Sarah Griffiths, writing for the UK Daily Mail, examines the history of the Hartley violin and the scientific tests taken to determine its authenticity. The various tests–a CT scan, forensic testing of the metal plate, examination of the wood–along with documentary evidence leads to the conclusion the violin is authentic. Additionally corrosion tests match submersion in seawater. Although the violin was not listed in his personal effects when his body was recovered, it is believed that it was regarded as luggage rather than a personal effect.
Henry Aldridge & Son claims it invested thousands in getting the violin authenticated. And when it goes on the auction block on 19 Oct, they expect to make it all back (and quite a bit more as well). The violin will likely set a new record if it sells for the estimated £4000,000. I suspect it will sell for a lot more than that.
1. Hartley Violin Update Wallace Hartley’s violin will make one last public display before its date with auctioneer Henry Aldridge & Son on 19 Oct. The violin will be going to his hometown (Dewsbury, UK) and on display for one day only on Monday, October 14 in the town hall. A vintage tea room with period music will be setup as well.
Source: Wallace Hartley’s Titanic Violin To Return Home To Dewsbury(1 Oct 2013, Dewsbury Reporter)
2. Rory Golden, who has been on two dives to Titanic, will be giving two talks at the former Harland & Wolff Drawing Office about his experiences diving to Titanic. The first one is scheduled for 17 Oct and the second on 18 Oct. The second talk will include Ralph White, the cameraman who captured the first images of the ship. Full details are available at Titanic Belfast.
Source: Up Close And Personal With Titanic, By The Irishman Who Has Dived The Wreck Twice(2 Oct 2013, Belfast Telegraph)
Photo:Wikipedia
3. Robert Ballard has begun an expedition to investigate major faults and underwater volcanoes in the northern and eastern Caribbean reports The Associated Press. Ballard is overseeing 31 scientists who hope the information they collect will help when natural disasters strike. Remote controlled vehicles will be used to explore the faults and underwater formations.
Source:Titanic Discoverer To Explore Caribbean Faults, Volcanoes(3 Oct 2013, WTVQ)
Photo:Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1968-101-20A / Heinrich Hoffmann / CC-BY-SA
The Times of Israel has an interesting story on Joseph Goebbel’s famously overbudget and scandal plagued Titanic movie. Conceived as a means to convey German heroism while depicting how bad British society and capitalists were, it ended up being banned and shown only in occupied countries. The film had a budget of 4 million reichmarks (around 180 million today). They also diverted resources (men and material) for set construction and for set extras. Stories of partying, the director Herbert Selpin in constant turmoil with producers and actors, and Selpin uttering anti-Nazi comments reached Berlin. Selpin was arrested, interrogated, and was found dead in his cell (suicide but most believe he was murdered ). When Goebbel’s saw the final cut, he was not happy. When production started, Germany was master of Europe. But by late 1942 and 1943, the tide of war had changed. It now was in a two front war, being bombed by the allies, and had suffered some defeats. He banned its showing in Germany but allowed it shown in occupied countries, where it was well received. Then the war ended and the movie faded.
But not the end of the story as Wikipedia notes: Titanic was re-discovered in 1949, but was quickly banned in most western countries. Shortly after the war, the film, dubbed in Russian, was screened across the Eastern Bloc as a “trophy film.” After the 1950s, Titanic went back into obscurity, sometimes showing on German television. In 1992, a censored, low quality VHS copy, was released in Germany. This version deleted the strongest propaganda scenes, which immensely watered down its controversial content. Finally, in 2005, Titanic was completely restored and, for the first time, the uncensored version was released in a special edition DVD by Kino Video.
Four scenes from the movie were incorporated in the 1958 A Night To Remember. Wikipedia says it was of two day scenes of Titanic on calm water, and two clips of an engine room walkway flooding. The restored version is available on Amazon although clips and trailers (and perhaps the full movie as well) are to be found on YouTube.
Up till now, there were no photos of burials at sea done aboard Mackay Bennett when it recovered Titanic victims. Victims who could be identified were brought back for burial by relatives. Those that could not be identified or third class who could not afford a funeral were buried at sea. Now Henry Aldridge and Son, who seem to have a franchise on Titanic memorabilia and rare antiques, have a photo up for auction that shows a mass funeral taking place. The photo was taken by Westy Legate, fourth officer of the ship.
The photo shows body bags on the ship’s deck, two men appearing to tip a stretcher that carries a body into the sea, the ship’s priest Reverend Hind conducting a service, and members of the crew standing nearby.
Apparently another crew member’s family got possession of the photo and are now putting it up for auction. The pre-sale estimate is £5,000 ($8,000). Considering how rare this photo is, that figure seems low for a one-of-a-kind item. Then again it may sell for three times that amount at auction. Henry Aldridge is quoted in the Daily Mail saying:
“This picture blows away the myth that the burials were an orderly and dignified process. You can clearly see the bodies in brown sacks piled up on the deck, with some piled two or three high.”
What myth is he referring to here? Most of the accounts I have read (and admittedly I have not read them all) generally relay it was a mass burial. Now perhaps to console grieving relatives not all details were included (like stacking bodies on the decks) but that is hardly a myth. It is hardly surprising that they would need to stack bodies on the deck, considering the numbers involved. Since it was a burial at sea, this would be a necessity.
The Guardian is reporting that British Advertising Standards Authority has decided not to investigate the ad. “Although the ad would be distasteful to some, it was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence or be generally seen as making light of the lives that were lost in the disaster,” said the ASA. Howard Nelson of Titanic Heritage Trust said he was deeply disappointed in the decision.
My take
The ASA got it right. It is distasteful for some but not for everyone. If someone were game, I would consider a parody Red Bull advert showing Red Bull crates floating in the water being smashed by some large, unnamed ship that looks like it might be Titanic. 🙂
The Guardian is reporting that UK Advertising Standards Authority(ASA) has received 110 complaints regarding a recent advert for Red Bull energy drink. One complaint is from the Titanic Heritage Trust. “”Red Bull is using a tragic event to promote and sell its products without care for the people that were lost,” states Howard Nelson who founded the trust. The advert features a crate containing Red Bull being raised for loading onto a ship. Phillip Littlejohn (a descendent of Titanic survivor Alexander James Littlejohn )states he wants the ad banned.
Trying to get government to shut it down is not the way to go here. You shame them in public and get lots of people to send emails, letters, and even protest outside their offices about the ad. Getting government to shut down the ad smacks of something else, namely censorship. Free speech means just that: you can say dumb things and others have the exact same right to call you nuts for it. Red Bull did not make a patently false claim about their product. Much has been said of the use of their advertising slogan “Red Bull gives you wings” aspect. The cartoon Captain Smith scoffs at the need for wings on his ship. Yet we all know that wings in this sense is not avian wings, but more of the effects of Red Bull on your system. Energy drinks are supposed to lift you up and get you going.
At the same time, when connected to Titanic and its well known story, it does seem to imply it might have an effect. What kind of an effect is never stated. Now if a advert for a helicopter were used to show how they could have saved more lives in 1912, that would make sense (although implausible since that technology did not exist then). It is possible some are filling in what they think the ad is saying rather than what it is not. Does it insult the memory of Titanic? Consider the many Titanic themed t-shirts out there. Some, noted in this blog, have Titanic Swim Team or “Don’t Worry! There is plenty of water for all” emblazoned on them Now those I find more offensive since they trivialize a terrible event where people died.
Red Bull’s strategy to use humor is always a risky move when it comes to historical events or people. For Red Bull it comes down to a simple answer: did it generate more or less sales? If the ad generated controversy and talk but flat sales, then expect the ad to end after its natural course and never be seen again. On the other hand, if people were amused rather than appalled, then perhaps more of these will be coming down the line. Imagine the possibilities. Julius Caesar offered Red Bull before his fateful encounter and laughing the need for wings. Or General Custer being offered a canteen of Red Bull before his infamous battle at Little Big Horn.
BuzzFeed has an interesting post titled “7 Songs About The Titanic That Aren’t “My Heart Will Go On.” It is a compilation of covers for sheet music dedicated to Titanic that came out after the disaster in 1912. Some really neat looking covers. One in particular is My Sweetheart Went Down With The Ship–A Beautiful Song Inspired by the Wreck of the Titanic.
Encyclopedia Titanica has the lyrics to this song (I did not look up the other ones listed at BuzzFeed but they may have them). Like My Heart Will Go On, it is about losing the love of your life when Titanic sank. And in some ways just as haunting:
My sweetheart went down with the ship,
Down to an ocean grave,
One of the heroes who gave his life,
The women and children to save,
Gone but not forgotten….
Titanic II Update: Proof of concept testing for Titanic II has begun at Hamburg Ship Model Basin (HSVA) in Hamburg, Germany. The 9.3 meter model is being tested in a 300 meter tank in tests that include resistance and open water tests. “The Titanic II model was tested by HSVA at speeds of up to 23 knots and this testing is crucial for assessing the speed and power performance of this prototype vessel design,” said Clive Palmer.
Source: Titanic II Model Tested(20 Sep 2013,Daily Telegraph)
Photo:Wikipedia
SS Nomadic Update: Ticket prices for Titanic’s tender SS Nomadic may have reduced admission prices for winter reports BBC News. Since SS Nomadic is a separate exhibit from Titanic Belfast, there has been some criticism that they are not connected in simple admission price. While no reduced price has been finalized, the long term goal is for joint ticketing with Titanic Belfast.
Source: SS Nomadic Ticket Changes Likely(20 Sep 2013,BBC )
Once again a Titanic connected antique turns up…
Photo:Wikipedia
A movie camera that possibly belonged to Titanic second officer Charles Lightoller was among 300 cameras that Roger Lott bought at a clearance for £300. When he brought the cameras back to his shop, he discovered an old movie camera with the name CH Lightoller on it. A friend told him it might be the Titanic second officer. Lott says he has an offer to buy the camera and the British Titanic Society is interested in looking at it. There is also still film in the camera which will require a specialist to handle and develop.
“People think I am mad but if I can trace any living relative who would like to own the camera again then I would like to donate it to Mr Lightoller’s family. It would be nice to return it to where it started life. But the family members I have been able to trace through genealogy websites said: ‘Thank you very much for the offer, however the Titanic has blighted our lives.’ I am not sure what is going to happen to this very special camera at the moment.”
Source: Antiques Collector Finds Camera Once Owned By Officer On Doomed Titanic (20 Sep 2013,WalesOnline)
The violin Wallace Hartley had aboard Titanic is on display today at Titanic Belfast in the second-class accommodation suite until 13 October. This will be the last public showing of the violin as it is scheduled to be auctioned off on 19 October by auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son. It is strongly advised you purchase admission tickets in advance.
The new bandstand in town center will be named for Wallace Hartley and is scheduled to be officially dedicated on 28 Sep with a marble and brass tablet. Hartley’s family were living in the town in 1912 so there is connection to Titanic. Local Dewsbury author Christian Tennyson-Ekbereg, who wrote a Hartley biography, suggested the new bandstand be dedicated to the musician. Coun Kane, chairman of the Dewsbury Regeneration Board, states:
“The bandstand is a great asset for the town and its location gives us the flexibility to use it for both smaller occasions and bigger situations. We are now encouraging people to come forward and use it. We are also hoping to have a Titanic Trail, where people can come to see the bandstand, the intention being that it will attract more shoppers and visitors into the town.”
Sarah Griffiths, writing for the UK Daily Mail, examines the history of the Hartley violin and the scientific tests taken to determine its authenticity. The various tests–a CT scan, forensic testing of the metal plate, examination of the wood–along with documentary evidence leads to the conclusion the violin is authentic. Additionally corrosion tests match submersion in seawater. Although the violin was not listed in his personal effects when his body was recovered, it is believed that it was regarded as luggage rather than a personal effect.
