Titanic: Lingering Images

Titanic. Put that into a search engine and you get a lot back. Lots of sites to explore devoted to the subject (shameless plug alert for Titanic News Channel) along with sites that incorporate it in some fashion. Of course the entertainment news sites are full of stuff about the stars of that Cameron movie and what they think today about their roles. The movie is still widely popular and many will likely see the 3-D version. It is a visually stunning movie with perhaps the best recreation of what the ship and people looked like in 1912.

The 100th anniversary has come and gone. And yet people still flock to Titanic Belfast and other Titanic connected sites and exhibits. The question I posed in 2012 still holds true today: Why Does Titanic Still Grab Us? I said back then that a National Geographic documentary provided a clue and that is images linger long after leaving. And with Titanic its images remain with us. There are a lot to choose from: photos of the ship, the crew, the passengers, stories of their lives, the names of the band that played on that fateful night. The list goes on. The image of the  grand ship stays with us because it has so many stories to tell and those stories have images that linger.

There have been numerous books on Titanic to keep those images such as  Walter Lord’s  A Night To Remember (and later its sequel The Night Lives On) that connect us to what happened in 1912.  And the movies that follow bring it even more alive in the big screen. Add to it the Titanic memorials and exhibits all over the world. Some ask why this ship is remembered while other maritime disasters with great loss of lift isn’t. The images linger.

Some images provoke disagreement. To salvage or not or was Captain Stanley Lord a villain? The images of the wreck itself are testament to the final outcome. It lies, broken in two, two miles below the surface of the ocean. And it is slowly being claimed by the sea. The artifacts brought up by the various salvage expeditions will soon be all the remains of that once great ship. At Titanic memorials on land and sea, people will remember those who died on Titanic. We know it ought not to have happened. So many what-ifs could have changed the outcome but they all added up to the same deadly outcome for over 1500 people.

The images linger.

Titanic mural at Newtownards Road and Dee Street in Belfast, NI. (Andy Welsh,http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallrevolution/68715920/)
Titanic mural at Newtownards Road and Dee Street in Belfast, NI.
(Andy Welsh,http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallrevolution/68715920/)

Titanic’s Last Stop:Queenstown(now Cobh),Ireland

Cobh (formerly Queenstown) Ireland was the final stop for Titanic before setting off to New York. Titanic arrived on 11 April at 11:30 a.m and took on 120 passengers. One notable person to depart was Francis Brown (later Father Brown,SJ)whose photographs of the ship on its only sailing would become an important historical artifact.

Titanic at Cobh Harbor, 11 April 1912 Public Domain (Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh, Ireland)
Titanic at Cobh Harbor, 11 April 1912
Public Domain (Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh, Ireland)

Rare Titanic Letter Up For Auction

A letter written aboard Titanic by James Danby before it sailed from Southampton is up for auction on 23 April. Danby went aboard to see his wife’s uncle and employer Adolphe Saalfeld. Saalfeld was going to America to sell essential oils to clients, survived the sinking but his satchel containing the glass vials and other things was left behind. It would not be found until 2000 by the submersible Mir 1. Danby, who had migrated to Britain from Germany, would be interned for the duration of World War I. After the war he relocated to Amsterdam and ran a successful business until the Germans invaded in 1940. Being Jewish made him a target and he was eventually arrested in 1943 and sent to Sobibor. He would be killed along with Rose and her mother Clara. His daughters Margaret and Ellen survived the war and went to Canada. Danby’s grandaughter Petra Burka would represent Canada in the 1964 Winter Olympics and bring home the bronze for figure skating.

Well known Titanic auctioneer Henry Aldridge & Son is holding the auction. The letter is expected to fetch between $14,117 to $21,175.

Source:First Letter Written Onboard The Titanic Up For Sale (Foxnews.com,8 April 2016)

Video:Construction and Launch of RMS Olympic In 1910

The opening scene of A Night To Remember has Titanic being officially christened. In reality, Harland & Wolff never had such ceremonies for launching ships they constructed. If the ship were important enough, they might invite certain important people to watch its launch. Usually it would be just the workers and those who designed the ship at Harland & Wolff to be in attendance. Here is a video that shows the construction of RMS Olympic and its launch.

Update(s):Premier Exhibitions

PremierExhibitionslogoWhen we last checked in on Premier, the acquisition of Dinoking had been completed and Daoping Bao was now the chairman. In a recent filing to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, Adam Bradley reported a letter sent to the Premier board of directors. As his firm has over 5% interest in the company, he expresses what he expects from the new management.

“I believed then that fixing the current operations and monetizing the assets would be difficult but achievable. However, I feel that the current muddled strategy, a lack of progress with execution, inadequate reporting, and poor communication to shareholders have driven Premier off track. I believe these factors are also contributing to the severe depression in the market valuation of our company. It is my objective to drive accountability and at the same time assist leadership in restoring value through a more effective strategy.”

He wants the board to end unprofitable exhibits that have resulted in lost revenue and impacting the company’s ability to have sustained profits. He argues that getting rid of expensive leases, though a challenge, ought to be pursued. And he hopes to work with the company to achieve these ends.

The letter is part of the 13D filing made by AJB Capital to the U.S Securities & Exchange Commission.

AJB 13D filing
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/796764/000119312516519003/d123837dsc13d.htm

AJB Letter to Premier Exhibitions Board
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/796764/000119312516519003/d123837dex99b.htm
– – –

A recent 13-D filing by Premier discloses the identities of the merger group and the terms they will operate under. Missing is the disclosure information for Mandra Forestry Limited, a British Virgin Islands registered company, that owns 8.3% of the stock. What is missing is the source of their funds. “We have requested on numerous occasions but not received confirmation from Mandra Forestry Limited” states the filing. Perhaps it means something or perhaps not. It is curious that this information has not been forthcoming from them.

SEC EDGAR 13D filing
3/31/2016
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/796764/000114420416091888/v424531_sc13d.htm

Video: Hornblower Boat Crashes Into Pier

It is just another golden California day: pleasantly warm, sunny, and a great day to do some whale watching near San Diego. You hop on the Hornblower and have a great time. Now you are heading back to shore. The kids are excited and you are too. After all, a nice afternoon meal and strolling looking at the sights awaits. Looking ahead, you see the dock and soon the boat will be pulling up along side it. Then you notice something strange. The boat is not slowing down as it would normally. Suddenly crew begin to shout “brace yourself” and then……..

Source: Hornblower Crashes Into Downtown Pier (San Diego Union Tribune, 31 Mar 2016)