase toiletries, clothing, candy, cigarettes and other personal items not provided to them. A free ration of cigarettes was available to Merchant Marine personnel and Naval Armed Guard.
The Purser would open the Slop Chest for half an hour each day and kept track of what crew members purchased. The prices for the items were tallied up and subtracted from their pay at the end of the voyage.
Our Slop Chest exhibit contains a small sample of items that were listed in the 1946 War Shipping Administration Regulations book. Some of these brands should look familiar to you, and some are ones that no longer exist.
The O’Brien’s original Slop Chest was merely a storage closet with a Dutch door, similar to the Galley door, behind which the Purser stood to distribute the items. It was located below the Main House near the ship’s dry stores on 'Tween deck, which today is off limits to the public.
If our Ship Store is closed, you can also purchase items from our Ship Store online
Explore this Station's Gallery
This concludes our self-guided audio tour. To return to the Main Deck, exit the Ship Store through the door into No. 2 Hold and back up the ladder you descended from. Thank you for your visit today!