Tag Archives: antiques roadshow

Monday Titanic News (10 November 2025)

November 10, 2025 Mark Taylor Leave a comment

Titanic Wreck Bow
Image: Public Domain (NOAA:http://www.gc.noaa.gov/images/gcil/ATT00561.jpg)

Kamau, Ruth. “Here’s the Chilling Reason Why There’s No Skeletons in the Titanic Wreckage.” Opposing Views. Last modified November 3, 2025. Accessed November 5, 2025. https://www.opposingviews.com/society/heres-the-chilling-reason-why-theres-no-skeletons-in-the-titanic-wreckage.

Deep-sea explorer Robert Ballard, who led the expedition that found the Titanic, told NPR that this environment makes bone preservation virtually impossible. “Once scavengers remove the flesh, the bones are exposed to water that’s undersaturated in calcium carbonate,” Ballard explained. “At that depth, they dissolve completely.”

News Video

“Couple Builds Spooky Titanic Display.” Video. Cbs19.Tv, October 31, 2025. Accessed November 5, 2025. https://www.cbs19.tv/video/news/local/couple-builds-spooky-titanic-display/501-bb403d6a-3b9d-4298-a714-90f49a9e0ded.

Meek, Natasha. “Titanic Mansion Fairseat House in West Yorkshire up for Sale.” Bradford Telegraph and Argus, October 30, 2025. https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/25583665.titanic-mansion-fairseat-house-west-yorkshire-sale/.

Fairseat House, near Wetherby, Leeds, was once home to Maria Robinson, the fiancée of Wallace Hartley. Wallace was the violinist who led the Titanic’s band to their final haunting performance as it sank into the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912. The house, which is over 200 years old and originally known as St Ives, has since slowly faded from its status as one of Boston Spa’s grandest residences. In the 1970s, it was carved into four apartments, two of which eventually fell into complete disrepair. By the time Sharon Walton and her husband Dan first saw it, the shutters were fading and the building was tired, but even then she knew it was special.

Amin, Meghna. “BBC Antiques Roadshow Guest Gobsmacked by Staggering Worth of Titanic Artefact.” Liverpool Echo, October 21, 2025. https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/tv/bbc-antiques-roadshow-guest-gobsmacked-32720818.

An Antiques Roadshow guest was left stunned by the incredible value of a shilling retrieved from the Titanic disaster site. During Sunday’s episode, the BBC One programme visited the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea, where one visitor shared the item salvaged from the 1912 maritime tragedy. The guest presented a photograph of her great-great-uncle, Reginald Hale, alongside an Edwardian silver shilling that had belonged to him, revealing that he had moved to America in his early twenties and worked there for several years. The shilling eventually made its way down through the family, landing in the hands of the guest’s great-grandfather. What happened to his other belongings remains a mystery, possibly shared amongst his 11 surviving siblings. “It’s a bit of a mystery,” she confessed. “If it were to come up for sale at auction, I’m fairly certain it would have a sale estimate of £10,000 to £15,000 and it would make that quite comfortably.” Stunned by the staggering amount, the guest responded: “Gosh, for something that in itself is seemingly so insignificant, that’s incredible.

Exhibition News

Titanic: The Exhibition opened in Salt Lake City in October 2025. It is billed a limited time though it does not state when it will end. For tickets, hours of operation, and other information go to https://www.fox13now.com/the-place/titanic-the-exhibition-is-open-at-the-shops-at-south-town.

Source:

“FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU).” FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU), November 3, 2025. https://www.fox13now.com/the-place/titanic-the-exhibition-is-open-at-the-shops-at-south-town.

Suggested Titanic Reading

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

Ballard, Robert D. Exploring the Titanic. Reprint. Madison Press Books, 2014.

Ballard, Robert D., and Rick Archbold. The Discovery of the Titanic. New York, N.Y.?: Warner Books, 1987.

Fitch, Tad, J. Kent Layton, and Bill Wormstedt. On a Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the RMS Titanic. Reprint. Amberley Publishing, 2015.

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.

History, Titanic

Wednesday Titanic News

July 30, 2025 Mark Taylor

Children of Titanic Survivor Appear on Antiques Roadshow About Their Father’s Letter; Learn How Much It’s Worth

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

Titanic survivor Sidney Daniels’ children appeared on Antiques Roadshow to discuss a letter he wrote on the ship. Daniels, 18, a plate washer, was awakened by a furious knock and told to get passengers on deck as the ship sank. He struggled to rouse many from their beds; some believed him, others didn’t. He helped children with life jackets and got them to lifeboats. Trapped as the ship sank, he dived into the water, swam away, and climbed onto an overturned lifeboat with another man, keeping him alive by singing hymns.

The letter he wrote to his family survived, though water damaged the stamp. Antiques Roadshow expert Hilary Kay valued it at £10,000 ($13,000). The family chose to donate it to a museum for others to learn Daniels’ story. “I’m delighted,” Kay said. “More people will share your story.”

Ayaat Yassin-Kassab, “Antiques Roadshow Guest Turns Down Whopping Offer to Sell ‘extraordinary’ Titanic Letter After Expert’s Bold Statement,” Mail Online, July 28, 2025, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tv/article-14946937/antiques-roadshow-letter-titanic-survivor.html.

For further information on Sidney Daniels:

“Sidney Edward Daniels,” Encyclopedia Titanica, last modified November 20, 2018, accessed July 30, 2025, https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/sidney-edward-daniels.html.

Thomas Ismay Built A Mansion So Large That It Had To Be Demolished

Dawpool, the grand mansion built by Thomas Ismay.
Photo: Country Life Image Archive

Thomas Henry Ismay, father of J. Bruce Ismay, acquired White Star Line to operate steamships between Liverpool and New York. He built a grand home, Dawpool, in Thurstaston in 1884, designed by Richard Norman Shaw using local sandstone. The massive 50-room mansion featured 5,000 square feet of oak paneling, 150 oak doors, fireproof ceilings, and vast fireplaces. A central room had a domed glass ceiling.

Its grandeur led to its downfall. After Ismay’s death in 1899, his wife lived there until 1907. Neither son wanted to reside there, and selling it was difficult due to its size. By 1907, Sir Herbert Roberts, a Member of Parliament, purchased it, but journalists noted its emptiness. Roberts sold it to F. W. P. Rutter, who also chose not to live there. In 1918, it became a military hospital for officers.

Post-war, much of the surrounding land was sold. In 1926, Sir Henry Roberts, its new owner, planned its demolition, as the structurally sound mansion was too large for post-World War I living. The Victorian and Edwardian eras had passed, making such mansions impractical. Before demolition, parts were sold for reuse. A smaller house now stands on the site.

YouTube Video To Watch

Bright Sun Films, “Cancelled – Titanic 2,” Video, YouTube, June 17, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJvexrKjBII.

This video reviews nearly every attempt to build a Titanic II. I highly recommend this video.

Friday Titanic News-Visiting Titanic Wreck Poses Challenges, Titanic Memorabilia Gets Priced

August 12, 2022 Mark Taylor

Touring the Titanic wreck is no easy thing, unless you are doing it virtually. First you have to fork over a lot of money to go on an expedition. And if you are good health, you get inside a submersible craft that will slowly descend for 2 1/2 hours down to the wreck. The atmospheric pressure is immense and the craft small enough for 3 people and the equipment. The article is incorrect about there not being a toilet. Previous submersibles didn’t have them, but the OceanGate Titan does. However because of the tight space, using it is a last resource. According to their website,

“By limiting Mission Specialist’s diets before and during the dive, the need to use the bathroom is largely eliminated.”

Vintage News recounts how this journey goes leaving you at the end wanting to just watch a video of the wreck or a computer simulation of it.

Source:

The Public Can Tour the Wreckage of the Titanic – And It Might Be a Terrifying Voyage (Vintage News, 10 Aug 2022)

The two-and-a-half-hour trip down to the Titanic wreckage isn’t your standard vacation boat trip. The underwater pressure on the ocean floor is roughly 5,541.9 pounds per square inch, enough to explode the submersible vessels used in the expeditions if even a small hole or scratch occurs. The submersible vessels can only fit three people. Each expedition takes roughly eight to ten hours round trip, and with limited space, basic amenities like a private bathroom are out of the question.

I do not watch The Antiques Roadshow that much. Occasionally though they come upon a real prize. Many people have brought Titanic related items to such places, only to be disappointed. Not in this case according to the Express. The lucky person had some memorabilia that is worth some decent money. And something autographed by a Titanic survivor is going to get a good valuation.

Source:

Antiques Roadshow: Titanic survivor relative blown away by items’ value ‘Didn’t expect it’(Express, 11 Aug 2022)

Antiques Roadshow expert Clive Farahar left one guest “amazed” when he explained the valuation of Titanic items she’d been left by her relative Millvina Dean, who was the last remaining survivor of the doomed passenger liner.

Wayback Machine:

Vintage Battlestar Galactica opening. The old BSG series, I think, had more heart and soul than the newer one. While it had many flaws (and I have written about it here and here.) it had something the newer one didn’t.

Shop for books in our Titanic Book Store

Titanic

Titanic News-Conspiracy Theory, Sinking Connected Ireland, Teacup Surprise

February 28, 2022 Mark Taylor

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

Was The Titanic Sunk On Purpose? (BuzzFeed, February 202)

This is a video produced by BuzzFeed examining the conspiracy about the Titanic being sunk on purpose.

Titanic’s Fate Made For A Bigger Irish Story (Irish Echo, 25 Feb 2022)

Belfast’s part in the story would likely have faded into the background had the ship’s story run a normal course. The same would have been the case for Queenstown, later Cobh. And Addergoole in County Mayo would have been off the map altogether, though some in the village might have harbored memories of family members having once sailed to America on a ship named, well, didn’t its name begin with a T?

Afternoon Tea by Francisco Miralles Galup (1848-1901)
Public Domain

Antiques Roadshow Expert Unveils Link To Titanic In Huge Teacup Valuation ‘My Goodness!‘ (Express, 24 Feb 2022)

Can you imagine finding out some tea cups you bought at yard sale were actually related to Titanic? Well in this case, it happened. The cups were made for the White Star Line. They may never have been on Titanic but perhaps used on Olympic or Brittanic.

“Not the Titanic, that would be quite difficult. If they were from the Titanic, I would be standing back and saying these are worth a lot of money.” But they could have been from the Olympic or the Britannic the sister-ships, which of course, were virtually the same,” he continued. “And all the White Star Lines had this White Star china. These were from the first-class accommodation so if you went down for breakfast, afternoon tea, these are the cups you drink from.

One-on-one with oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard (WGAL, 19 Feb 2022)

Ballard will always be remembered for Titanic but did find a lot of other ships and uncovered a lot of information about the undersea world

Ballard would go on to find numerous shipwrecks, but his greatest achievement: “We found a whole other life system that was living not off the sun, but the energy of the earth itself,” he said. At 79, Ballard said he’s still discovering new things – even about himself. He realized late in life that he has dyslexia. “It’s a gift that I was able to turn into a gift,” he said. Ballard believes it forced him to think differently and face failure, which he calls the greatest teacher of all. “And so that’s the message. Don’t let them knock you down and keep you down. Get up. You’ll be fine,” he said.

Untold Stories Of Working-Class Brits Who Survived Titanic Disaster 110 Years Ago (Mirror 19 Feb 2022)

The stories of two working class Brits who survived the Titanic have been pieced together for the first time. The sinking 110 years ago cost 1,517 people their lives. But while some 60% of first class passengers were saved, only 25% of those in third class made it – and just 207 of the 892 crew. But the survival stories of two on board, a ladies’ maid and a ship’s stoker, have been unravelled for a new series of Tony Robinson’s History of Britain on Channel 5.

Titanic

Titanic News-Conspiracy Theories, Rare Postcard, and Unique Home You Can Have For Free

December 14, 2021 Mark Taylor

Owner of NJ Estate Wants to Give Away Historic Home for Free, But It Comes With a Catch (NBC New York, 12 Dec 2021)

The 82-year-old’s hope is to find someone to take care of the home after he dies someday, and is fine with giving it all away at no cost. But there is a catch: Whomever takes over the estate must preserve the blueprint as is. The expansive property also includes a bamboo forest, and comes with a driveway with gates once owned by a family aboard the Titanic.

Antiques Roadshow Expert Emotional As He Uncovers Value Of Titanic Postcard: ‘Powerful (Daily Express, 10 Dec 2021)

Antiques Roadshow visited the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth where visitors flooded in to value their most precious possessions. During the programme, expert Adam Schoon examined what looked like an ordinary postcard. Upon closer inspection, the auctioneer discovered it had been written by a passenger onboard the Titanic before it sank in 1912. The TV presenter examined the item before shocking his guest after revealing its enormous value.

The Titanic Never Sank And Other Conspiracy Theories Surrounding The Tragic Ocean Liner (Laronge Now, 2 Dec 2021)

In recent years, conspiracy theorists started questioning the validity of this tragedy. It may sound wild, but they do have a few interesting points that we can’t ignore. It’s true that a ship sank to the North Atlantic’s floor in 1912 and that about 1,500 passengers died aboard that day. Although on the conspiracy front, some say the Titanic wasn’t exactly what British-owned parent company, the White Star Line, had promised. Some say the White Star Line switched up their ships in an insurance fraud scheme, while others contend that the sinking was plotted in order to kill specific people.

For those interested in watching Great Lakes freighters arrive and depart from Duluth, check out the webcam. You can view ship schedules here.

Titanic

Titanic News Roundup

January 27, 2019

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

Sorry folks for not posting for quite a while. I got distracted due to a very bad cold that lingered far too long! At any rate I have culled through my news feeds and found the following topical stories. I suppose the big news (sort of) is that Clive Palmer has resurrected Titanic II and seems intent to actually see it through. Doubts linger though on that one.

Titanic BOMBSHELL: Was Ship’s Captain DRUNK Before Iceberg Collision? (Sunday Express, 23 Jan 2019)
https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/1076694/titanic-bombshell-captain-edward-smith-drunk-iceberg-letter-spt

Deltamarin’s Further Involvement In Titanic II Project Confirmed (Hellenic Ship News, 18 Jan 2019)

Deltamarin’s Further Involvement In Titanic II Project Confirmed

Sinking Titanic Model Wows At Touring Lego Exhibition (Stuff, 17 Jan 2019)
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/109934781/sinking-titanic-model-wows-at-touring-lego-exhibition

Titanic Artifact Exhibit Leaves Richmond (CityNews, 14 Jan 2019
https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/01/12/titanic-artifact-exhibit-leaves-richmond/

Why The Titanic Is Disappearing (AOL, 13 Jan 2019)
https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2019/01/13/why-the-titanic-is-disappearing/

Antiques Roadshow: ‘Oh my God!’ Shock as STAGGERING Valuation For Titanic Jewel Revealed (Express, 13 Jan 2019)
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1071507/Antiques-Roadshow-Titanic-emerald-ring-valuation-BBC-video-watch

Richmond Businessman Steers New Course For Titanic Exhibitions (Richmond News, 9 Jan 2019)
https://www.richmond-news.com/business/richmond-businessman-steers-new-course-for-titanic-exhibitions-1.23588371

Submarine Trip To The Titanic Booking Soon — For Those With Deep Pockets (dw.com, 9 Jan 2019)
https://www.dw.com/en/submarine-trip-to-the-titanic-booking-soon-for-those-with-deep-pockets/a-47001755

There’s Going To Be A Titanic-Themed Murder Mystery Event In Edinburgh On Valentine’s Day Weekend (edinburghlive, 7 Jan 2019)
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/best-in-edinburgh/whats-on-news/theres-going-titanic-themed-murder-15640638

‘Titanic’ Exhibit Closing Successful Waco Run At Mayborn Museum On Sunday (Waco Tribune Herald, 4 Jan 2019)
https://www.wacotrib.com/news/downtown_waco/titanic-exhibit-closing-successful-waco-run-at-mayborn-museum-on/article_453d1cfe-aa7d-5c06-8c10-33d4a0c6d31a.html

Oxford Hotel Completes ‘Titanic’ Redesign Of Ballroom (citimagazine.com, 2 Jan 2019)
https://www.citmagazine.com/article/1521896/oxford-hotel-completes-titanic-redesign-ballroom

Titanic, historic ship, and general history news.