Category Archives: Titanic

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Tuxedo Historical Society To Raffle Off Steiff Titanic Bear And Book

The Tuxedo Historical Society will be raffling off a collectible “Polar, The Titanic Bear” produced by the Steiff Company in Germany. According to Times Herald-Record:polar-the-titanic-bear-steiff-682087-s

“Polar” has special significance for the Tuxedo community: Tuxedo Park residents Daisy and Frederic Spedden and their young son Douglas were aboard Titanic on that fateful voyage. On the night of the disaster, Polar, a beloved Steiff bear purchased at FAO Schwarz, was tucked under little Douglas’s arm as the Speddens were lowered down the side of Titanic into a life boat. After the survivors were swung up the side of the rescue ship, Polar was forgotten in the empty lifeboat until a sailor found him and returned him to Douglas.In a 1913 manuscript intended as a Christmas gift for Douglas, Daisy Spedden told this remarkable story through the eyes of Polar.The original manuscript was found decades later by Leighton Coleman, a Spedden relative, in a trunk of family memorabilia about to be discarded. In 1994, Coleman published the manuscript as a book, “Polar, the Titanic Bear,” which went on to win several awards for outstanding children’s literature.

The Steiff bear is 2012 limited edition North American white tag (only 1500 produced). Raffle tickets are $10 and available through Tuxedo Historical Society. The raffle takes place on 9 Dec at the society’s annual Fair Trade Holiday Craft Sale. The drawing will take place on Sunday at 3pm. You do not need to be present to win.

Source: Times Herald-Record, Tuxedo Historical Society To Raffle Steiff Titanic Bear, Book, 4 Dec 2012


Titanic

Belfast & Southampton Win Port Awards

I had no idea that awards for best ports existed, but it seems they do. The web site Cruise Critic has just awarded its 2012 Editors Picks. Belfast was named best UK port of call and Southampton best UK departure point.

The international panel, made up of cruise journalists, said: ‘Belfast has regained its former glory thanks to the ship that for many years defined its decay.”On Southampton, the website explained: ‘We acknowledge the approach to Southampton is not as iconic as that of New York, but this year, the port excelled in two stand-out events – Cunard’s Three Queens [the meeting of the Queen Victoria, the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth] and P&O’s Grand Event, showing it can handle a large number of ships with ease.’

A record number of 43 cruise ships docked in Belfast this year largely due to Titanic centenary. Of course they are quite pleased with the news in Belfast. Tony McAuley, Commercial Officer at Belfast Harbour said to Daily Mail “We are delighted that the substantial investment made in recent years in providing world class tourism facilities in Belfast and Northern Ireland, such as Titanic Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway visitor centre, is recognised and appreciated by the international cruise community.”

100 year on Titanic still is effecting things.

Source: Daily Mail, Titanic Win For Belfast And Southampton As Cities Linked To Liner Scoop Best Port Awards,4 Dec 2012


Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions

Titanic Exhibition At Merseyside Maritime Museum Extended To 2014

The Titanic Exhibition at Merseyside Maritime Museum (U.K.) has done so well they have extended it to 2014. According to Liverpool Daily Post:

Jubilant bosses at Merseyside Maritime Museum have announced they will extend the Liverpool Titanic exhibition from April next year until 2014, after visitors reach the half million mark. They had hoped for a total of 450,000 visitors during the 12-month run of Titanic and Liverpool: the Untold Story, which opened on March 30. But that figure has already been exceeded, with 498,475 people coming through the doors up to last weekend – an average of 2,077 a day. That compares favourably with some of the largest visitor attractions in the UK, including 323,897 visitors to The National Gallery’s Leonardo da Vinci exhibition, and 460,000 for Tate Modern’s recent Damien Hirst show.

Further information at Merseyside Maritime Museum.

Source: Liverpool Daily Post, Record-Beating Titanic Exhibition Extended At Merseyside Maritime Museum,30 Nov 2012


Titanic, Titanic 2012

Columnist Gets Response On Titanic Piece

John O’Connor wrote way back in April about Titanic connections in Springfield, MA. Now he has a follow-up. It led to some interesting feedback:

Over the past several months, my April column, “Irish on Board the Titanic,” brought some interesting feedback. Who in 1912 could have imagined that in 2012 a gentleman in Australia would, after having read my column online on MassLive.com, would have emailed me about a Patrick O’Connor who was lost at sea? Late in April, after publication of the column, I received an envelope which I put in a file folder. The folder went into my briefcase and was forgotten, a definite sign of incipient senility.However, several months later, I opened the briefcase, and the letter fell out. The letter had a much more local origin than my inquiry from Australia. This was from John F. McDowell, from Springfield. He is the great-grandson of John Cotter.

You can read the column here.

Sources:

1. Masslive.com,Family Tree: Titanic Column On Springfield Links To The Great Disaster Of 1912 Draws Reader Response From Around The World, 28 Nov 2012

2. Masslive.com,Titanic Tragedy Touched Springfield,12 April 2012


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