Category Archives: Titanic

Titanic

Today is Washington’s Birthday (President’s Day-US)

George Washington (1732–99) by Gilbert Stuart Photo: Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons)
George Washington (1732–99) by Gilbert Stuart
Photo: Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Although today is referred to as “President’s Day” it is not a federal holiday by that name. It is officially designated as Washington’s Birthday under federal law. There was a movement to combine both Washington and Lincoln’s birthday (since they occur days apart) or honor the office of president. That never came to be. Instead in 1968 the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was past and came into force in 1971. That shifted most federal holidays to a Monday if it fell during the week. Washington’s Birthday name was not changed and so under federal law it is still Washington’s Birthday. However many states issue their own proclamations celebrating not only Washington but Lincoln and others from their own state. Advertisers have caught on as well. So today many call it President’s Day but who it commemorates beyond George Washington is up to the state governors.

The unity of Government, which constitutes you one people, is also now dear to you. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very Liberty, which you so highly prize.
President George Washington,Farewell Address, 19 September 1799.

For more information:

Britannica.com
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
History.com

 


Titanic

Titanic News-Update on SS. Keewatin; Iceberg Question

 

S.S. Keewatin 2007
Public Domain (via Wikipedia)

Heritage Groups Advocate To Keep Titanic-Era Boat In Port McNicoll (Global News, 3 Feb 2021 -Video)

This is a follow up on SS Keewatin, and in video only format.

 

Photograph of iceberg taken by chief steward of Prinz Adalbert on morning of 15 April 1912 near where Titanic sank. At the time he had not learned of the Titanic disaster. Smears of red paint along the base caught his attention. The photo and accompanying statement were sent to Titanic’s lawyers, which hung in their boardroom until the firm dissolved in 2002. Public Domain

What Happened To The Giant Iceberg That Sank The Titanic?
Explica, 4 Feb 202

What is certain is that it must have remained in the same place for a long time: those huge mountains of ice float adrift until over time, they become part of the liquid water of the ocean.

It was reported today that veteran actor Christopher Plummer passed away at age 91. He was a terrific actor who elevated even ordinary movies. He shot to fame playing Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. He did not like how his character was drawn. Nor did the real Trapp family children. Aside from the usual liberties taken with the story (and changing the gender of the two oldest from boys to girls!) they were empathetic that their father was nothing like the stage or the movie presentation. And he certainly did not make them wear sailor’s outfits as well. At any rate, Christopher Plummer will be long remembered for the many roles he played on stage, film, and even on the small screen. RIP Christopher Plummer.


Titanic

Update:RMS Titanic Inc Decides To Postpone Retrieval of Marconi Wireless

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

RMS Titanic Inc has formally notified the federal court overseeing the salvage award that it is postponing retrieval of the Marconi wireless from Titanic. However it does plan to eventually do this at some point once logistics and income from exhibitions makes it feasible. There is no date given when they might try again.

Source:

Mission To Retrieve Titanic’s Radio From Ocean Is Postponed (MSN, 31 January 2021)

It cited the “increasing difficulty associated with international travel and logistics, and the associated health risks to the expedition team”, as well as a lack of revenue due to visitor numbers to its vast collection of Titanic artifacts plummeting amid the pandemic. RMS Titanic Inc has also had to lay off high-profile experts in the field: Dave Gallo, PH Nargeolet, Bill Sauder and William Lange. The company, however, maintained that it’s financially secure. It said the radio expedition remains a top priority and will “take place as soon as reasonably practicable”. The postponement is likely to increase fears that the priceless artifacts hidden in the wreckage may not survive if left for too long.

 

Titanic, Titanic II

Titanic News: Titanic Lego Set, Titanic II?

 

Titanic at Cobh Harbor, 11 April 1912
Public Domain (Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh, Ireland)

LEGO Titanic Set Rumoured For 2021 Release (Brick Fanatics, 21 Jan 2021)

An official LEGO recreation of the Titanic may be on the way later in 2021, according to a new rumour. Eurobricks user VanIslandLego told YouTuber Brother From Another Brick that the second half of 2021 will see the release of a LEGO Titanic set. The same user was apparently responsible for the first rumours around 10274 Ghostbusters ECTO-1 and 10276 Colosseum, lending some veracity to the report.

Titanic Fans Around The World In Awe Of Consett Schoolboy’s Snow Sculpture (ChronicleLive, 21 Jan 2021)

“Awesome” and “fantastic” are just some of the words used to describe a County Durham schoolboy’s snow sculpture after it went viral on social media. During last week’s snow fall, six-year-old Lewis Maddick used his day off from school to create a replica of the Titanic. His recreation of the historical ship was so impressive it immediately attracted attention when his mum Fiona shared a picture of it on Facebook. And fellow Titanic-fanatics were in awe of the snow ship when a Titanic museum in America shared Lewis’ work on their Facebook page, Titanic Museum Attraction.

Titanic II?

There have been some news articles of late about Titanic II sailing in 2022. The Standard recently reported it was back on again. It pointed to a posting on Facebook but the Facebook page most recent posting is 2 Feb 2020 where Palmer says to await further announcements later in the year about Titanic II. A check of the Blue Star Line website shows the latest news was from 2018 on CNN where the article states it will launch in 2022. What this looks like is recycling old news or making old news looking like new. So it looks like there is nothing to report here.


Titanic

Titanic News: Titanic Expert Debunks Myths

‘It’s A Myth!’ Titanic Expert Exposes Damage ‘Greater Than Iceberg’ That Sunk Vessel (Daily Express, 19 Jan 2021)

The British passenger liner, under the captaincy of Edward Smith, had roughly 2,400 passengers on board when it struck an iceberg shortly before midnight on April 14, 1912. The devastating event saw more than 1,500 people lose their lives on the “unsinkable” vessel in one of modern history’s deadliest commercial marine disasters. An official inquiry into the incident by the British Wreck Commissioner found the owners – White Star – were not to blame, but in the years since numerous myths have developed over the story.

According to expert Tim Maltin, one of these surrounds how the vessel went down. Famous sketches over the years have depicted the front of the ship raised, as the back appears to slowly disappear below the waves. But Mr Maltin told historian Dan Snow that “sadly, this is a myth” during his appearance on History Hit’s documentary ‘Debunking the Myths of the Titanic’.


Historic Ships, Titanic

Items from Titanic Rescue Ship Auctioned Off

RMS Carpathia (date unknown)
Image: public domain

The Independent is reporting that items from Titanic rescue ship Carpathia have been auctioned off by a U.S. auction house. Single lumps of coal were purchased for $600, binoculars went for $1,600, and a intact Pepsi bottle sold for $2,000 were among the items auctioned off. The online auction was done by Ahlers & Ogletree of Atlanta, Georgia.

Source:

Items From Titanic Rescue Ship Sunk Off Ireland Fetch Huge Sums At US Auction (Independent.ie, 15 Jan 2021)


Titanic

Titanic Exhibition Coming to Idaho Discovery Center

 

Titanic advertising from New York Times, 10 April 1912.
Public Domain (Wikimedia)

Discovery Center Of Idaho To Welcome Titanic Exhibition (Idahonews.com, 14 Jan 2021)

The Discovery Center of Idaho will welcome the arrival of the world-class exhibit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition on Feb. 15. “Interest in Titanic has endured for generations. In part, because of the sheer size and magnificence of this “unsinkable” ship,” said Eric Miller, Executive Director for Discovery Center of Idaho. “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, tells the stories of those on board Titanic’s fateful maiden voyage and includes real pieces from the shipwreck, retrieved from a depth of nearly two and a half miles. We are thrilled to be bringing this unforgettable experience to Idaho.”


Titanic

Update:Plans to Retrieve Marconi Radio in Jeopardy

Photo: Public Domain (Library and Archives Canada / PA-122236)

It appears plans to retrieve the Marconi wireless radio from Titanic are in jeopardy. Due to Covid-19 closing many of their exhibitions (and only a few open with limited availability), income for Premier Exhibitions has dropped significantly. Premier has already missed a required court deadline about submitting costs for the proposed salvage.

Pandemic Has Imperiled Plans To Retrieve Titanic’s Radio (ABC News, 12 Jan 2021)

The company, RMS Titanic Inc., said Monday that its revenues plummeted after coronavirus restrictions closed its exhibits of Titanic artifacts, causing the firm to seek funding through its parent company. Some of the exhibitions, which are scattered across the country, are still closed, while others that have reopened are seeing limited attendance. RMS Titanic Inc. recently missed a deadline with a federal admiralty court in Virginia to submit a funding plan for the radio expedition. The company left open the possibility that it may no longer seek the court’s approval for the undertaking if a plan isn’t submitted in the coming weeks.


Titanic

Food Served In First Class on Titanic

Titanic Lunch Menu 14 April 1912.
Photo: AP

First class passengers aboard Titanic ate very well (so did second and third comparatively speaking). Nothing was spared for those who paid the big money. And the food the upper class ate was very different from what we call today fine dining. The terms supper and dinner had a different meaning as well. Dinner was a formal meal and most often at night, while supper was a less formal meal often eaten by workers and others. Lunch and dinner for first class passengers on Titanic were formal with foods not served in less formal settings.

Mental Floss recently took a look at the menus and found some interesting things, most of which are not eaten much today (or have been reconfigured). It should be remembered that dinner back then was a 10 course meal in first class. That was a lot of food to consume! However, eating was not rushed and there were pauses between each meal course. Still for the amount of food served it seems enormous today. Only on special holiday feasts does one have multiple dishes of food served.

Items on the menu included:

Egg à l’Argenteuil

This was a luncheon dish with fancy title but really was scrambled eggs with asperagus. There are many variations of it today. An Italian version, Frittata di Asparagi e Uova, can be found here.

Chicken À La Maryland

This dish was also served for lunch. It was breaded fried chicken with gravy and garnished with bananas. Back then, bananas were considered a luxury and expensive. It became popular in Baltimore since they imported the fruit. This recipe remained popular and the famous Auguste Escoffier put it into his  recipe book. A current version can be found here.

Roasted Squab and Cress

For dinner, you could have this entrée which was as the name indicates: a roasted pigeon with cress. Squad was actually considered a pretty delicious meat (note these are raised pigeons bred for the table, not the common pigeon you see in parks). If you want to get a sense of what it was like, take a look at the recipe at Downton Abbey Cooks.

Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly

This was dessert and often served last. Most comments I found indicate that it does work well. Back then gelatin was very labor intensive to make, so making for a dessert was a special treat. Downton Abbey Cooks also has a recipe for it as well. Today with instant gelatin packs, a bit easier to prepare.

Source:

Michele Debczak, 11 Jan 2021
11 Items From ‘Titanic’s’ Final Menus, Retrieved 9 Jan 2023


Miscellaneous, Titanic

Ryerson Mansion Now Condominums For Sale

Lakeview Avenue Row House District
Image: Chicagoarchitecture.org

Emily Ryerson, whose husband Arthur perished when Titanic sank in 1912, had a large mansion built for her and family over 100 years ago. Built in Lincoln Park area of Chicago, it was designed by Henry Dangler and David Adler who designed a series of homes in that area in 1915.  According to a site history:

Architects Henry C. Dangler and David Adler designed the row of fine Georgian-style homes as a creative social community for friends who were both artists and notable figures in Chicago society. Each row home would be an independent residence but would also enjoy benefits common to the high-class apartment towers then being built along the lakefront. Together the homes would be heated by a central facility and a proposed garage would accommodate each owner’s automobile.

Construction began in 1915 and done by 1917. She would remarry in 1927 to William Forsythe Sherfese, the Forestry Advisor to the Chinese Government. The house at 2700 Lakeview was sold in 1930. Nearly all the original inhabitants of the block of houses sold and moved away. The Ryerson home would change hands and in 1946 the last occupant was moved out. It remained uninhabited since then. The mansion was bought in 2017. Other mansions in the area have been considered for purchase and renovation but the sticking point is not only the costs but whether there is a market.

In the case of the Ryerson house, the renovations are complete and they are marketing two condos for sale at this time. You just need $5.4 million and it is all yours.

Sources:

Landmark Designation Report- Lakeview Avenue House District
City of Chicago, 2016

Titanic Survivor’s Mansion Will Become Residential Once Again (Chicagobusiness.com, 11 April 2017)