Tag Archives: Titanic Dinner

Wednesday Titanic News: Titanic Band, Recreating Titanic Meal, and Conspiracy Theories

Austin, Jeannie. “Wallace Hartley and the Band of the Titanic. They Played on as the Ship Sank Beneath? Them.” Pinterest, 31 Mar. 2019, www.pinterest.com/pin/16114511153415928.

One of the lingering images of Titanic is of the band. We know that they were on the deck of the ship playing music as people got in the lifeboats. There is some disagreement over whether they actually sang or played Nearer My God to Thee or a tune that was similar. However, no one disputes they were playing music and that they were heroes for doing it. None of them survived and only the band leader, Wallace Hartley, had his body returned. With him was his violin, which was auctioned off some years back to a collector.

Over at Classical Music, they explore the band and its history. One important note to remember, because it shocked many later, was that the band was not actually employed by White Star. They were hired for that sailing through an agent, who also owned some of their items they had with them. Since they were not employees, their surviving families could not seek any compensation from White Star. Ironically the company that they worked for actually sent notices to the families demanding compensation for company items lost in the sinking. Needless to say, the press ran with it causing lots of anger against the company.

At any rate, this story is worth a read as it reminds us of this band and its place in Titanic lore.

Classical-Music.com, Feb 2024. Classical Musicians of the Titanic: The Story of the Doomed Ship’s Musical Heroes. www.classical-music.com/articles/titanic-band.

Thanks in large part to the crass insistence of the ship’s owner, White Star Line, that cargo rate be paid for transporting recovered bodies back across the Atlantic, Titanic bandmaster Hartley was the sole victim of the disaster to be returned to the UK. The hearse bearing his rosewood casket wound a 59-mile mourner-lined journey from Liverpool docks to the Bethel Chapel in Colne, Hartley’s home town, where the funeral service took place. The crowd in and around the chapel was estimated at 40,000, half as much again as the town’s population.

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Books on Titanic

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Titanic Lunch Menu 14 April 1912
Photo: AP

One item that people comment on is how much food people ate during the Edwardian Era. Mostly this was at dinner when you might have 7 or 8 courses and sometimes a lot more. And if you ate in First or Second class, you would be assured your meals would be exquisite. Dinner was a very formal affair in those classes, so you always dressed up (to show up in casual clothes would be unheard of) for it. And you be served an elegant meal that might be up to 12 courses served over a period of hours. You didn’t just eat. You socialized with everyone at your table and when you have such a high caliber group of people, no doubt the conversation was interesting at times.

Each year you see recreations of what was served on Titanic. This year Williamsburg Families will be holding a full 12 course meal on April 12, 2024. This looks to be quite the recreation as the menu looks like what Edwardians would have had on Titanic. I am not shilling for them, and it is not cheap either at $265 per person. So if you have the money, time, and will be near Williamsburg in Pennsylvania, it might be worth it.

“Enjoy the Last 1st Class 12 Course Meal on the R.M.S. Titanic Reimagined by the Chefs at the Rockefeller Room – April 12, 2024.” Williamsburg Families, 6 Feb. 2024, www.williamsburgfamilies.com/rms-titanic-12-course-meal-at-williamsburg-inn.

“In honor of the Titanic and it’s world class Hospitality Brigade of French train chefs and service team, the Rockefeller Room’s Chefs and Restaurant staff bring a tantalizing recreation with a bit of reimagination of the featured last meal served to the First-Class passengers the evening before the iceberg created one of the most impactful moments in history. Prepare as we call you aboard for a Rockefeller Room exclusive twelve-course meal not soon to be forgotten.”

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Books on Titanic

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Art on the Titanic is one of those smaller stories, yet important. Some priceless works of art such as a jeweled edition of The Rubyiat were lost when it sank. Other things did to and over at the Artlyst, the go over the various things that were lost and still sitting on the bottom of the Atlantic.

Artlyst, 3 Feb 2024. “The Lost Art and Priceless Chattels Aboard the Titanic.” artlyst.com/features/the-lost-art-and-priceless-chattels-aboard-the-titanic.

The tragedy of the Titanic not only claimed lives but also devoured treasures of immeasurable worth. Among the lost artefacts, a jeweled edition of The Rubaiyat, adorned with 1,500 precious stones set in gold, is a testament to human opulence and artistic craftsmanship. Sold for a princely sum of $1,900, this luxurious tome was destined for an American buyer, its journey abruptly halted by fate’s cruel hand.

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Books on Titanic

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There are all kinds of conspiracy theories from the wild to the truly bizarre about Titanic. You have supernatural ones (like the mummy curse), switched ship theories, submarine attack, the Illuminati and more. Perhaps the only ones yet to be explored are ones involving aliens or Atlantis. For me, I subscribe to the theory that Marvin the Martian was experimenting with a new weapon and Titanic got in the way. Anyway, over at Mental Floss they took a look at ten of the most popular ones. They have all been debunked but they still persist out there.

10 Wild Conspiracy Theories About the Sinking of the ‘Titanic,’ Explained.” Mental Floss, 2 Feb. 2024, www.mentalfloss.com/posts/titanic-conspiracy-theories.

Conspiracy theories often emerge in the wake of tragic events, such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the death of Princess Diana. It’s no surprise, then, that the most famous shipwreck in history—the sinking of the RMS Titanic on its first voyage in 1912, in which an estimated 1500 people died—has its fair share of conspiracy theories. Here are 10 theories that dispute the widely accepted facts about the Titanic tragedy.

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Titanic News-Italian Titanic Found, Precious Book on Titanic, Belfast Harbor, and Juneteenth

From Outer Space To The Bottom Of The Sea: UAE Adventurer To Explore Wreckage Of Titanic Next
Khaleej Times, 13 Jun 2022

The UAE resident Hamish Harding who blasted off to space as a tourist on board Blue Origin’s crewed flight is now set on a new mission – to explore the depths of the Titanic. Harding is a jet pilot, avid adventurer and chairman of Action Aviation. He has just returned from his maiden space exploration and is ready for a new adventure. Speaking to Khaleej Times, Harding says, “I’ve been lucky enough to get another opportunity to dive to the Titanic which sank in 1912, when it hit the iceberg and split in to two as it sank, in 10 days’ time. I’ll be lucky enough to go down the submarine and explore the Titanic and see what’s left off the Titanic now over 100 years later.”

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The Very Precious Book Sank With The Titanic And Burned In The Bombing Of London
Wire Service Canada, 15 Jun 2022

Among the artworks of enormous value lost with the sinking of the Titanic, in April 1912, is the painting “La Circassienne au bainfor the French painter Merry Joseph Blondel, whose value at that time amounted to 100 thousand dollars, which is equivalent to three million euros today. Another equally famous work was a very valuable version of quatrains (Rubaiyat) by the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, a collection of poems also mentioned in the book Titanic. The right story by American writer Walter Lord, who inspired director James Cameron for the famous 1997 film.

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Titanic Lunch Menu 14 April 1912
Photo: AP

A Titanic Theatrical Dining Experience Is Coming To Canberra And My Heart Will Go On
Her Canberra, 16 Jun 2022

If you’ve ever imagined yourself intertwined with Leo or Kate, ‘flying’ at the front of a cruise ship, then it’s your time to be the king of the world (let’s just ignore the ‘sunk by a massive iceberg’ part)! That’s right, Hidden (the crew behind unique events such as the Alice’s Mad Hatter’s Cocktail Party and The Teletubbies Bar) are set to take you back to 15 April, 1912 on an immersive voyage aboard the RMS Titanic. The theatrical dining experience is based on the 1997 Academy Award-winning film which focusses on the tragic love story between Rose and Jack.

Event info:

The Titanic Theatrical Dining Experience: Canberra
Multiple Dates (24 Sep 2022-28 Feb 2023
Location: Disclosed later
Price: $99 (AU)
Information for the event and signing up can be found at https://explorehidden.com/event/details/the-titanic-theatrical-dining-experience-canberra-1554928

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Researchers Have Discovered The Wreckage Of The “Italian Titanic”
Political Lore, 16 Jun 2022

The victims of the wreck of the ship, converted into an auxiliary cruiser with the onset of the war, were 1926 people out of more than 2600 on board. This is the largest naval disaster of the First World War. The wreckage of the ship, which in the publication of the newspaper il Messaggero is called the “Italian Titanic”, rested at a depth of 930 meters in the waters of the Strait of Otranto. The researchers repeated the route of the convoy, which included the “Prince Umberto”, and using sonar detected the presence of wreckage at great depths After three unsuccessful attempts, an underwater robot was lowered to the crash site, which was prevented by a strong current in the sea strait and managed to film and photograph what was left of the steamer.

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4 Titanic Artifacts That Didn’t Go Down With the Ship
Discover, 17 June 2022

The Titanic rests about 12,500 feet below the surface. An exhibition company received sole permission to salvage remains from wreckage. The company has taken seven trips and resurfaced more than 5,500 artifacts ranging from handbags to clocks. Traveling expeditions, in places like the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, display these relics. Many of the interesting items, however, come from people who didn’t go down with the ship. Survivors and witnesses have also offered amazing artifacts. Here are four fascinating finds.

(In case you cannot view the full article, the four things are (1) Iceberg Photograph, (2) Ice Warnings, (3) Life Vest, (4) Menus)

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Belfast’s Iconic Harbour And Docklands Through The Years
Belfast Live, 20 Jun 2022

This is really a nice collection of photos of Belfast, Harland & Wolff, and other things in the area around the harbor. A few you may recognize as they have been published elsewhere. A nice time capsule of different times in the harbor’s past.

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Today is Juneteenth, a Federal holiday in the United States.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in Confederate states. Most African Americans would not learn of this act until after the areas they lived in were liberated by Union troops. On 19 June 1865, Union troops entered Galveston, Texas (Texas was a Confederate state during the war) and learned that they were freed. Celebrations began with prayers, feasts, and dance. The following year it would take place throughout Texas on the same date becoming an annual tradition  and holiday in 1980. The celebration would spread to other states and sometimes recognized as a state holiday as well. As a result of its importance to African-Americans and to the United States as well, the U.S. Congress made it a national holiday in 2021 with President Biden signing the resolution of Congress, It formally began as a holiday on Monday, 20 June 2022. Per federal law, since June 19th fell on a Sunday this year, it was celebrated the following Monday as a national holiday. The formal name of the holiday is Juneteenth National Independence Day


Titanic News:Haunting Titanic Letter Up For Sale; Did Space Weather Contribute to Titanic Disaster and more….

 

March 6, 1912: Titanic (right) had to be moved out of the drydock so her sister Olympic (left), which had lost a propeller, could have it replaced.
Robert John Welch (1859-1936), official photographer for Harland & Wolff
Public domain

Haunting Five-Page Letter Of Titanic Survivor Describes Hearing Cries As Ship Sank (The Mirror, 5 April 2021)

Marion Wright’s five-page account was written to her dad the day after the disaster in April 1912. She watched from a lifeboat as the Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg. Marion, who was 26 at the time, wrote: “It was terrible… I don’t think I shall ever forget it… “We saw the crowds of people when she broke in two which she did a few minutes before she sank going down with a huge explosion over the cries of the people left on board.” She was in her cabin when the “unsinkable” liner struck the iceberg in the north Atlantic.

The letter will be auctioned off by Henry Aldridge & Son on 17 April 2021. It is expected to fetch £6,000 ($8,294)

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A Titanic Mystery Is The Subject Of New Theatrical Dinner Experience At Goodwin Hotel In Hartford,Hartford Courant, 1 April 2021

The final first-class meal ever served on the Titanic is the inspiration for a theatrical dining experience running from April 16 to May 9 at The Goodwin hotel in Hartford. Tyler Anderson, executive chef-owner at the acclaimed Millwright’s in Simsbury, or members of his Millwright’s chef team, will cook for up to 126 people each Friday, Saturday and Sunday night in the second production of “Room Service at the Goodwin,” Anderson has announced. Diners will eat in parties of up to six people, each party in a separate room of the hotel, 21 rooms total. The Titanic meal will be accompanied by a mystery story about the 21 passengers on the Titanic who were bound for Connecticut.

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Was Space Weather The Cause Of The Titanic Disaster? Irish Times, 1 April 2021

At the time of the disaster, the skies were clear, the sea was calm and there was no moon. Several sightings of the aurora borealis, a visible manifestation of geomagnetic disturbance, were reported. The sunspot cycle was near minimum in 1912, and reports from the British Antarctic Expedition on the fateful night were compatible with a coronal hole event on the sun.

Measurements at several geophysical observatories confirmed the occurrence of a strong magnetic storm. This could have affected compass readings on both Titanic and Carpathia. Zinkova argues that this caused similar errors on both ships, accounting for the miraculous interception of the lifeboats by the rescue vessel. The light from the aurora may also have aided the rescue operation.

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Major River Clyde Shipbuilding Attraction To Rival Titanic Belfast Plan For Glasgow GlasgowLive, 29 Mar 2021

Plans are being drawn up to create a new cultural landmark rivalling the Titanic in Belfast and V&A in Dundee in Glasgow. The Ship Yard Trust are looking to create a tourist attraction marking the industrial achievements of the River Clyde and the contribution of the men and women of Glasgow who worked there. The proposal has been described as ‘ambitious’, with the final outcome hoped to be the same quality of other successful attractions including the V&A to put the Clyde on the ‘tourist map’ and provide employment in local communities.


Recent Titanic News: Titanic Hotel Opens and More!

Titanic House (former Harland and Wolff Drawing Offices), Queens Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, March 2012
Photo:Ardfern(Wikimedia Commons) Is Now A Luxury Hotel.

1. Belfast’s Titanic Hotel Finally Opens After Birthplace Of Tragic Cruise Liner Is Transformed With £28MILLION Make-Over (Daily Mail, 11 Sep 2017)
Chairman of Harcourt Developments, Mr Pat Doherty – who managed the project – welcomed family, friends, tourists and locals into the brand new site, which sat empty for thirty years. The dilapidated property, which is located on Belfast’s Queen’s Road, has been revived thanks in part to a £5million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Inside the new Titanic, however, guests will be housed in 120 rooms over four storeys, each with a classic, maritime-chic design. Thankfully, however, many of the original architectural features have been retained. The famous Drawing Rooms, where draftsmen sketched their designs for the ill-fated liner, have been sympathetically transformed into a function room and a bar. One even features the same tiles that lined the Titanic’s swimming pool.

2. Titanic Voyage To Be Recreated On Sydney Harbour (Guardian News, 21 Aug 2017)
Beyond Cinema will take up to 1000 passengers on a sightseeing cruise boat for a screening of James Cameron’s hit movie, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet from 1997. After buying tickets to first-, second- or third-class decks, they will dress up as if it’s 1912 and eat meals appropriate to their class, with actors on board helping simulate the experience of being on the Titanic. “We’re going to fully theme the boat itself and recreate the atmosphere of the early 1900s,” the company’s creative director, Aden Levin, says. “Everyone will be given instructions on what clothing to wear. “They’ll also be given different characters that they will be on the boat.”

Premier Exhibitions News
1. Premier Exhibitions and StoryTech Immersive to Partner on 2018 Expedition to RMS TITANIC(Press Release, GlobalNewsWire 7 Sep 2017)
http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/09/06/1108171/0/en/Premier-Exhibitions-and-StoryTech-Immersive-To-Partner-on-2018-Expedition-to-RMS-TITANIC.html

2.On 17 Aug 2017, a default entry of judgment was entered regarding the French Titanic Artifacts. Premier was required to file adverse legal action to compel France to declare whether they claimed ownership of these artifacts. They did not respond so the court has entered a default judgment in favor of Premier Exhibitions. This will allow these artifacts to be put up for auction. Source:Andrew Shapiro,Equity Security Holders of Premier Exhibitions, Inc


Las Vegas Chef Does Titanic

Eric Bernard Tordjman’s father and grandfather once participated in a lavish Titanic dinner in 1952 at the Trianon Palace Hotel in Versailles, France. Now the grandson plans to offer a Titanic dinner at his Bistro Restaurant at Lake Las Vegas. The Henderson Press reports:

Chef E. Bernard is committed to recreating that experience – without adjusting for inflation. Starting at seven bells shipboard time (7 p.m. for others), those booking passage will be greeted, given a White Star Line “Boarding Pass” and seated for an unhurried evening of sumptuous epicurean dining. Music of the day will be played on piano, violin and guitar – recreating the same make-up of musicians that played aboard the Titanic. Various special decorative touches will help complete this bygone shipboard ambience and elegant dining experience.

The first menu being served includes meals served about Titanic. Subsequent weekly dinners every Thursday offer either three or five course meal that includes champagne, an unhurried pace, and pastries prepared from recipes served on Titanic.

Be prepared to fork (no pun intended) over lots of buckzoids. The three course meal is $45 per person, the five course $65.

Source: The Henderson Press, “Titanic” Dining At Lake Las Vegas, 16 June 2011

Titanic Weekend At The Grand Hotel

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island will be having a special Titanic weekend in May. During May 13-15, those buying a special package will get not only breakfast and dinner daily, but a special 11 course Titanic dinner similar to what was served on Titanic. The cost is $749 for couples, $649 single. An Edwardian fashion show and screenings of Titanic (and other things) are part of the schedule. For full details go to www.grandhotel.com.