Category Archives: Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Sunday Titanic News

Happy Sunday
Happy Sunday

1.Update on recovered Titanic plaque
A long lost memorial plaque to Titanic musicians that was found in a scrapyard in Naples, Florida has been rededicated at Titanic The Experience this past Thursday and is on display. Doug Turner, who bought the plaque for $138, discovered it had been commissioned in 1912 by Musical Mutual Protective Union and had been in the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. It then disappeared and all attempts to locate it were unsuccessful. Apparently it ended in at the scrapyard through a construction worker who sold it to them while heading down to Miami.

The plaque has a sculpting of a muse, lyre, a small iceberg, and the first four musical bars of Nearer My God To Thee. All eight musicians who perished are listed. It will be on display at Titanic Experience for six months.

Source: Titanic Experience Rededicates Musicians Plaque Honoring Those On Doomed Ship(15 Aug 2013,Orlando Sentinel)

2. Lucky 16-Year Old Joins Ballard On Week Long Expedition
C.B.Wren, a 16-year old sophomore at Augusta Preparatory Day School, was chosen by National Eagle Scout Association to represent the Boy Scouts aboard Ballard’s exploration vessel Nautilus. Wren joins other students and educators for the week long exploration of Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

Source: Augusta Prep Student On Expedition With Titanic Discoverer(15 Aug 2013,Augusta Chronicle)

3. Okay you have heard the joke “the fish was this big….” but this one is likely for real according to the Huffington Post. Marco Liebenow was fishing off the coast of Norway where he caught a 515 pound halibut in July. 515 pounds is a lot of fish and you just cannot reel it in like a normal fish. It had to be dragged back to harbor alongside the schooner. The current world record is 459 pounds for a Pacific halibut caught in 1996 in Alaska. The International Game Fishing Association will have to officially determine it’s a record holder. So what do you do with a 515 halibut? That is a lot of fish and chips!
Source:515-Pound Halibut Caught By Marco Leibenow Near Norway May Be World Record(17 Aug 2013, Huffington Post)

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Monday Titanic Tidbits

Lady Duff Gordon (1919)
Photo:Wikipedia

*A kimono style robe worn by Lady Duff Gordon on the night Titanic sank has been acquired at auction by National Museums Northern Ireland. The robe is now on display at Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

Source: Titanic Survivor’s Luxury Robe Joins Exhibition(12 Aug 2013,News Letter)

*The annual Crosslake Cardboard Races at Moonlite Bay Family Restaurant in Crosslake, Minnesota took place Saturday. Harv’s Baby won the Titanic Award after their dramatic sinking. All caught on video and now for the world to see via YouTube.

Source: Crosslake Cardboard Boat Races(11 Aug 2013,Brainerd Dispatch)

Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Sunday Titanic Newswrap

Photo courtesy George Behe
Photo courtesy George Behe

1. Crain’s Detroit Business examines the possible sale of the Titanic artifacts and who might be in the running to buy it. Candidates are Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA; Titanic Belfast museum (Belfast, N.I), and the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas along with some very wealthy individuals. I would add, considering the interest of bringing Titanic II to UAE, that wealthy business people from there are also interested. Some might scoff at that but remember they have lots of money to spend and are tightly connected to their government (in some cases, they are actually in it). Having genuine Titanic artifacts on display would be a huge tourist draw.

A good portion of the article is divided between what the valuation might be for shareholders and a examination of Mark Sellers III, who took control of Premiere some years ago after getting frustrated with it’s then leadership. Sellers tells Crain’s he is in no rush to sell quick but admits there is pressure to do so. You think? Look at how much time has passed since the salvage award came down till now. At first it seemed like things might be proceeding towards a sale and then it just stopped. This year we finally learned this mysterious consortium that signed a non-binding letter of intent could not get the money. Shareholders thought they would be reaping benefits right now and have not. Sooner or later patience will run out if Seller’s cannot get the sale done. I see lawsuits and demands for transparency about the sale coming soon if nothing happens in six months.

Source: Buyer Sought For Titanic Artifacts; One Estimate: $189 Million(11 Aug 2013,Crain’s Detroit Business)

2. You learn of people finding something spectacular in garage sales or scrap yards, but this is the first I think for a Titanic plaque. Doug Turner spotted something dusty and dirty with “Titanic” on it. He bought it for $138 and cleaned it up. Turns out it is a memorial plaque for Titanic’s musicians. He found after checking it out online that it was really one of one. A photo he saw of it in a Titanic book said its whereabouts were unknown. It was was last seen in 1982.That is when he learned it was something really special–a genuine Titanic artifact of that time. Turner, who is in law enforcement, is making sure it cannot be stolen by Titanic fortune seekers. As to its worth, he has no idea but one can fairly guess since it is one of a kind it would fetch a very high price at a Titanic auction. For now he is not interested in selling it. It is currently on loan to Titanic Experience in Orlando where it will be shown next week.

Sources:
1. Titanic Artifact Found In Naples Scrapyard(9 Aug 2013,WFTX-TV)

2. Plaque With Ties To The Titanic Ends Up In Naples Scrap Yard(9 Aug 2013,WINK)

3. The Titanic exhibit in St.Claire, MI which ended on 27 Jul had 4,2000 visitors and brought in $75,000 for the  St. Clair Endowment Fund. The exhibit focused on the engineering behind the construction and included an18 foot long model of the ship done by Gary Kohs. His model has won praise for its accuracy. Kohs began designing the model in 1997 and completed in 2002. According to Randy Maiers, president of the endowment fund, they had people from all over the country came to the exhibit at the Moore Boathouse.

Source:Titanic Exhibit Money Goes To St. Clair Fund(7 Aug 2013,Times Herald)

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic News for 1 Aug 2013

Well August has finally rolled in meaning soon summer vacations are heading to a close. Schools in many places start up towards the end of the month. Kids count down those days as each day means one day less to play around. Titanic news has been a little quiet, usually is during the summer. Probably because so many people are busy doing other things. Except of course here at Titanic News Channel where we are also looking for interesting Titanic stories.

Titanic Belfast (side view)1. Titanic Belfast has hit a milestone when it went over a million visitors. The one millionth visitor was family from Country Kildare, Ireland according to BBC News. Needless to say, the people behind Titanic Belfast are quite happy that it has exceeded expectations.

Source: Titanic Belfast Has Had More Than 1m Visitors Since Opening (30 Jul 2013,BBC)

2. Spas are very popular these days and a special treat for many. One such is Titanic Spa in West Yorkshire, England. The name Titanic does not come from the ship but from a woolen mill that used to be located there (and built in 1911). It advertises itself as an eco spa, meaning of course it is very chic, modern, and costs lots of money. As Roger St. Pierre wrote recently in Belfast Telegraph:

Those opting to overnight or spend a few days will find the apartment-style accommodations spacious and uncluttered, with high ceilings, huge windows and spacious private balconies and a lot of white and cream paint, creating a fresh, light-infused ambiance that puts you straight into a relaxed frame of mind. Breakfast baskets await in the kitchenette. Beds are big and exquisitely comfortable. This all makes an irresistible excuse for a self-indulgent breakfast in bed.

While the ship may not have inspired the name, they clearly borrowed some of its style.

Source: Titanic Spa: Pampering In The Pennines(29 Jul 2013,Belfast Telegraph)

Warning! Titanic Cliche Ahead
Warning! Titanic Cliche Ahead

3. Titanic Cliche Alert! This just in from Finland:
Union leader Antti Rinne pulled no punches in his assessment of the performance of the country’s business elite during the ongoing economic crunch. Rinne accused business leaders of behaving like first class passengers of the sinking Titanic, who thought only of their own welfare during a crisis. “Like the Titanic in its time, life boats are primarily reserved for the cream of society. Ordinary people are being left to battle with the cold water or then to face death,” Rinne declared.

We got Titanic, lifeboats, people being tossed into water. Wait a minute! That was Titanic in 1912 not Finland in 2013. Once again someone attempts to misuse Titanic for political points and fails. We would award Rinne our famous, never duplicated, Fractured Finger Award but we doubt it would make it past customs.
Source: Union Leader Warns Elite Against Abandoning The Less Privileged(27 Jul 2013,UUTISET)

4. Why is Titanic still popular? There have been many, sometimes even more heartbreaking, sinkings before and after 1912. The reasons for its popularity are many but apparently Stephen Brown (University of Ulster), Pierre McDonagh (Dublin City University), and Clifford J. Shultz, II (Loyola University Chicago) decided to study Titanic’s popularity. Their work appeared recently in Journal of Consumer Research. According to the write-up in Science Codex, it is the various questions left unanswered that give Titanic is ongoing appeal.

“The Titanic represents a marketing bonanza for movie makers, memorabilia sellers, tourist attraction managers, and many more. This casts doubt on the long-standing assumption that brand identities should be clear, concise, coherent, and consistent. Clarity is overrated. Imprecision is underappreciated. Legendary brands need both,” the authors conclude.

Now the study is focused on the consumer appeal and why it draws so many to see movies and exhibits. From a marketing standpoint (this is a business not historical study), understanding how brands become legendary is important. Titanic, they argue, became legendary because of so many unanswered questions as to its demise. It is what Walter Lord called the famous What Ifs? If that is the case, then clear brand identities are not always going to work. Imprecise and ambiguous might work as well. How does that play the marketplace? Well if you plan to market something, sometimes the precise will not work but making it seem legendary in some fashion might sell it. Marketing gurus already, I think, know this but it is very hard to put into practice. It requires some very clever thinking and strategy behind it (or you end up burned like Coca-Cola did with its famous New Coke that enraged consumers).

Source:  Legendary Brands: Why Are Consumers Still Fascinated By The Titanic?(26 Jul 2013,Science Codex)

 

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Saturday Scramble

Palmer Colossal Crocodile*Clive Palmer’s robotic dinosaur park has been approved but not without vocal opposition by local residents reports Fox News. Palmer had sought approval for erecting up to 160 animatronic dinosaurs at his Coolum Resort. The exhibit will include “five Tyrannosaurus rex robots, the largest towering at 8.5 metres (28 feet) in height.” The dinosaur robots will be able to blink their eyes and move their tales.

Source: Green Light For Titanic Tycoon’s Aussie Dinosaur Park(25 Jul 2013,Fox News)

*Belfast’s Titanic Quarter has exceeded all expectations reports The Telegraph. Titanic Quarter is being designed as a place for education, residential, and entertainment growth. 185 acres are being converted into the largest urban waterfront with Belfast Titanic being a major draw with over 800,000 visitors in the first year.

The Quarter is also home to the Northern Ireland Science Park – 24 acres of office and R&D space, currently housing more than 100 indigenous and international organisations – and Titanic Studios, one of Europe’s largest TV and movie production sets. Premier Inn, the first of five planned hotels, is already achieving high levels of occupancy and around 1,000 people are living in the first residential phase of the development.

Source: Belfast’s Titanic Quarter Exceeds Expectations(26 Jul 2013,The Telegraph)

*Many are surprised to learn there was a black family traveling aboard Titanic, and were second class passengers. Joseph Laroche was traveling aboard Titanic with his family (his wife and two children;his wife was pregnant with a third child). Born in Haiti in 1886, he migrated to France in 1901 (at age 15) to study engineering. After obtaining his degree, he found racial discrimination got in his way of a high paying job. His second daughter Louise was born prematurely and had medical problems. With his wife pregnant, Laroche decided to return to Haiti with his pregnant wife. Since he wife was white, the couple got stares and rude comments aboard Titanic. When disaster struck, he made sure his wife and children were placed on a lifeboat (possibly lifeboat 14). Joseph Larouche perished when Titanic sank.

Source: Titanic Black Passengers: Joseph Laroche, Unknown Facts(26 Jul 2013, Examiner.com)

Further information:
Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche (Encyclopedia Titanica)


Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Wednesday Titanic Newswrap

1. Titanic II Update According to Arabianbusiness.com, United Arab Emirates (UAE) firms are in talks with Clive Palmer to license use of Titanic II in UAE.. And they are also hoping to convince Palmer to bring Titanic II to Dubai after construction is complete. So far the talks are in the early stages and no firm decisions have been made yet.

Source: UAE Firms In Talks To Bring Titanic II Replica Ship To Dubai (24 July 2013,Arabianbusiness.com)

Grand Staircase RMS Olympic2. Are the days of Edwardian ship classes returning? Well not quite but many cruise ships are creating new spaces for people with lots of disposable income. They will have their own areas to dine, entertainment, and exercise areas. In short, they will avoid the common areas and be in areas off limits to other passengers. Is this trend permanent? Well there have always been exclusive country club like cruise ships or yachts around for a while. Now some of the big guys want some of that action because those people will spend lots of money for the deluxe or supreme class that will be offered to them. In short, they are responding to market demand. Still it is understandable why people are just a bit nervous. And no doubt some cruise lines would like to do what airlines have done by making people flying coach wishing they had wings to fly in often cramped and uncomfortable seats.

Source: Are Classes Of Travel On Board Coming Back Into Cruising?(24 Jul 2013, etravelblackboard.com)


Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Monday Titanic Newswrap

1. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition will end its run at Atlantic Station (Atlanta, GA) on 18 August. For tickets, hours of operation, and other information go to TitanicAtlanta.com.

Source: Titanic Exhibition To Close Aug. 18 At Atlantic Station(20 Jul 2013,Atlanta Intown)

2. TripAdvisor reviews of Titanic Museum in Branson, MO are mostly positive. 1,137 reviews this far and 732 have an excellent review, 294 say it was very good, and the rest falls between average to terrible(20 rated it as poor,11 as terrible). Some complaints concerned price, being overcrowded, not being geared to children. I took a look at the admission prices listed at the website and they do seem pricey. Then again this is a speciality exhibition so generally prices are often high. I did notice there is a discount running through July for online ticket ordering. Is it worth going? Only you can decide that.

Source: TripAdvisor.com-Attraction Review Titanic Museum (Branson, MO)

Photo: Wikipedia
Photo: Wikipedia

3. Finding links to Titanic are something many want to find. Consider a house in Brooklyn Heights, New York. Built in 1888 by noted architect Frank Freeman, it was owned by industrialist Herman Behr and his family. One of the sons, Karl, was aboard Titanic and survived. The story here is that Karl bought a Titanic ticket to be close to Helen Newsom, a gal he had a romantic interest in. Her family though did not like him much and tried to dissuade the courtship. According to his words later, Behr proposed to Newsom while they were in a lifeboat (they were married a year later). So that is the connection to Titanic as the house was sold years later and later became the Palm Hotel, a place of ill repute. The area itself became known for its rowdy taverns and bars that were filled often with sailors and others who worked in the area. Then it was purchased by the Franciscan order in 1961 for religious housing but later converted into rental housing.

Source: The Brooklyn Apartments That Have A Titanic History(21 Jul 2013, Gothamist)

For information on Karl Behr, visit Encylopedia Titanica for biographical sketch.


Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Friday Titanic Newswrap

1. Titanic II Update
Blue Star Line, the company behind Titanic II construction, announced Lloyd’s Register will review Titanic II design and safety features.  Lloyd’s Register, founded 1760, is a maritime organization that provides risk assessment and certification for ships, related accessories, and installations. There is a Wikipedia entry and Lloyd’s Register has a website here.

Source: Lloyds Register To Review Titanic Designs(18 Jul 2013, eTravel Blackboard)

snow scene2. Orlando Titanic Exhibit Makes Snow
Yes, for real according to a recent news report and from their own website. On 25 Jul 2013, they will host “Titanic Melt” in the parking lot of  Titanic: The Experience from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.. Here is what they say it is all about:

Titanic The Experience is hosting a way for people to cool off this summer with the “Titanic Melt”. Titanic The Experience is one of the coolest places in town with its own iceberg in the exhibit. To showcase its frostiness, Titanic The Experience will host a snow day complete with ice carving and real snow.

Well as gimmicks go not too bad. At least they are not using a Titanic slide.

Further info at Titanic:The Experience

3. Cardboard Regatta Features Titanic Award
The annual Crazy Cardboard Regatta will be held this Saturday at the  Voice of America MetroPark in West Chester, Ohio. Last minute registrations will be taken between 8 a.m.-11:00 a.m. For information about the event and the location, go to butlercountymetroparks.org/voa.asp. And yes the regatta has a Titanic award for the best sinking. Good luck to all!

Source: Crazy Cardboard Regatta(18 Jul 2013, kypost.com)

4. Revisiting Lunar Theory On Titanic Sinking
Readers will recall that back in 2013 astronomers at Texas State University that a rare lunar event contributed to Titanic’s demise. The moon and sun lined up in such a way as create a spring tide. Now assuming this to be true and enhanced tides were created, moving icebergs still would pose a problem. According to an article in Hydro International:

As Greenland icebergs travel southward, many become stuck in the shallow waters off the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland. Normally, icebergs remain in place and cannot resume moving southward until they’ve melted enough to refloat or a high enough tide frees them. A single iceberg can become stuck multiple times on its journey southward, a process that can take several years. But the unusually high tide in January 1912 would have been enough to dislodge many of those icebergs and move them back into the southbound ocean currents, where they would have just enough time to reach the shipping lanes for that fateful encounter with the Titanic.

So if there was an unusual spring tide in 1912, it would have been enough to move a lot icebergs into the ocean currents that many steamships used back then. Does not change what happened later but provides an answer as to why so many icebergs were around at the time.

Source: Fate Titanic Linked to Lunar Event(15 Jul 2013, Hydro International )

5. Titanic video
Here is an interesting clip from National Geographic’s Titanic at 100. The CGI shows with newer information how Titanic likely sank.

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

 

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic Newswrap

(Photo Courtesy George Behe)
(Photo Courtesy George Behe)

1. Premier Exhibitions, which bills itself as “a leading presenter of museum-quality touring exhibitions around the world” has announced its first quarter earnings for 2014. Bad news for shareholders. Total revenue was down by 22% compared to last year at this time. Gross profits decreased as well. Average attendance at exhibitions were down and ticket prices decreased by 9.6%. Hurricane Sandy shut down the South Street Seaport in New York City which impacted income. Some new exhibitions being planned: exhibition featuring characters from movie Ice Age and an artifact based one called City of Pompeii, Italy. As for the Titanic artifact sale, this is what was announced:

The previously announced group of individuals (the “Consortium”) that entered into a non-binding letter of intent with the Company on October 15, 2012 to affect a purchase of the stock of RMS Titanic, Inc. remains active. While the Consortium, which is based in the Hampton Roads region of southeast Virginia, has made progress in aligning the necessary resources, the effort is not complete. Given the amount of time that has passed since the LOI was signed, the Company has decided to pursue other strategic alternatives to maximize the value of the Titanic assets in parallel with continued discussions with the Consortium.

In other words, thanks for the interest but we are moving on. Give us a call if you get the money.

Source: Press Release-Premier Exhibitions Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2014 Results(11 Jul 2013,Global Newswire via Yahoo)

2. Marshall Weiss, editor of The Dayton Jewish Observer, was recently awarded The Jacob Rader Marcus Award for Journalistic Excellence in American Jewish History for an article series called “Kosher Titanic – and other Jewish Connections to the Ill-fated Liner.”

The series included stories about a Jewish survivor who returned to Manchester, England, to open a kosher butcher shop; the burial of Jewish survivors at Halifax, and a Jewish baby boy separated from his mother on the night of the sinking, and then reunited with her on the Carpathia. The series was picked up by most major Jewish newspapers across the U.S., and on the Times of Israel website in 2012.

Source: Dayton Jewish Observer Publisher Honored For His Work(17 Jul 2013, Dayton Daily News)

3.  Titanic shows up at county fairs and summer events in different ways. Cardboard regattas (or other similar floatable ideas) take place with awards for the most creative and dramatic sinking. Sometimes it shows up as a 12-foot replica at the Sullivan County Fair in Indiana. Rob Overton is an EMT by trade by got fascinated by Titanic when it was found in 1985. He first built a 40 inch model but he did not like it. So using original drawings he made a 12-foot replica which now can be seen at the county fair. While he has other items in his Titanic exhibit, the replica is the centerpiece.

Source: Titanic Exhibit at Sullivan County Fair Features 12-Foot Replica(16 Jul 2013, My Wabash Valley)

4. Titanic musicals are popular too from news reports I have been reading. Titanic: The Musical performing at the Harrisburg Christian Performing Arts Center in Middletown, PA has got some very good reviews.

Source:  ‘Titanic the Musical’ staged at Harrisburg Christian Performing Arts Center(16 Jul 2013, Patriot-News)

5. Back in the 1980’s The Bangles were a hot group with four talented female singers. Some of their more popular songs were Manic Monday, Walk Like An Egyptian, Going Down To Liverpool, Hero Takes A Fall, and Eternal Flame. They broke up in the early 1990’s but reunited again around the start of the new century. A recent album Sweetheart of the Sun brings them back to their roots. Their talent has not dimmed over the years and are strong as ever. Susanna Hoffs (incorrectly called the lead singer even though everyone sang in their albums) has some excellent solo work as well. Her album Someday is well worth listening too. Some people wondered if she was any good outside of The Bangles and this album ought to settle any doubts. She is undeniably talented and the range of songs prove it. One song, Picture Me, is a video on Vevo (and can be seen on YouTube).