100 years of banana imports Port Hamburg

One hundred years ago the Hamburg fruit and vegetable company Port International imported bananas to Europe for the first time. The 'Hamburg-Colombien Bananen Actien-Gesellschaft' was a joint venture with Albert Ballin, the general director at the time of transport company HAPAG. In own cooling vessels the, at that time in Germany unknown fruit, was transported. The family Port was a pioneer in the area of banana import.

One hundred years later Mike Port had the honour to invite family, friends and co-workers to jubilee festivities. About 150 guests came together on the 3rd of November in the 'Akademie Leonardo' in Hamburg in order to celebrate together the jubilee of an unusual cooperative. "It is often an art to transport the easily damaged bananas over such great distances and to deliver them in good condition at the customers' Mike Port, managing the company as fifth generation director said.

Seven students of the 'Akademie Leonardo' were instructed to keep busy with the theme of banana import from an artistic point of view. For about half a years they have been busy with ideas and the realisation of these ideas. The result was presented at the jubilee celebration as an 88-page book. Instead of a collection of old photographs and stories, as often seen at a jubilee, a unique book of pictures was created. This book in various drawing styles shows various aspects of the banana import.

The guests of the evening had the opportunity to admire the original of the jubilee book at the walls of the Akademie. When departing every visitor of course received a personal copy of the book '100 years of banana import'.