Tag Archives: news

Harland & Wolff Owed £160 Million;Institutional Buyer Snatches Large Parts of Collection; Rolex Watches That Visited Titanic Up for Auction

Ricketts, Colin. “‘Institutional Buyer’ Swoops but Leaves Titanic Haul for Collectors in Shipwreck Sale.” JustCollecting News. Last modified November 1, 2024. https://news.justcollecting.com/institutional-buyer-swoops-but-leaves-titanic-haul-for-buyers-in-shipwreck-sale/.

Lay’s Auctioneers of Penzanze posted this statement to their website just a week before the Charlestown Shipwreck Museum Sale was due to start on November 6. “We are pleased to announce that an institutional home has been found for many of the most important shipwreck artefacts from Charlestown’s incredible collection. Before this shock news, over 7,000 items from the Shipwreck Treasure Museum had been due to sell in 1,260 lots. Now 500 have been removed. A piece of coal from the legendary liner is still on sale with a £400 – £600 estimate. And those fascinated by the disaster-struck vessel can bid for models expected to realise, respectively, up to £800 and as much as £1,200 at sale. The lots listed still constitute a major maritime sale. They include guns, diving suits, uniforms and many ship parts.

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Harland & Wolff David and Goliath crane in Belfast, 2006
Plastic Jesus (Dave) via Wikimedia Commons

Robinson, Jon. “Huge Debts at Titanic Shipbuilder Harland & Wolff Revealed.” City AM. Last modified October 31, 2024. https://www.cityam.com/huge-debts-at-titanic-shipbuilder-harland-wolff-revealed/.

Titanic shipbuilder Harland & Wolff owed more than £160m when it collapsed into administration last month, it has been revealed. Teneo was appointed to oversee the process at the 162-year-old holding company in September while its subsidiary firms, including its prized Belfast shipyard, will continue to trade under the control of the directors. “Whilst the group delivered revenue growth, it was slower than required and a recent large contract win was not expected to become profitable in the near term. “As a result, during 2024 the group had an increasing short-term liquidity requirement alongside a significant level of creditor arrears.”

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“Certificate of Origin: This coal was recovered from the wreck of R.M.S. Titanic during the 1994 Titanic Research and Recovery Expedition. Object No. 94/0036. Authenticated by the signature of President, RMS Titanic, Inc.; Captain, IFREMER.” Exhibited at the National Shipwreck Museum in Charlestown, Cornwall, South West England. [This is the coal up for auction.]
Image: Ben Sutherland via Wikimedia Commons. Posted originally on Flickr.

Paul, Andrew. “A Hunk of Coal From the Titanic Could Fetch $780 at Auction.” Popular Science, October 29, 2024. https://www.popsci.com/science/shipwreck-auction-titanic-coal/.

It’s unlikely that much else from the Titanic’s wreckage will ever return to the surface, although a number of artifacts have been salvaged since the famous ocean liner’s rediscovery in 1985. Now, one of those pieces of history is headed to auction—a hunk of coal originally intended as fuel for the 882-foot-long vessel’s boilers. The massive archeological trove previously resided at the UK’s Shipwreck Treasure Museum near St. Austell, Cornwall. Although its owners attempted to find a buyer for the institution earlier this year, no one appears ready to shell out the listing’s roughly $2.5 million price tag. Speaking with The Guardian on October 27th, David Lay of Lay’s Auctioneers helped contextualize the significance of his company’s impending event lots, including a length of rope recovered from King Henry VIII’s Tudor flagship, the Mary Rose.

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Davis, Johnny. “For Sale: Rolex Watches That Have Been to the Titanic.” Esquire, October 29, 2024. https://www.esquire.com/uk/watches/a62746931/for-sale-rolex-watches-that-have-been-to-the-titanic/.

The second watch was gifted to Giddings by a Rolex employee and prominent diver called T. Walker Lloyd. The pair had become friends after Giddings had begun documenting the research of the marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle. Giddings’s photography was used by Rolex to launch its working relationship with Dr. Earle. (Giddings provided it for free.) Now both of Giddings’ Submariners are up for auction at Sotheby’s. The December sale is being overseen by Geoff Hess. The steel ref. 1680 has an estimate of $20,000-$40,000. His yellow gold ref. 1680/8 has an estimate of $30,000-$60,000. The sale takes place on 6 December in New York.

Suggested Reading

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India Testing Submersible Dives Deeper Than Titan; Mormon Titanic Victim; White Star Didn’t Photograph Titanic; Exhibition Coming To Wales

Colorised photo of Ned Parfett, best known as the “Titanic paperboy”, holding a large newspaper about the sinking, standing outside the White Star Line offices at Oceanic House on Cockspur Street near Trafalgar Square in London SW1, April 16, 1912.
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Lewis, David. “Titanic: A Latter-day Saint Midwife’s Journey Into Seafaring History.” KSL.Com, October 15, 2024. https://www.ksl.com/article/51154793/titanic-a-latter-day-saint-midwifes-journey-into-seafaring-history.

Among the passengers was Irene Colvin Corbett, a remarkable woman distinguished as the only known member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aboard the ill-fated Titanic. At 30 years old, the Utah native was returning to Provo after spending six months in London, training at the General Lying-In Hospital to become a midwife. Despite traveling in second class — which should have nearly guaranteed her a spot in a lifeboat — Corbett was not among the more than 700 survivors. The exact circumstances of her final moments remain unknown, and her body was never recovered.

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Photo: indiatimes.com

Guinness, Emma. “Matsya 6000: Inside India’s Deep-sea Submersible That Will Take Three Passengers Deeper Than the Titanic.” The Independent, October 16, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/world/submersible-india-ocean-exploration-technology-matsya-6000-b2630271.html.

A new deep-sea submersible capable of taking three people deeper than the Titanic is undergoing its first “wet test” this month. Initially reported to be taking place in early 2024, the Matsya-6000’s testing will finally begin after its design was reviewed in the wake of the Titan submersible disaster last June. It is hoped that the submersible, which is part-funded by the Indian government, will herald a new era for ocean exploration and research. Dr M Ravichandran of India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) told India Today that the test is expected to take place in the late October.

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Owens, David. “The Major Titanic Exhibition Coming to Wales.” Nation.Cymru. Last modified October 17, 2024. https://nation.cymru/culture/the-major-titanic-exhibition-coming-to-wales/.

An acclaimed Titanic exhibition is coming to Wales for the first time ever. Titanic Exhibition Wales will be staged at the ICC in Newport from 19th February to 2nd March 2025. The organisers of the exhibition White Star Heritage say they aim to bring the Titanic to life through a collection of artefacts, interactive experiences and informative displays.

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RMS Titanic beginning sea trials, April 2, 1912.
Public Domain (National Archives and Records Administration,ARC Identifier#306 RG 306)

Brown, Calum. “Why White Star Line Never Photographed RMS Titanic.” World of Cruising. Last modified October 18, 2024. https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/editors-corner/rms-titanic-real-pictures-rms-olympic.

Why bother taking images of an identical ship for publicity purposes, when you can simply use older ones taken of RMS Olympic? Nobody would tell the difference. Someone within the White Star Line office clearly earned brownie points that day. Money saved; job done. Yet, that penny-pinching has robbed us of the genuine article. There’s a distinct lack of footage to satisfy the public’s hunger. As such, budding aficionados frequently confuse the two sister ships in photographs and historical accounts, leading to a slew of misinformation and confusion. In most books, documentaries and videos, images of RMS Olympic are often substituted for RMS Titanic, so – how can you tell the difference between the two sister ships? First, it’s time to consult Father Browne.

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Channon, Max. “Mystery of Titanic Lifeboat Found in the Middle of the Sea.” Express.Co.Uk, October 18, 2024. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1963967/mystery-of-titanic-lifeboat-found.

Collapsible lifeboat D photographed by passenger on Carpathia on the morning of 15 April 1912.
Public Domain(Wikipedia)

It’s now more than a century since the ocean liner – which had been hailed as “practically unsinkable” by its builders – hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic. However, the ill-fated ship continues to fascinate the public today. However, the tragic story of one of its lifeboats – Collapsible A – has been all but forgotten. The raft saved the lives of more than a dozen passengers – but more than that died, during a desperate scramble for survival.

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Vick, Megan. “7 Famous People Who Almost Boarded the Titanic but Didn’t.” Parade, October 20, 2024. https://parade.com/entertainment/famous-people-who-planned-to-sail-on-the-titanic-but-didnt.

Multiple prominent world figures were set to sail on the ship, but didn’t quite make it on to the maiden voyage. After all, in the months leading up to the Titanic’s departing Southampton, UK for New York, the ship was extremely well publicized with the who’s who of the early 1900s desperate to nab tickets.

The list is:

  • Milton Hershey
  • Guglielmo Marconi
  • J.P. Morgan
  • Henry Clay Frick
  • George Washington Vanderbilt II
  • Theodore Dreiser
  • John R. Mott

Suggested Reading

Behe, G. (2012). On board RMS Titanic: Memories of the Maiden Voyage. The History Press.

Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books.

Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)

Wilson, A. (2012). Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived. Simon and Schuster.

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Novantia in Talks to Acquire Harland & Wolf; OceanGate CEO’s Wife Related to Isidor & Ida Strauss; Titanic Exhibition Coming to Boston

RMS Titanic pictured in Queenstown, Ireland 11 April 1912
Source:Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh Ireland/Wikimedia Commons

Williams, Kelly. “Eerie Link Between Devoted Titanic Couple and the Doomed Oceangate Submersible.” Daily Star. Last modified October 13, 2024. https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/eerie-link-between-devoted-titanic-33864720.

In a twist of fate, it has emerged that their great-granddaughter Wendy Rush was married to the CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush who died when the Titan submersible imploded in June 2023 killing all five on board, Business Insider reports. Her great-grandparents, Isidor and Ida were born in Germany before moving to America and were aged 67 and 63 when the Titanic sank.

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Harland & Wolff David and Goliath crane in Belfast, 2006
Plastic Jesus (Dave) via Wikimedia Commons

Oliver, Matt. “Spanish Shipbuilder Close to a Deal to Buy Titanic Shipbuilder Harland & Wolff.” The Telegraph, October 11, 2024. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/10/11/spanish-shipbuilder-close-deal-buy-titanic-harland-wolff/.

Spanish state-owned giant Navantia is nearing a deal to buy stricken shipbuilder Harland & Wolff out of administration, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.  The sale being lined up in exclusive talks between the parties, which remains tentative, would see Navantia take control of Harland & Wolff in late November, The Telegraph understands.  It would include all four of the company’s yards – in Belfast; Appledore, Devon; Arnish on the Isle of Lewis; and Methil, Fife – which collectively employ around 1,000 workers. 

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Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

FOX 13 Seattle. “Titan’s Former Lead Engineer Says He Felt Pressured to Get the Submersible Ready.” FOX 13 Seattle, October 8, 2024. https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/titans-former-lead-engineer-says-he-felt-pressured-get-submersible-ready.

The lead engineer for an experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreck of the Titanic testified Monday that he felt pressured to get the vessel ready to dive and refused to pilot it for a journey several years earlier. “‘I’m not getting in it,'” Tony Nissen said he told Stockton Rush, co-founder of the OceanGate company that owned the Titan submersible.

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Titanic lost: Belfast Telegraph front page on 16 April 1912
Source: Belfast Telegraph

Campsie, Alison. “The Scotsman Archive: How We Reported the Sinking of the Titanic.” The Scotsman, October 4, 2024. https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/the-scotsman-archive-how-we-reported-the-sinking-of-the-titanic-4809634.

The Scotsman first reported the disaster on April 16, but the story only appeared in a few lines of parliamentary business picked up from the day before. The report said: “The President of the Board of Trade said he received a short time ago the following telegram from The White Star Office: Liverpool. “Only information telegram from New York as follows – ‘Newspaper wireless reports advise Titanic collision with iceberg at 41.46 north, 50.14 west. Women being put into lifeboats. Steamer Virginian expects to reach Titanic 10am. Olympic and Baltic proceeding to Titanic. Have no direct information.” Page 7 of The Scotsman on April 17 1912 where the first full stories of the sinking of The Titanic appeared.

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Titanic Lunch Menu 14 April 1912
Photo: AP

Lupus, Luna Christina. “How First Class Passengers Took Their Steak Aboard the Titanic.” Tasting Table. Last modified October 3, 2024. https://www.tastingtable.com/1675171/titanic-first-class-menu-steak/.

On April 11, the second evening of the ship’s journey, sirloin steak was served with horseradish cream, a combination still popular today. Pairing horseradish with steak offers an elevated flavor experience, and the cream is very easy to prepare-Horseradish is mixed with sour cream and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Another steak dish from the dinner menu is beef tournedos a la Victoria. Tournedos are the same steak cut as filet mignon; except they can be slightly larger. Prepared “a la Victoria,” tournedos were served with crumb-coated fried bananas, a very interesting combination that was then topped with white and espagnole sauces, two of French cuisine’s five mother sauces. 

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Titanic Exhibition

Bodnarchuk, Kari. “Travel News You Can Use: Titanic Exhibit and Theater District Tour.” BostonGlobe.Com, October 3, 2024. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/03/lifestyle/here-there-everywhere-titanic-theater-district/.

See deck chairs, jewelry, fine China, and other authentic artifacts from the wreck site of the Titanic during an upcoming exhibition at The Saunders Castle at Park Plaza, Oct. 17 to May 29, 2025. “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” comes to Boston for the first time, with more than 250 artifacts and a chance for viewers to learn real stories about the passengers and crew of the “unsinkable” ocean liner, which sank in April 1912 during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City.

For dates, times, and ticket prices, go to https://titanicboston.us/.

Suggested Reading

Behe, G. (2012). On board RMS Titanic: Memories of the Maiden Voyage. The History Press.

Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books

Rossignol, K. (2012). Titanic 1912: The Original News Reporting of the Sinking of the Titanic. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Bronze Statue Found in Recent Dive Expedition (3 Sep 2024)

Diana of Versailles bronze statue. It was on the fireplace mantel in the First Class Lounge. It was last seen in 1986 but subsequent expeditions could not find it until now.
Image: RMS Titanic, Inc ®

In a remarkable find during the recent expedition to Titanic was the discovery of a miniature bronze statue once thought lost since 1986. The statue- Diana of Versailles– was on the fireplace mantel in the First Class lounge on Titanic. After 1986 subsequent expeditions were unable to locate it until 2024. The discovery has brought much excitement and shows that after all the time underwater it is still in relatively good condition. Sadly, however, the iconic bow has suffered. The railing that surrounds the forecastle has collapsed, but otherwise is still intact. While some newspapers are saying that the ship is collapsing, that is not the case. It is slowly decaying as evidenced by photos of the wreck taken over the years.

Source

“Bronze Statue Discovered at Titanic Wreck Site After First Expedition in Many Years.” PBS News. Last modified September 2, 2024. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/bronze-statue-discovered-at-titanic-wreck-site-after-first-expedition-in-many-years.

Suggested Reading

Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books.

Rossignol, K. (2012). Titanic 1912: The Original News Reporting of the Sinking of the Titanic. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

Wilson, A. (2012). Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived. Simon and Schuster.

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Monday Titanic News

I hope everyone has had a pleasant weekend and, if in the United States, enjoyed Labor Day as well. Here are some news stories you might find of interest.

[The recent expedition brought back more stunning and updated images of Titanic.]

Titanic at the docks of Southampton, 10 April 1912
Unknown Author
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Francis, Rebecca Morelle and Alison. “Titanic: Striking Images Reveal Depths of Ship’s Slow Decay.” Last modified September 1, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkm82enkgko.

It was the image that made the Titanic’s wreck instantly recognisable – the ship’s bow looming out of the darkness of the Atlantic depths. But a new expedition has revealed the effects of slow decay, with a large section of railing now on the sea floor. The loss of the railing – immortalised by Jack and Rose in the famous movie scene – was discovered during a series of dives by underwater robots this summer. The images they captured show how the wreck is changing after more than 100 years beneath the waves.

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Hartland, Nick. “George Bailey – the Monmouthshire Stoker Who Died Aboard the Titanic.” Abergavenny Chronicle, August 30, 2024. https://www.abergavennychronicle.com/news/george-bailey-the-monmouthshire-stoker-who-died-aboard-the-titanic-716822.

Every community seems to have its own Titanic connection, whether someone on board, a family link or artefact. And Monmouthshire is no different, with Wye Valley fire stoker George Bailey among the approximately 1500 crew members and passengers who tragically perished. According to Encyclopedia Titanica, he was one of nine siblings, born in Newport in 1866 before moving to the Wyeside town as a young child, where he appeared on the 1871 census as living at Clipper Court, St Mary, Monmouth, and on the 1881 census at 2, Red Lion Court, Monmouth.

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The Sad Parting
From Story of the Wreck of the Titanic;Marshall Everett);1912
Artist Unknown
Public Domain

Considine, Pippa. “BBC Orders Stellify Titanic Series.” Televisual. Last modified August 28, 2024. https://www.televisual.com/news/bbc-orders-stellify-titanic-series/.

BBC Factual and BBC Northern Ireland have commissioned a new four-part series from Stellify Media detailing the sinking of the Titanic, with support from Northern Ireland Screen, for BBC Two and iPlayer. Belfast-based Stellify’s Titanic Sinks Tonight (working title) aims to provide a complete picture of the most famous 160 minutes in maritime history, telling the story of the sinking of the Titanic in real time. From the crucial seconds just before the ship hits the iceberg, to the moment the hull sinks beneath the waves, the boxset series pieces together the events, minute by minute, to reveal what happened to the 2240 passengers and crew on 14 and 15 April, 1912.

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Wilson, Natalie. “The Odyssey: Cruise Passengers Spending up to £680,000 on Three-year Trip Stuck in Belfast for Three Months.” The Independent, August 29, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/cruise-passengers-belfast-stranded-the-odyssey-ireland-b2603717.html.

Passengers calling a residential cruise ship home have been stranded on the vessel in Northern Ireland for three months after their round-the-world voyage was plagued with delays. Those onboard Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey have spent their summer docked in Belfast after repair work required to the rudders and gearbox prevented the ocean liner from leaving the cruise terminal. The ship was scheduled to depart the Northern Ireland capital for the first leg of the three-and-a-half-year cruise on 30 May. Its inaugural journey was due to visit all seven continents, with stops at more than 425 ports in 147 countries.

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Croatiaweek, and Croatiaweek. “Tribute to the Ship and Croatian Crew That Saved Titanic Survivors | Croatia Week.” Croatia Week. Last modified August 29, 2024. https://www.croatiaweek.com/tribute-to-the-ship-and-croatian-crew-that-saved-titanic-survivors/.

The exhibition “Carpathia – Pride of the City of Rijeka” was staged in the city’s main street Korzo on Tuesday in tribute to the vessel that was engaged in rescuing passengers who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic on 15 April 1912. The crew of the RMS Carpathia included 84 Croatian seafarers. The exhibition was organised by an association of sea captains of the northern Adriatic region. The Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral in Rijeka has a a life vest used by a Titanic survivor. The item was brought to Rijeka by sailor Josip Car, who was a member of the Carpathia crew.

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Speed, Kellie. “$9.5 Million New Hampshire Estate Built By Titanic Survivor Hits the Market for the First Time In 100 Years.” Real Estate News & Insights | Realtor.Com®. Last modified August 27, 2024. https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/new-hampshire-estate-titanic-survivor-rare/.

A stunning lakefront retreat that was built by a survivor of the ill-fated Titanic was just listed for the “titanic” price of $9.5 million—landing on the market for the first time in 100 years. The rare real estate gem on Squam Lake in Moultonborough, NH, was built in 1899 by Richard Beckwith, 13 years before he and his wife, Sallie, boarded the doomed ocean liner as first-class passengers. Accompanied by Sallie’s daughter from a previous marriage, Helen Newsom, the couple were among the 706 passengers who survived the horrifying sinking of the Titanic—with listing agent Jacalyn Dussault, of Dussault Real Estate, explaining that the family’s experiences on the ship actually helped inspire James Cameron’s iconic movie about the incident.

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Suggested Reading

Behe, G. (2012). On board RMS Titanic: Memories of the Maiden Voyage. The History Press.

Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books.

Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition

Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

 

Recent Titanic News

[This is a curated list of news stories. If you see a news story we should cover here, send email to editor@titanicnewschannel.com]

“The Titanic’s Other Casualties | Holy Cow! History.” Lompoc Record, 20 Apr. 2024, lompocrecord.com/opinion/columnists/the-titanic-s-other-casualties-holy-cow-history/article_139171a2-904a-5670-9d43-73dfbf00d555.html.

Let’s start with what we know for sure. At least three dogs escaped in lifeboats: two Pomeranians and one Pekingese show champion, Sun Yat Sen. Their escape was a big deal because, with so many passengers and so little space in the lifeboats, crew members refused to let animals go with their owners. It’s believed all three owners spared their beloved pooches by smuggling them inside their cabins because they were so small, later hiding them inside thick winter coats as they fled the ship.

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“‘Rare’ Footage of Titanic Shipwreck Released for First Time: See Into Chief Officer’s Cabin and More.” Yahoo.com, People, 16 Apr. 2024, ca.news.yahoo.com/rare-footage-titanic-shipwreck-released-184318760.html.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has just released never-before-seen video of the wreck on YouTube to celebrate the 25th anniversary of James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic. The “rare, uncut footage” includes nearly 90 minutes of images from the July 1986 voyage that, according to Today, helped inspire the award-winning movie.

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Grover, Jamie. “Remembering the Somerset Passengers on Board the Titanic.” Somerset County Gazette, 21 Apr. 2024, www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/24258613.remembering-somerset-passengers-board-titanic.

Among those on board was 26-year-old Marion Wright, from Yeovil, who survived the disaster. She eventually arrived in New York and was reunited with her fiancé.  Marion said: “I don’t think I shall ever want to cross the ocean again just yet. It has been sad losing all I had, wedding presents and everything I had worked so hard at, but they’re nothing in comparison to all the lives lost.” The couple married and successfully ran a farm in Oregon.

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D’Arcy, Sharon Dolan, and Sharon Dolan D’Arcy. “West Clare Connection to Famous Titanic Bugler.” The Clare Champion, 18 Apr. 2024, clarechampion.ie/west-clare-connection-to-famous-titanic-bugler.

The young 25-year-old man tragically died when the ocean liner struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 1912. A mere three months previously, he had married a Kilrush woman called Mary Meaney at St Gregory’s Catholic Church in Wandsworth. Local historian and county Tyrone native, Geoff Simmons had put out an appeal in March via local Clare media and social media for descendants of Mary Meaney’s to attend the unveiling of an historic blue plaque in Percy’s honour at his former home at 26, Lessingham Avenue on April 14, the eve of the anniversary of the ship’s sinking. Mr Simmons had hoped The Cliffs of Doneen would be sung on the day in recognition of Mary and the Clare connection.

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Alam, Zoheb. “Titanic Survivor Revealed He Continued to Have Nightmares About the Tragedy for Over 65 Years.” https://www.good.is, 20 Apr. 2024, www.good.is/titanic-survivor-revealed-he-continued-to-have-nightmares-about-the-tragedy-for-over-65-years.

One of the survivors, Frank Prentice, shared his experience and recalled how he survived the sinking ship but continued to have nightmares about it. His interview was recorded by BBC in 1979 for their documentary series “The Great Liners” and has been shared on YouTube. Since the tragedy, he had held on to a keepsake that was a vivid reminder of the tragedy. It was the watch he wore that night that remained frozen in time and had stopped at exactly 02:20 AM after lasting for a couple of minutes in the freezing water. During the BBC interview, he was asked whether talking about the Titanic bothered him and he replied, “I shall probably dream about it tonight; have another nightmare.”

You can view his BBC interview on YouTube by clicking here.

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“The Titanic Disaster Was Predicted in an 1898 Novel With ‘eerie’ Foretelling.” Irish Star, 19 Apr. 2024, www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/titanic-disaster-predicted-1898-novel-32628706.

A novel released in 1898 eerily foretold the sinking of the Titanic, with multiple parallels between a fictitious sinking in the book and the infamous Titanic disaster. “The Wreck of the Titan Or, Futility” was authored by the American writer, Morgan Robertson. In his book, the Titan sank off Newfoundland Banks, around 1,000 miles off the coast of New York. Coincidentally, it had hit an iceberg and, in a similar fashion to the Titanic, and the accident occurred in mid-April on an otherwise calm night at sea.

Editor’s note: As the article notes, there are some striking similarities to the actual tragedy of 1912. There are some crucial differences though. Unlike what happened to Titanic, the fictional Titan was not in calm seas. In fact, according to the story, it was a hard choppy sea and fog as well that made it hard to sea. Like Titanic, the lookouts could not see the iceberg until too late. However, it hits the berg directly and this is what Robertson wrote of the collision:

“But in five seconds the bow of Titan began to lift, and ahead, and on either hand, could be seen, a field of ice which arose in an incline to a hundred feet high in her track. But a low beach, possibly formed by the recent overturning of the berg, received the Titan, and with her keel cutting the ice like steel runner of an iceboat, and great weight resting on the starboard bilge, she rose out of the sea, higher and higher-until the propellers in the stern were half exposed-then meeting an easy spiral rise in the ice under her port bow, she heeled, overbalanced, and crashed down on her side to starboard.”

That is quite a scene if you picture it in your head! Robertson, like many authors, latched on to a great kernel of a story when he speculated on huge ships like his fictional Titan hitting an iceberg. Other great authors have done the same as well. It should be noted another Robertson story foretold of a Japanese attack on the United States as well. There was a greater loss of life in his story as they only had 24 lifeboats (the bare minimum) lashed to the upper deck (and hard to use since the ship was inclined) but to minimize other safety costs put cork jackets in passenger and crew cabin.

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Cummings, Denis. “A Look at the Titanic Second Class Survivors.” www.findingdulcinea.com, 19 Apr. 2024, www.findingdulcinea.com/titanic-second-class-survivors.

As a fervent admirer of history with a penchant for uncovering forgotten tales, the stories of resilience and survival especially captivate me. Among such narratives, the epic tale of the Titanic stands out not just for its unfortunate demise but for the human spirits that persevered.  In this article, I’m thrilled to shine a light on those extraordinary individuals – the Titanic second class passengers who managed to survive this monumental tragedy.

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Felton, James. “Iceberg That Sank the Titanic May Be Shown in Unearthed Photo From 1912.” IFLScience, 18 Apr. 2024, www.iflscience.com/iceberg-that-sank-the-titanic-may-be-shown-in-unearthed-photo-from-1912-73865.

A rediscovered photo captured two days after the Titanic sank is going on auction this month. The photo, taken by undertaker John Snow Jr, may show the iceberg that sank the ship on its maiden voyage 112 years ago on April 14. When the Titanic sank 640 kilometers (400 miles) off Newfoundland, Canada, over 1,500 of the passengers, of which there were over 2,200, died – many by drowning or immersion hypothermia. John Snow Jr was chief embalmer of funeral directors John Snow & Co and was summoned to the wreck of the Titanic to help collect some, but not all, of the bodies for burial.

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 “Titanic Secrets Revealed: Number of Lifeboats Reduced to Give First Class Passengers a Better View.” Sarajevo Times, 17 Apr. 2024, sarajevotimes.com/titanic-secrets-revealed-number-of-lifeboats-reduced-to-give-first-class-passengers-a-better-view.

His video showcases all 10 of Titanic’s decks, including the boat deck at the very top. Part of the reason for the lack of lifeboats was also because designers didn’t want to overcrowd the ship’s deck and obstruct the view of the Atlantic for first-class passengers. Another interesting fact is that Titanic actually had two grand staircases, both restricted to first-class passengers only. The far larger and grander one was the front grand staircase, adorned with a wall panel of carved oak with a clock in the center, also the setting where Jack and Rose meet in James Cameron’s 1997 film hit.

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 “How Many First Class Passengers Died on the Titanic?” www.findingdulcinea.com, 18 Apr. 2024, www.findingdulcinea.com/first-class-passengers-died-on-the-titanic.

Are you curious about the tragic fate of the Titanic’s elite? My passion for history has always drawn me towards unraveling stories from the past, and today, I’m here to share with you a piece of history that still captures our imagination over a century later.We often hear about the Titanic’s ill-fated voyage, but who exactly were those first-class passengers who lost their lives in one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters? Let’s explore together and uncover how many first class passengers died on the Titanic.

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Mawson, Brandon. “A Look at Two Cumbrians Who Lost Their Lives on the Titanic.” News and Star, 18 Apr. 2024, www.newsandstar.co.uk/features/24257172.look-two-cumbrians-lost-lives-titanic.

Two men in particular, Jonathon Shepherd and his mentor Joseph Bell, were some of the Cumbrians who lost their lives on the ship. Jonathon was born in Whitehaven in 1880 and Joseph was originally from Farlam, near Brampton. 

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Fraga, Kaleena. “Edward John Smith, the Captain of the RMS Titanic.” All That’s Interesting, 18 Apr. 2024, allthatsinteresting.com/titanic-captain-edward-smith.

On the Olympic, Smith was involved in the worst catastrophe of his career (until he became captain of the Titanic). In September 1911, the Olympic collided with the HMS Hawke off the Isle of Wight. Though Smith was reportedly not directing the ship at the time, the Royal Navy protested that the Olympic had caused the collision by taking an abrupt turn. White Star Line vehemently disagreed but ended up having to pay high legal fees.

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Jonathan. “Titanic: Fact Vs. Fiction – Debunking Common Myths About the Disaster.” Anglotopia, 17 Apr. 2024, anglotopia.net/british-history/titanic/titanic-fact-vs-fiction-debunking-common-myths-about-the-disaster.

The sinking of the RMS Titanic has captured the imagination of people worldwide for over a century, spawning countless myths and misconceptions about the events that transpired on that fateful night in April 1912. While the Titanic disaster remains one of the most well-documented maritime tragedies in history, numerous myths and inaccuracies have persisted over the years. Here, we debunk ten common myths surrounding the Titanic and separate fact from fiction.

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O’Rourke, Connor. “Extraordinary Story of Titanic’s Second Officer Charles Herbert Lightroller.” IrishCentral.com, 17 Apr. 2024, www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/titanic-charles-herbert-lightoller.

In the following years, he joined the Royal Navy and helped with the naval efforts during WWI and eventually became a full commander at the end of 1918. Remarkably, even in his old age, he had commanded one of many civilian ships in 1940 that helped rescue over 338,000 men from the beaches of Dunkirk during the Second World War.

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Ratliff, Melissa. “WATCH: How Was the Sinking of the RMS Titanic Reported Locally?” https://www.mysuncoast.com, 16 Apr. 2024, www.mysuncoast.com/2024/04/16/watch-how-was-sinking-rms-titanic-reported-locally.

It took days for information to be distributed to sources and some of the information that got out was completely incorrect. By the time the news began trickling down to major newspapers in Florida, there were different accounts of everything. On April 15, 1912, the evening edition of the Tampa Daily Times reported that the ship was afloat and all passengers had been rescued. This was eventually retracted and corrected in subsequent editions.

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Knudsen, Cory. “So Minnesota: Deephaven Couple Were Passengers on Titanic.” KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News, 16 Apr. 2024, kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/so-minnesota-deephaven-couple-were-passengers-on-titanic.

Monday marks the 112th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912. Walter Douglas and his wife Mahala from Minnesota were passengers on the ship. The Douglas family’s wealth came from starting the Quaker Oats Company and Douglas Starch Company. “His peers dubbed him a captain of industry,” said Liz Vandam with the Lake Minnetonka Historical Society. “They considered him to be a man of great integrity.” By the beginning of 1912, Walter Douglas retired and construction of the family’s palatial mansion in Deephaven overlooking Lake Minnetonka was complete.

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Burgess, Madison, and Jonathan Chadwick. “Inside the Remaining Mysteries Surrounding the Titanic – From What Happened to the Passengers To…” Mail Online, 15 Apr. 2024, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13309119/remaining-mysteries-titanic-happened-passengers-iceberg-caused-tragedy.html.

One theory suggests that a freak weather event created the phenomenon, which possibly both obscured the iceberg until it was too late and hindered communication with a nearby ship. Historian and broadcaster Tim Maltin claims the Titanic’s crew fell victim to a thermal inversion, which is caused by a band of cold air forcing itself underneath a band of warmer air, the Times reports. He believes that the cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean called Labrador pushed this cold air beneath the warm Gulf Stream, creating a mirage.

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Chadwick, Jonathan. “See Inside the Titanic Like NEVER Before: Incredible Video Reveals a Cross Section of the Doomed…” Mail Online, 14 Apr. 2024, www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-13288299/Titanic-Incredible-video-cross-section-doomed-liner.html.

But the scale and the glory of RMS Titanic can be admired once more, thanks to a detailed digital cross section of the stunning luxury liner.  Posted to YouTube by US animator Jared Owen, it shows Titanic from every angle, exactly as it appeared just before it set sail from Southampton 112 years ago.  The video may prove helpful to Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, who has promised to recreate the famous ship at an estimated cost of £1 billion.  ‘Titanic II’, to be ready by 2027, will closely mimic the original ship’s specifications, while including modern 21st navigation and safety systems.

You can view the video on YouTube by clicking here.

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Winston, Alex. “The Lives of Jews Who Boarded the Titanic.” The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com, 14 Apr. 2024, www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-796496.

Some 69 of the passengers on board the Titanic were known to be Jewish, and their stories and experiences are some of the most interesting and heart-wrenching of the whole saga.

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Watch “‘Titanic: The Official Cookbook’ Author Demonstrates ‘Blue Moon’ Cocktail.” ABC7 Chicago, 11 Apr. 2024, abc7chicago.com/titanic-the-official-cookbook-veronica-hinke-recipes-recipe/14646456.

There were several events happening around the Chicagoland area to commemorate that day. Author Veronica Hinke, author of “Titanic: The Official Cookbook” stopped by ABC 7 Eyewitness news to talk about her book and demonstrate one of the 40 timeless recipes for every occasion.

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Jones, Alec. “Five Ways ‘Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition’ Makes You Feel Like You’re Actually on the Ship.” Concrete Playground, 11 Apr. 2024, concreteplayground.com/melbourne/arts-entertainment/five-ways-the-titanic-the-artefact-exhibition-makes-you-feel-like-on-the-ship.

A more engaging way to learn this tragic story is to Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition, an incredibly detailed exhibition that studies the vessel, its crew, the passengers and takes visitors through a memorable journey through the events of that fateful night. But how does it do that and why is it worth your time? Let’s set sail to find out.

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Bromovsky, Lettice. “Is This the Iceberg That Sank the Titanic? Newly-unearthed Photo Provides Fascinating Clue to 1912…” Mail Online, 10 Apr. 2024, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13293371/Titanic-photo-fascinating-clue-1912-tragedy-killed.html.

A newly unearthed photo of the iceberg that may have sunk the Titanic has come to light 112 years after the disaster. The black and white image was captured by an undertaker working on the body recovery ship that arrived on the wreck site in the aftermath of the sinking. It is now coming up for sale at Henry Aldridge & Son Auctioneers of Devizes, Wiltshire, for an estimated price of £4,000 to £7,000.  It shows a large glacier oddly shaped like an elephant above the surface of the north Atlantic.It was taken two days after the luxury liner struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sank killing 1,522 people.

The auction will take place on 27 April 2024 at 9:00 am UK time. Information about how to bid can be found here.

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Small, Alonzo. “Titanic: The Exhibition at Old Orchard Extended Due to Popular Demand.” WGN9, 10 Apr. 2024, wgntv.com/news/trending/titanic-the-exhibition-at-old-orchard-extended-due-to-popular-demand.

On the 112th anniversary of the ship’s departure, Exhibition producer Imagine Exhibitions announced that, due to popular demand, they would extend the immersive experience through July 7. A Titanic-inspired afternoon tea experience has also been added, which “promises to transport visitors back in time, blending culinary delights with the rich tapestry of Titanic’s story.” Titanic Afternoon Tea begins on April 28. A new combination ticket will also be available, which grants access to both Titanic: The Exhibition and Downton Abbey: The Exhibition.

 Information on dates, times, and prices can be found here.

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Hickey, Kate. “Titanic Hero Irishman Thomas Andrews Epitomized Bravery as Ship Went Down.” IrishCentral.com, 10 Apr. 2024, www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/thomas-andrews-titanic-hero.

Andrews had been overruled on two key issues when the ship was being designed. He wanted to double the number of lifeboats to 64 and wanted a double hull built extending up to the B deck which would certainly have prevented the disaster. After he died on 15th April 1912, his father received a telegram from his mother’s cousin, who had spoken with survivors in New York, seeing news of Andrews. The telegram was read aloud by Andrews Sr. to the staff of their home in Comber: “Interview Titanic’s officers. All unanimous that Andrews heroic unto death, thinking only safety others. Extend heartfelt sympathy to all.”

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“How New York City Grieved the Titanic – Ephemeral New York.” Ephemeral New York, ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/how-new-york-city-grieved-the-titanic. (8 April 2024)

For the next 55 years, as ship traffic decreased in New York Harbor and South Street’s fortunes turned, the Titanic memorial with its time ball stayed in service on the roof. In 1968, the Seaman’s Institute moved to a new headquarters on State Street. The top of the Titanic Memorial was given to the South Street Seaport Museum. But it wasn’t until 1976 when the memorial lighthouse went up on a triangular corner at Pearl and Fulton Streets (now known as Titanic Memorial Park), held in place by a concrete podium. The time ball is also gone; it’s been replaced by an ornamental sphere.

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Molony, Senan. “Faces of the Titanic: William Burke, Irish Hero Who Saved a Woman’sLife.” IrishCentral.com, 8 Apr. 2024, www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/titanic-william-burke-irish-hero.amp.

This is an extract from the book “The Irish Aboard the Titanic” by Senan Molony which tells the tales of the people who were on board the night the ship went down. This book gives those people a voice. In it are stories of agony, luck, self-sacrifice, dramatic escapes, and heroes left behind.

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Barnes, Freya. “Leather Case for Violin Used on the Titanic to Reassure Passengers as the Ship Sank Is Set to Sell…” Mail Online, 5 Apr. 2024, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13277023/leather-case-violin-titanic-sale-auction.html.

A leather case that protected the violin played by the bandmaster on the Titanic as the ship sank is tipped to sell for £120,000 at auction. Wallace Hartley and his orchestral band famously played on to reassure the passengers as the 1912 disaster unfolded around them. Wallace went down with the ship but not before he put his wooden violin back in its valise bag which he strapped to himself – possibly for buoyancy – using the long handles.

The auction will take place on 27 April 2024 at 9:00 am UK time. Information about how to bid can be found here.

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“112-Year-Old Elaborate Menu of Titanic Is Viral, Internet Reacts.” NDTV.com, www.ndtv.com/offbeat/112-year-old-elaborate-menu-of-titanic-is-viral-internet-reacts-5374994. (4 April 2024)

A popular page on X named Fascinating has released the elaborate menu served onboard the Titanic. The page posted two slides that included pictures of the original menu cards for the first and third-class passengers of the Titanic. The original menu card exudes an enchanting aura, offering various dining options from luncheon and buffet to breakfast, catering to first and third-class passengers. The post soon went viral on X.  “Third class’s menu looked good to me,” a user commented.

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Knoxville News Sentinel. “Pigeon Forge’s Titanic Museum Attraction Buys Panel at Center of ‘Titanic’ Controversy.” Knoxville News Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2024, www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2024/04/02/pigeon-forge-museum-buys-panel-at-heart-of-titanic-controversy/73177923007.

Speculation will likely continue forever on whether Jack would, in fact, have fit on the “door” with Rose and survived the sinking of the Titanic. But any possible conspiracy theories over who, exactly, shelled out more than half a million dollars during a March auction for the iconic wood panel from the eponymous film can now be laid to rest. The “door” that featured prominently in the Oscar-winning blockbuster “Titanic” was purchased by Titanic Museum Attraction, which has locations in Pigeon Forge and Branson, Mo. According to the museum, it will become part of one of the largest permanent collections of Titanic artifacts anywhere.

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Friday Titanic News (23 Feb 2024)

Happy Friday everyone!  We are now steaming full speed towards March. Winter is still making itself felt where I live (lots of rain recently) to places where snow is still falling. The Spring Equinox is not that far off either, but winter has been known to go on after that astronomical end to winter.

Here is some Titanic and related news you might find interesting.

It is not often one sees a negative review of a Titanic exhibition (mostly complaints about cost and crowds), but this is one of them about a Titanic exhibition near Chicago.

The Grand Staircase of the RMS Olympic
Photo:Public Domain (Wikipedia)

Vitali, Marc. “Does It Sail or Sink? Exhibition on the Titanic Launches at Skokie Mall: Review.” WTTW News, 20 Feb. 2024, news.wttw.com/2024/02/20/does-it-sail-or-sink-exhibition-titanic-launches-skokie-mall-review.

There is plenty to see here, but this exhibition is more of a cabin berth than a stateroom. It will refresh your memory of who’s who in the drama, and it should excite the imagination of younger visitors with an interest in the subject. Hardcore history buffs would do better at their local library. One small but significant complaint — I noticed a grammatical error on an information card inside a case in the first gallery. Then I found another mistake. And others. Apostrophes were misused, “then” was used for “than” — that sort of thing. Apparently, the proofreader went down with the ship.

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Over in Bristol (UK), there is a Titanic exhibition going on though not as big as its predecessors.

 “Salvaged Titanic Artefacts Resurface in Limited Exhibition.” Bristol24/7, 18 Feb. 2024, www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/salvaged-titanic-artefacts-resurface-in-limited-exhibition.

A limited exhibition showcasing “never seen before” items salvaged from the Titanic’s wreckage is underway in Bristol. The Titanic Exhibition at Paintworks in Brislington invites visitors to explore Bristol’s connection to the renowned passenger liner, learn about the people that travelled on board and come face to face with items from the wreck site. The display is curated by White Star Heritage, experts in collecting and preserving Titanic and White Star Line ship artefacts, aiming to breathe life into the ship’s story more than 100 years after its sinking in the north Atlantic.

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RMS Titanic pictured in Queenstown, Ireland 11 April 1912
Source:Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh Ireland/Wikimedia Commons

I have not seen this yet, but judging from all the digital ink being written about it, the creator has certainly gotten a lot of attention. There are actually quite a few Titanic simulations out there (YouTube has a lot of them).  From the witness statements, the sinking was more dramatic than has ever been depicted on screen.

O’sullivan, John. “Recreation of Titanic Sinking Goes Viral With Social Media Users Horrified.” Irish Star, 17 Feb. 2024, www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/titanic-sinking-video-recreated-footage-32144323.

The story of the Titanic is known all over the world. The 1996 James Cameron blockbuster movie was hugely successful at the box office, but does it show what really happened when the ship sank? Science Girl’s simulation suggests that the real sinking was much more frightening than we could ever imagine. Cameron, who made the film, said he only got “half right” how the ship sank, even though he had lots of experts to help him.

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Harland & Wolff David and Goliath crane in Belfast, 2006
Plastic Jesus (Dave) via Wikimedia Commons

This is certainly good news for Harland & Wolff.  It has had some very lean years that made it look like it might even be shuttered at one point. They have managed to bounce back and this one famous shipbuilder is getting  a contract to refurbish a cruise ship.

M, Frank. “Historic Shipyard Behind Titanic Will Refurbish the Next World Cruise Ship.” Cruise Radio – Daily Updates on the Cruise Industry, 16 Feb. 2024, cruiseradio.net/world-cruise-ship-titanic-shipyard.

The startup recently acquired the 924-passenger MS Braemar from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. Renamed Villa Vie Odyssey, Villa Vie has secured a dry dock slot for a multimillion-dollar refurbishment. The Harland & Wolff shipyard has over a century of history and famously built the Titanic eighty years earlier. It undergoes a 10-week refurbishment program. The company announced deals with various contractors for transforming and managing shipboard functions. The ship was last refurbished in 2019.

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Here is an interesting video detailing the sinking of the Lusitania.

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Finally to close out this Friday, retro is becoming cool again. Some creative individuals are going back and making updated opening scenes of television shows done back in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. Using updated special effects and other things, you can make an opening like it would be shown today. Here is one for one of my favorites, the classic Battlestar Galactica.

Monday Titanic News

“TITANIC: The Artefact Exhibition Opens at Melbourne Museum.” Australian Arts Review, 18 Dec. 2023, artsreview.com.au/titanic-the-artefact-exhibition-opens-at-melbourne-museum.

Showcasing over 200 original objects recovered from the wreck site of the ill-fated luxury steamship, the highly anticipated global blockbuster TITANIC: The Artefact Exhibition has opened at Melbourne Museum. These stories include Australians like stewardess Evelyn Marsden, who defied social norms and helped row her lifeboat to safety – a skill she picked up in her youth on the Murray River – and engineer Arthur McRae, whose grandparents settled on the Mornington Peninsula where their legacy lives on in a suburb named in their honour.

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“Original Features From the Titanic’s Sister Ship – Also Found in Alnwick Hotel – Fetch Whopping Price at Auction.” Northumberland Gazette, 15 Dec. 2023, www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/people/original-features-from-the-titanics-sister-ship-also-found-in-alnwick-hotel-fetch-whopping-price-at-auction-4447466.

Three of its original lights went under the hammer at Anderson & Garland Auctioneers in Newcastle.They were sold after a battle between a bidder in the room and another on the telephone from Holland.

 

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Monday Titanic News

 

Titanic movie poster
Via Wikimedia Commons

“Largo Man Trying to Collect One Million Copies of Titanic on VHS.” ABC Action News Tampa Bay (WFTS), 29 Nov. 2023, www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/largo-man-trying-to-collect-one-million-copies-of-titanic-on-vhs.

Growing up, we probably all had that favorite movie that we could just watch over and over and over again. Well, there’s a man in Largo who has taken his love for his favorite movie to the extreme. Every time JD adds another VHS copy of Titanic to his collection, he feels like he’s the king of the world. “You know, Titanic is best on VHS,” said JD. “’September 1, 1998, take the voyage home,’ that’s what they were saying. That’s what I was playing on the VCR, I was watching this thing over and over and over again.”

There are many who acquire Titanic memorabilia because it is special and unique. But collecting 1 million copies on VHS of Cameron’s Titanic is not just extreme, but what would you do with it. It sort of like that scene in the original Willy Wonka movie. When they guy programs the computer to tell him where he can locate the Wonka bars with the gold certificate inside, it declines saying it would be cheating. When he offers to share the award with the computer, it responds “What would I do with a million bars of chocolate?”

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“Titanic Returns to Chicago in February 2024.” EIN News, 29 Nov. 2023, www.einnews.com/pr_news/671524148/titanic-returns-to-chicago-in-february-2024.

As the largest and most immersive touring Titanic exhibition, the experience is a narrative journey that brings to light the fates of the passengers and crew aboard the sinking ship, and will open on Friday, February 16, 2024 at Westfield Old Orchard (4963 Old Orchard Road) in Skokie, IL. People can join the waitlist through Fever here to gain access to tickets before they go on sale to the public December 6th. Tickets start at $29.00 for adults, with discounts for kids, seniors, military, and groups.

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How big is too big? That is the question here. This ship is essentially its own small metropolis that holds up to 10,000 people at a time. It has multiple entertainment venues, food options and so much that is boggles the mind. When you see pictures of it, the enormity of this ship really hits you. Royal Caribbean is proud of this new ship and you can be sure buckets of media will be watching its every move. Not to mention people commenting on social media about their experience.

“World’s Largest Cruise Ship That’s Five Times Bigger Than the Titanic Is About to Make Its First Voyage.” UNILAD, 28 Nov. 2023, www.unilad.com/news/travel/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-sets-sail-royal-caribbean-799666-20231128.

The Royal Caribbean ship has been hailed as the world’s largest and is officially five times bigger than The Titanic. The huge vessel is 65 meters long – around 1,200 feet – and weighs in at 250,800 tonnes. Boasting 20 decks, the ship has the largest water park at sea, as well as a section of the boat dedicated just for families. Constructed in Finland, the Icon of the Seas has finally been built and officially joined Royal Caribbean’s fleet yesterday (November 27) ahead of its pending departure. It’s said that the ginormous ship took two and a half years to create (including both design and construction) and will hold almost 10,000 people at a time.

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SS Portland circa 1898
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

“Those Who Perished 125 Years Ago in Sinking of ‘Maine’s Titanic’ Remembered at Service.” Press Herald, 26 Nov. 2023, www.pressherald.com/2023/11/25/those-who-perished-125-years-ago-in-sinking-of-maines-titanic-remembered-at-anniversary-service.

In Portland’s historical Abyssinian Meeting House, 198 names were read aloud Saturday remembering those who perished 125 years ago in New England’s worst maritime disaster. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 1898, at least 68 crew members and 130 passengers boarded the SS Portland in Boston and headed for Portland. They never reached their destination. By the next day, each was gone, swallowed by the sea off Cape Cod during a fierce blizzard.

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Titanic News: Menu & Hebrew Pocket Watch Auctioned Off; Last Remains of Titan; Maryland Fried Chicken & Titanic

“Remaining Titan Submersible Debris Salvaged.” MarineLink,
https://www.marinelink.com/news/remaining-titan-submersible-debris-509516.

Phoenix International Holdings, under the direction of the U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), have recovered the remaining debris of the Titan submersible from the North Atlantic seafloor near the RMS Titanic shipwreck. All work performed by SUPSALV and Phoenix was conducted on behalf of the US Coast Guard’s Marine Investigation Board as part of their investigation into the loss of Titan. Authorities from the U.S., Canada and France are currently combing through evidence recovered from the Titan submersible that suffered a catastrophic implosion en route to the wreckage of the Titanic in June.
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Hebrew Pocket Watch
Photo: Jewish Standard

“Sold at Auction: Hebrew Pocket Watch, Frozen in Time by Titanic Wreck.” Jewish Standard, 16 Nov. 2023, jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/sold-at-auction-hebrew-pocket-watch-frozen-in-time-by-titanic-wreck.

A pocket watch, frozen in time when the Titanic went underwater, sold for £97,000 (about $118,700) on Saturday, in an auction held by the British firm Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd. That’s nearly 40 times the value of the ticket that Sinai Kantor, a Russian Jew on his way to New York City, spent for his ticket on the “unsinkable” ship.
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Sketch of J. Bruce Ismay giving testimony before U.S. Senate Titanic inquiry.
Public Domain (via Wikipedia)

Pittsburgh Filmmakers Behind ‘Unsinkable’ Tell Story of Titanic and U.S. Senate Hearings.” CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023, www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/unsinkable-titanic-movie-pittsburgh-filmmakers.

In that vein, a few years ago, Brian and Cody’s fascination peaked when they heard the story of the U.S. Senate hearings that happened in the wake of the Titanic disaster in 1912. This inquiry helped give the public an accurate account of the infamous night the ship went down, and it called into question just who was accountable for the tragedy. “Our main thing was to try and figure out why we never heard of this,” said Brian. “There was this big Senate investigation and there was no accountability or anything. And through our research, we realized, that is the story.”

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Maryland Fried Chicken
Photo: America’s Test Kitchen

Maryland Fried Chicken: A Storied Dish With Titanic History.” BBC Travel, 14 Nov. 2023, www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231112-maryland-fried-chicken-a-storied-dish-with-titanic-history.

Maryland fried chicken – essentially, pan-fried chicken with a cream gravy – didn’t always need the French accent to appeal to the upper class. In the early 19th Century, fried chicken was squarely a special-occasion dish, frequently cooked by enslaved African American women for wealthy Maryland households.

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Titanic Lunch Menu 14 April 1912
Photo: AP

“‘Remarkable’ Titanic Menu Sells for £84,000 at Wiltshire Auction.” BBC News, 12 Nov. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-67397384.

An evening dinner menu for first-class passengers onboard the RMS Titanic has sold for £84,000 (US $104,584) at auction. The sale on Saturday was run by Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: “The menu is a remarkable survivor from the most famous ocean liner of all time.” The menu bears an embossed White Star Line flag and would have originally shown gilt lettering depicting the initials OSNC (Ocean Steamship Navigation Company) alongside the lettering “RMS Titanic”.

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“Hebrew Pocket Watch, Frozen in Time of Titanic Wreck, to Be Auctioned.” The Times of Israel, 11 Nov. 2023, www.timesofisrael.com/hebrew-pocket-watch-frozen-in-time-of-titanic-wreck-to-be-auctioned.

A pocket watch, frozen in time when the Titanic went underwater, is set to sell at auction Saturday, with an expected sales price of nearly $100,000. That’s nearly 30 times the value of the ticket that Sinai Kantor, a Russian Jew on his way to New York City, spent for his ticket on the “unsinkable” ship. Numbers on the Swiss-made, silver-on-brass watch are written in Hebrew numerals and its hands are nearly all deteriorated, due to saltwater exposure — but dried water marks indicate that time stopped at 2:25 a.m., about five minutes after the Titanic sank. Its back features an embossed, solemn, muscular Moses holding the Ten Commandments on a background of date palms.

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“Water-stained Menu for Titanic’s First Class Restaurant Which Shows Rich Diners Feasted on Oysters,…” Mail Online, 31 Oct. 2023, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12692617/Water-stained-menu-Titanics-class-restaurant-shows-rich-diners-feasted-oysters-lamb-mallard-duck-doomed-cruise-liner-sank-goes-sale-60-000.html.

The never-before-seen menu shows the likes of millionaires JJ Astor, Benjamin Guggenheim, Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon and the ‘Unsinkable’ Molly Brown indulged in oysters, Squab a la Godard, Spring Lamb, Tournedo of Beef a la Victoria, mallard duck and Apricots Bourdaloue. Only a handful of Titanic menus are known to exist today – but those are for the night of the tragedy when passengers had them in their jacket or coat pockets.https://youtu.be/7hYBesohRK0?si=cXh5hoNfMf02I1DJ

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