Category Archives: Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic Authors Week At Titanic Pigeon Forge

Titanic Pigeon Forge Museum
Doug Coldwell

It is Titanic authors week at Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The 7  day booksigning event will allow museum visitors to meet authors, have photos taken with them, and purchase books. The event is being held in the parking lot from 10am-5pm each day. It is free to attend and purchase of books will give a discount on museum admittance. The youngest author is Luke Copas, age 11, who wrote Facts For Kids About The Titanic.

Other noted authors to be present are Daniel Allen Butler, Bruce M. Caplan, Kristen Iversen, Tammy S. Knox, Yvonne Lehman, June Hall McCash,  Lee W. Merideth, Ken Rossignol, Julie Hedgepeth Williams,and Allan Wolf.

Sources
1.Titanic Hosts Authors’ Week In Pigeon Forge(2 April 2013,Local8now)

2.Titanic Museum Pigeon Forge(website)

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic News For April Fools Day

April Fool or Trick or Treat? You decide!

1. Clive Palmer, the same billionaire behind Titanic II, wants to create his own Jurassic Palmer Colossal CrocodilePark but will use robot dinosaurs. According to Daily Mail, he has ordered more than a hundred mechanical dinosaurs from China (could that be aging party members?) to install at his Palmer Coolum Resort. The resort already has a life size T-Rex and a Deinosuchus (the large ancestor of modern day crocodiles) is set to arrive by end of May. Palmer apparently applied to local authorities to turn part of the golf course into a dinosaur park. The robot dinosaurs will be displayed in woodlands and will be animatronic. As people walk by, they will sway their tails, heave chests and blink. No word on sounds but a roar now and then would probably liven things up. Of course they would to be careful not to do that while people are playing golf. Having a dinosaur roar while setting up your shot would be hazard on its own!

Source: Australian Billionaire Reveals Plans For Real Life Jurassic Park Filled With Robot Dinosaurs(1 April 2013,Daily Mail)

2. A remake of James Cameron’s Titanic is being planned, by the famous director has announced. A remake will likely star Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in the lead roles. Palmer hopes the remake will top the original and with the two Twilight stars at the top, ought to draw lots of people in to see the movies.

Source: Titanic Reboot Destined To Sink(1 April 2013, Washington Square News)

 

Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic News For 25 Mar 2013

1. A rare Titanic menu will going on display at Titanic Belfast vistor center starting 26 Mar. The menu, a first class luncheon menu dated 14 April 1912, was in the purse of Titanic survivor Ruth Dodge. Ruth, her husband Dr. Washington Dodge, and their 5 year old son Washington Dodge, Jr. survived. Washington Dodge would commit suicide in 1919.* The menu displays the list of dishes for the final first class luncheon. It was auctioned last year and purchased by Rupert Hunt. Hunt decided he wanted other Titanic enthusiasts to enjoy viewing it. The menu will join other artifacts already on display: Titanic Inquiry Plan, Titanic surgeon Dr. John Simpson’s letter, Harland & Wolff ship launch and salary notebooks.

Source: Belfast Exhibition Visitors Can Feast Their Eyes On New Piece Of Titanic Memorabilia(25 Mar 2013,The Courier)

*Further information on Dr. Washington Dodge can be found at Encyclopedia Titanica.

2. Zombies are popular today (actually they are ghouls rather than the classical zombie) and so it is no surprise someone has penned one dealing with Titanic. Jess d’Arbonne at Examiner.com reviews Deck Z:The Titanic Dead by Chris Pauls and Matt Solomon. A zombie plague breaks out on that fateful voyage and feeds into the modern day zombie plague stories. He gives it a positive review. Just wondering if the next new frontier for zombie fiction will be the land of Oz or perhaps a fairy tale world?

Source: Zombie Book Review: ‘Deck Z’ Brings The Titanic To Unlife(25 Mar 2013,Examiner.com)

3. British drinkers of Titanic Brewery beer can enjoy their pints a bit more these days. The price of a pint had risen due to taxes but thanks to a recent government reversal that lowered taxes, Titanic Brewery lowered its prices. Okay this is not about Titanic but when a government decides to tax less, that is news. Especially if it reduces the cost of a pint by 5p.

Source: Titanic Brewery Cuts The Price Of A Pint!(25 Mar 2013, alittlebitofstone.com)

Last Dinner On the Titanic: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner

Tea on the Titanic: 100 Years Later

Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable. Undead

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Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Friday Titanic Bits & Pieces

1. Titanic:The Artifact Exhibition opens this Saturday at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The exhibit runs from 23 Mar through 27 Oct. It is open daily from 0900 to 1700 (9am-5pm) except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is $18 adults, $15 seniors, and $11 children. The prices include general museum admission.

Source: Titanic Exhibit Opens In ABQ Saturday(20 Mar 2013,Albuquerque Journal)

2. Jewels of Titanic are now on display at Titanic:The Artifact Exhibition at Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas. They will be on display through 31 May. For information about dates, times, and admission prices, go here.

Source: Jewels Belonging To Wealthy Titanic Passengers Now On Display(21 Mar 2013, Lights Vegas Action-blog)

3. Some people are going to call this ironic, others comic. It seems Clive Palmer, the man behind Titanic II, had a slight problem with his super yacht. Aptly named “Maximus,” its crew was forced to call for help when it lost power and started drifting towards rocks at Wavebreak Island in the Gold Coast Broadwater. Emergency crews responded and pulled passengers and crew (wearing lifejackets) to safety. And it is not the first time something like this has happened. A similar Palmer vessel ran aground a year earlier in Gold Coast Broadwater. Let the jokes fly!

Source: Titanic Builder Has Nautical Emergency(22 Mar 2013, Ninemsn)

Time Bandits (Two-Disc Special Edition)

A Night to Remember (Criterion Collection)

Wind

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Hartley’s Violin! Not So Fast Say Skeptics

Various newspapers are reporting that skepticism over the Hartley violin has arisen. To Wallace Hartleyrecap: Henry Aldridge & Sons auctioneers announced that after six years of forensic examination and detective work, they have authenticated a violin owned by Wallace Hartley and was found with his body in 1912. However Karen Kamuda of Titanic Historical Society and Nigel Hampson of Titanic in Lancashire Museum dispute it. Both point out that inventory of items shows no violin was found on his body.

No one is doubting that Hartley owned the violin but whether or not it was the one used aboard Titanic. Aldridge rebuts the charge by pointing out they conducted many tests on the violin (such as chemical), and uncovered a telegram from Maria Robinson to Nova Scotia officials thanking for the violin. Such tests would, I would assume, be available to the museums, exhibitions, and private collectors wanting to make sure the violin is genuine.

So what about the inventory? Well there are two plausible explanations. One is that no violin was found which would cast doubt on the violin in question. The second is that Nova Scotia officials altered the records so that no one would raise any question about a violin being handed over to Miss Robinson. The family likely knew (since she was engaged and purchased the violin for him) and did give her his other personal possessions. In truth, we will never know but the telegram certainly indicates the Nova Scotia officials gave her the violin.

Certainly though raising questions is a good thing to keep things honest in this whole process. While I can see some small operator trying to con a buyer, I doubt Aldridge would do this. The risks are too high with the entire world looking at it under a microscope.

Sources:
1. Authenticity Row Erupts After Violin Played Moments Before The Titanic Sank Is ‘Discovered’ (18 Mar 2013, The Independent)

2. Notes Of Discord Over Soundness Of ‘Titanic Violin’ (19 Mar 2013, Belfast Telegraph)

Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic News for 13 Mar 2013

1. Anna Devine writing in Leavenworth Times about dogs aboard Titanic. One interesting story was that of Rigel, a labrador, who was helpful in getting Carpathia to stop. Rigel was swimming in the water ahead of a lifeboat and his barking alerted Rostron to stop his engines before hitting the lifeboat.

Source: Pet Talk: Hero Dog That Survived The Titanic(12 Mar 2013, Leavenworth Times)

2. RMS Titanic, Inc and Premier Exhibitions are suing Thomas Zaller, Imagine Exhibitions, Inc., and Imagine Exhibitions PTE, Ltd for ” conversion, contractual breach, unjust enrichment, fraud and fraudulent inducement, trade dress (Lanham Act), and misappropriation of trade secrets.” The suit, filed late last month in federal court in Atlanta, Georgia asserts Zeller stole intellectual property from its Titanic Exhibition in Singapore in 2011 to use in competing exhibitions in Macau and other places. Premiere seeks damages for the five counts alleged in its complaint. The complaint was filed on 26 Feb 2013 and Judge William Duffey has been assigned the case.

Source: Titanic Lawsuit Launched To Sink Competing Enterprise(8 Mar 2013, Lexology.com)


Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic II, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic News For 11 Mar 2013

*Anjelica Finore writes in The Quad about her recent visit to the Titanic exhibition at Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. She writes “I searched for my passenger and learned that she survived but her husband did not. I could not help but feel a connection to her.” Indeed many who have visited the exhibition walk away with the same feeling.

For information about dates, times, admission price go to www.fi.edu/titanic/. The exhibition runs till 7 April 2013.

Source: Titanic Exhibit Transports Philly Across Time (10 Mar 2013, Quad)

* Details, details. According ITV, if Titanic II is to follow the footsteps of the original it needs to get permission from Southampton. So far the Associated British Ports(ABP), the port owner, has not been contacted by Palmer’s Blue Star Line. While they have terminals to handle the ship, the original one used by Titanic (Berth 44) has no modern passenger or security facilities. ITV also reports mixed reactions from locals and those connected to Titanic. Bob Prior of British Titanic Society says it is in poor taste. Dot Haisman (her mother was a survivor) believes it will pay tribute to those on board. And Captain Smith’s family is not keen on Titanic II either.

Source: New Titanic Will Need Southampton’s Permission(5 Mar 2013,ITV.com)

*Here are some headlines about Titanic II. Can you guess what they think about it?

With Titanic II’s Maiden Voyage Set For 2016, Maybe We Should Rename It Disaster 2: The Eek-quel (27 Feb 2013, New York Post)

Titanic II: Meet The Worst Sequel Ever(27 Feb 2013, MSN Money)

DALE McFEATTERS: We Need Titanic II Like We Need Hole In Hull (1 Mar 2013,

*There is a funny bit in Ghostbusters II when it is announced that Titanic has docked and the ghosts are getting off!

*It is nearly back!!! Hell’s Kitchen (US) once again brings us weeks of that English chef yelling, screaming, and throwing plates and pans into the garbage as he gets mad at the cheftestants for screwing up scallops and other things. Apparently they have made some changes this year to the format. Gordon Ramsey has turned it into an art as to how many times they have to *bleep* his words out.


Titanic Miscellaneous

A Disgraced Astor Heir and The Case of the Astor Watch

John Jacob Astor IV
Photo Wikipedia

This is like a Perry Mason novel. An heir to John Jacob Astor, Anthony ‘Tony’ Marshall,was convicted in 2009 of conning his mother, Brooke Astor, out of $60 million. He was sentenced to jail but living a quiet life while appealing the conviction. He showed up at the recent bash given by Clive Palmer. While there, he showed off a watch that was recovered from John Jacob Astor’s body and saying he was selling it for $1 million. Marshall claims the watch was given to his mother by her third husband, Vincent Astor. However John Miottel, a collector, claims that he owns the real Astor watch.

Here is the story everyone agrees one.  Astor’s body was found with the gold watch, cuff links, and a ring. Vincent Astor claimed the body in Nova Scotia and wore the watch. He left the watch to his godson, William Dobbyn V. After that the story changes. Elizabeth Dobbyn auctioned the watch in 1997 where Miottel bought it. In Marshall’s story, the watch was never auctioned off and given to his mother by Vincent Astor. So we are left with two Astor watches but only one of them can be the real deal. Miottel claims he documentation to prove its authenticity. The New York Post saw the documentation showing it had been auctioned by Brunk Auctions in Ashland, N.C.

So on one hand you have a real estate magnate who collects luxury ocean-liner memorabilia with documentation to prove his claim. And on the other you have someone convicted of defrauding his mother of $60 million, first-degree grand larceny, and scheming to defraud who says the watch came from Vincent Astor to his mother. The Gothamist has a good retort to make Marshall’s alleged Astor watch more valuable: “Just have it sink with the obviously doomed Titanic II and then fish it back up again.”

Sources:

1. Astor Pariah’s Titanic Greed (28 Feb 2013, New York Post)

2. Astor’s Son Accused Of Hawking Fake Heirlooms To Titanic II Partiers(5 Mar 2013 ,Gothamist)

3. Brooke Astor’s Disgraced Son Is ‘Selling A Fraudulent Titanic Heirloom Pocket Watch For $1M And Claiming It Is The One Worn By John Jacob Astor To His Death’(5 Mar 2013, Daily Mail)

Titanic Miscellaneous

Real Science:New Robot Advances Underwater Research

With all the talk of Titanic II lately, it is forgotten there are still important things being done to advance underwater exploration. Like at the University of Delaware where they are testing a small Remotely Operated Vehicle. According to The Review,the ROV “has a front camera, a frontward high definition camera, a rear camera and sonar capabilities and is controlled by a joystick, which moves it to the front, back and side to side, while other buttons control the angle of the machine and cameras. The robot requires additional work for the sonar software and incoming data collection, as he says other people are required for such operations.”

And yes there is a Titanic connection of sorts (aside from the obvious ROV use). This ROV will be used in July to locate shipwrecks off Cape Henlopen in Delaware and then head off to the Aegean near Turkey to work with Robert Ballard.

Source: New Robot Advances Underwater Research (4 Mar 2013,The Review)

Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Sunday Titanic News

1. Campaign To Keep Colne’s Titanic Museum Afloat (24 Feb 2013, Lancashire Telegraph)
Colne’s Titanic in Lancashire Museum has launched a fundraising campaign to keep the attraction open. The museum is seeking £2,000 in funding to keep it going for another 12 months. They are seeking pledges from people who want to be support the facility through the ‘Please Fund Us’ charity website. Nigel Hampson, curator of the museum, said: “The Titanic In Lancashire Museum tells the story of the greatest sea disaster in history and the many Lancashire people who were caught up in this most iconic event. Anybody interested in supporting the museum should visit www.pleasefund.us/projects/titanic-in-lancashire-museum.

2. Titanic Artifacts Will Be On Display In New Mexico(24 Feb 2013, ABQ Journal)
And starting March 23, New Mexicans will, for the first time, be able to see that bar of soap and more than 120 other artifacts recovered from the vessel that still sits, broken in two, about 375 miles south of Newfoundland on a seabed miles below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. I think just how hard it is for a bar of soap to stay together for more than 70 years,” said Alexandra Klingelhofer, vice president of collections for Premier Exhibitions, the company that owns the archive. “That’s the story of Titanic. It’s that kind of connection that brings it home.” New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science staff is “all hands on deck” for the upcoming exhibit, called “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” which will showcase the rise and fall of the British passenger liner that was on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City when it struck an iceberg and sank.

Exhibit info: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 23 Mar-27 Oct, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Tickets go on sale 15 Mar at NMNaturalHistory.org.

3. Funny or Ironic, You Decide
Whateverblog.dallasnews.com picked up funny picture from Facebook. Apparently a Titanic 3D Closed Water Damageplanned showing of Titanic 3D  was cancelled due to “water ingress.” I assume that means either a burst pipe or other water damage. At least no ark was necessary.

4. Titanic Cliche Alert: The Ikley Gazzette (UK) reports that Councillor Adrian Naylor called London relocating poor families to Bradford District akin to shifting deckchairs on Titanic. He said: “This doesn’t help Bradford in any way, shape or form. It is just like shifting deckchairs on the Titanic.” Okay,you own it. I suppose the “lifeboats” are the housing units that will never be or something similar. When will politicians learn to leave Titanic alone?