Attending this children’s tea party aboard the SS Canton must have been a lot of fun.

Among those invited: an elephant, a weiner dog, an ostrich, a pelican, a kangaroo, a turtle, a giraffe, a penguin, a lion, a dog, a cat, a rabbit, a bear and a few other cartoon animals we can’t identify.

What also makes us laugh is the food offered to children in 1952 – beef tea, poached fish and fruit salad with cream were some of the items on the menu for small passengers.

The SS Canton was a luxury liner belonging to the British shipping company P&O. Launched in 1938, it stayed in service until 1962. During WWII it was commandeered as an armed merchant cruiser and a troopship.

Before and after the war, it sailed from London to places like Bombay, Singapore, Hong Kong and Yokohama. A luxury cruiser, the SS Canton had accommodation for 257 passengers in First Class and 221 in Second Class. The ship had a crew of 319.

There was plenty of entertainment on board, including an orchestra and a full-time cinema operator. The lucky children aboard, traveling with their parents to far-flung destinations, were also clearly well looked after on the long voyages.