Category Archives: Titanic

Titanic

Sign of Times:Colne Museum Needs Money;Puts Titanic Binoculars Up For Sale

I suppose it was going to happen eventually. Many places are having trouble meeting Colne Titanic Binoculars For Saleexpenses due to the turbulent economic times we are in. The Titanic in Lancashire Museum in Colne (U.K.) has run into serious financial problems. So it has, with great regret, put binoculars presented to Captain Rostron of Carpathia (the ship that rescued Titanic’s survivors) up for sale at eBay. The starting bid is $600.00.

Museum curator Nigel Hampson said the venture would ‘absolutely, categorically prefer not to sell the binoculars’ but they needed to pay bills year-round. He added: “We do not want them to go. But we are between a rock and a hard place. Keeping the museum open costs money. “All the staff, myself included, are unpaid volunteers and all monies made are put back into the museum.“ But the fact remains that gas, electricity, phone and day-to-day expenses all have to be covered.

It is sad to see this happen but they are between a rock and hard place. However I hope this never has to happen. I believe there are a lot of Titanic enthusiasts in the U.K. and elsewhere that will want to help out. Donations can be made at their website.

Source: Lancashire Telegraph, Colne Museum’s Cash-Strapped Bosses Put Titanic Binoculars On eBay, 29 Nov 2012


Titanic

Titanic Iceberg Photo To Be Auctioned In December

RR Auction will be auctioning the photo and other Titanic memorabilia at a live auction on 16 December.Titanic Iceberg Photograph

Included in the many live auction lots along with will be an original Titanic deck chair — one of only seven complete deck chairs known to exist — and an amazing and extremely rare vintage photo of the “blueberg” iceberg just two days before it struck and sank the Titanic. Amazing and extremely rare original 9.75 x 8 photo of a uniquely-shaped ‘blueberg’ photographed by the captain of the Leyland Line steamer S. S. Etonian two days before Titanic collided with it. The photo shows a massive iceberg with a very distinctive elliptical shape, and is captioned in black ink by the captain, “Copyright. Blueberg taken by Captain W. F. Wood S. S. Etonian on 12/4/12 in Lat 41° 50 W Long 49° 50 N.”

Pre auction bidding begins on 8 Dec with the live auction on 16 Dec. The auction will take place at Crowne-Plaza Hotel in Nashua, NH. Further details are at RR Auction.

Source: Art Daily,The Iceberg That Sunk Titanic To Be Featured At RR Auction Live Event In December,28 Nov 2012


Titanic

Titanic Plan On Display In Belfast

From The Irish Independent:

The world’s most expensive Titanic artefact has gone on public display in a centre dedicated to the doomed liner. The 32ft-long plan of the ship, which was used as a reference guide during the 1912 British inquiry into the sinking, has been passed to Titanic Belfast by a mystery benefactor. The anonymous collector bought the well-preserved paper diagram at auction for £220,000 last year. It bears ink marks denoting exactly where engineers giving evidence to the Board of Trade inquiry determined the White Star Line vessel had struck the iceberg on its fateful transatlantic maiden voyage in April 1912.

Source: Irish Independent, Ship Plan On Show At Titanic Centre, 27 Nov 2012


Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic Menus Fetch Over £100,000 At Auction

BBC News is reporting that a First Class Titanic lunch menu sold for £64,000($102,605) and a VIP menu from Titanic’s launch went for £36,000 ($57,714). The auction was held by Henry Aldridge and Son on Saturday.

Source: BBC News, Two Titanic Menus Fetch More Than £100,000 At Auction In England, 25 Nov 2012


Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic Pigeon Forge Plans Christmas, Titanic Murder Mystery Coming To Nintendo

Just a few items before I take time away for Thanksgiving.

1) A Titanic Christmas
The folks over at Pigeon Forge are once again going all out for Christmas. On 22 November the Christmas season kicks off  with snowfall off Titanic’s bow, a visit from Father Christmas, and fireworks. More snowfall and a visit from Father Christmas is scheduled for 22 and 24 Nov (both @ 7p.m.) Each December Saturday will also have the snowfall and Father Christmas. A new Titanic exhibit featuring a little known link to the Biltmore house in Ashville, North Carolina is also featured. More information about Christmas schedule and other things can be found at  www.titanicpigeonforge.com.

2) Murder On The Titanic, a hidden object game, will be released for Nintendo 3DS on 6 Dec. According to the press blurb: “It takes place on the Titanic in 1912, with you playing as the assistant to a globetrotter named Professor Jacob Larsson. On April 14th—that happens to be the day before the Titanic’s sinking—the ship’s captain requests Larsson’s help in solving the mystery behind a stoker’s body, which is discovered onboard.”

I wonder if they tossed in a mummy as well. 🙂

Have a nice Thanksgiving everyone.

Sources:
1. WBIR-TV, Holidays At The Titanic Museum Attraction, 20 Nov 2012
2. Siliconera, Murder on the Titanic Brings A Murder Mystery To Nintendo 3DS eShop, 20 Nov 2012


Titanic

Belfast-A Changed City

I recently watched Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation segment on Ireland. Bourdain was surprised at how much was changing in Belfast and Dublin. New buildings and a higher standard of living was coming along with an influx of people. Food was also taking major strides. No longer just Irish stew but much, much more. Ian Murray, writing in the Daily Echo, recently noted the many positive changes to Belfast, which includes Titanic.

Belfast has joined the ranks of the UK’s destination cities. Thankfully so much of the best of the old way of life has also been preserved. Historic pubs such as The Duke of York in Commercial Court, Lavery’s in Bradbury Place, Robinson’s in Great Victoria Street and, of course, The Crown Liquor Saloon next door are still on the tourist trail. A pint is a must, and for gastro pub grub the steak, onions and Headless Dog pie at the John Hewitt on Donegal Street can’t be beaten.

The old and new are being blended together resulting in a very different city.

Source: Daily Echo, Belfast’s Titanic Museum, 18 Nov 2012


Titanic

Man Creates Titanic Replica Out Of Cardboard

Ronald Lutz, a 70-year-old retired correctional officer likes to keep busy or he goes nuts. So he spent 8 hours a day for the past three months making a Titanic replica out of cardboard. The model sits in his kitchen, is 7 feet long and 3 feet high. He used books an his eyes to build the replica.

And he is not done. He plans on making another one 2 feet longer and to scale.

Source:Victorville Daily Press, Apple Valley Man Creates Titanic Paper Model,17 Nov 2012


Titanic

Captain Rostron’s Sextant To Be Auctioned Off

The sextant owned by Carpathia captain Arthur Rostron, who came to Titanic’s aid inSextant 1912, is up for auction. Rostron acquired the sextant in 1883 and has remained in the family till now. Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son believe it will fetch £70,000 pounds ($111,000) at next Saturday’s sale.

Source: AP, Sextant Of Master Of Titanic Rescue Ship For Sale, 17 Nov 2012


Brittanic, Titanic

Brittanic Gets No Respect

Mention that you have authentic Titanic memorabilia and people are interested. If instead Brittanic chestit comes from its sister ship Brittanic, expect a yawn. That is what happened to Richard McLaughlin, a pub owner in Killinchy, Northern Ireland, when he discovered a mahogany linen chest from Brittanic. It had been in the family for 70 years. How it got into the family is an interesting tale according to Belfast Telegraph. His grandfather, William Walsh, was wounded during the Gallipoli campaign in 1916 and evacuated to Brittanic, which was operating as a hospital ship. All the furniture had been stripped so he did not get the chest then. It came later when he married his wife.

His wife bought the linen cabinet but where she bought it from is a mystery. However when the ship went down in 1916 (likely a mine), its furniture was likely reused or sold by White Star. And until the temporary top was removed recently by McLaughlin, apparently his grandfather had no idea it was from Brittanic (or at least there is no indication he knew this).  McLaughlin contacted the Transport Museum to see if the would be interested in the piece; they were not. So he decided to auction it off. Christies said the best place for it to be sold would be New York (surprising since Henry Aldridge usually has a corner on these things). So off to New York went the chest and it waits to be auctioned off. Unfortunately Hurricane Sandy has put the auction on hold for now but McLaughlin is hopeful it will find a home in the U.S. He is disappointed that no one at home was interested in taking the piece.

But it seems many are focused on Titanic forgetting the sister ships Olympic and Brittanic. Too bad because once they get up to speed and realize the importance of having them in the Titanic/White Star collection it will be too late.

Source: Belfast Telegraph, Pieces Of Harland And Wolff History From The Brittanic To Go Under Hammer In New York, 16 Nov 2012


Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions

Lemont Area Historical Society Hosts Titanic Event

The Lemont Area Historical Society is inviting residents (and other interested parties) to its Titanic exhibit 27 Nov at 7p.m. David Bart of the Antique Wireless Association will discuss the sinking focusing on the role of wireless communications. A tasting of a meal served aboard Titanic will also be provided. Best of all, it is free.

Further information at Lemont Area Historical Society.

Source: Patch.com, From Sinking Ship To Santa At The Historical Society, 14 Nov 2012