Readers are invited to contribute their memories of the early years of containerisation. We are pleased to publish the following recollections:

The First Steel Containers in Europe
Hans H Grosse built the very first ISO Steel Container in Europe in 1965 and exhibited it at the Hannover Fair. Click here to read the translation of an old article from the Hamburg Taeglicher Hafenbericht (Daily Port Report), which reports on the birth of the steel box in Europe.

50 Years of Container Refrigeration
Dr Dermott Crombie reviews some of the developments in Container Refrigeration over the past 50 years. Click here

Ian Karan - Chairman, Capital Lease
Ian Karan, Chairman of Capital Lease, recalls his early days in the container leasing industry. To view the article (published in Containerisation International magazine), click here (2mB)

Port of Rotterdam
Rotterdam was one of the first ports in Europe to handle dedicated container ships, when Sea Land's Fairland called (photo right)

Click here to read about the arrival of Sea-Land's Fairland on 3 May 1966
Click here to see the Fairland discharging at Rotterdam on 3 May 1966
Click here to read about developments in container shipping "then and now"

Tom Ewig - Martec
Click here to read Tom Ewig's recollections
Click here to view photos to accompany the article

David Wall - Sea Box
Click here to read an article written by David Wall for the 20th Anniversary issue of Container Management magazine in 2004, in which he recalls his early days at Steelmobile and Sea Containers, attending Container Technology Conferences - and remembers some of the "characters" of the industry whose acquaintance he made along the way.

Ulrich Cramer - Contec
Click here to read Ulrich Cramer's recollections about the pioneers
Click here to read an item about the Flexi Van Pioneers
Click here to read about the early straddle carrier

Five files are available with photos:
Click here for File A
Click here for File B
Click here for File C
Click here for File D
Click here for File E
Click here for File F
Click here for File G