According to Ecns.com, Chinese government owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) is now building parts for the full Titanic replica. The replica will be the main attraction at Seven Star’s planned theme park in Daying where it will be permanently docked. It is scheduled to open in 2017. U.S. based designers are working with Seven Star to develop precise dimensions and layout. The replica will meet all current safety standards and is estimated to cost $161 million or 1 billion yuan. The sinking simulator apparently will be a separate simulation in the same theme park.
As for Clive Palmer’s Titanic replica, not a word.
Nantucket Titanic Deck Chair Photo: Henry Aldridge & Son
A rare Titanic deck chair was recently auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son for the princely sum of £100,000, The chair was one of six or seven that were found in the Atlantic by ships sent out to retrieve bodies from Titanic. This particular one originally belonged to Captain Julien Lemarteleur. Due to its fragility, the anonymous seller kept it as a display piece in a large window with a sea view.
The name of the buyer was not released but was from the U.K.
Source: Tropenmuseum,G.F.J. (Georg Friedrich Johannes) Bley (Fotograaf/photographer)
Back in 2012 it was reported that rubber blocks were washing up in the UK and northern Europe with the word Tjipetir engraved on it. Titanic was suggested as the source but Tracey Williams of Newquay, Cornwall possibly has determined the source BBC News is reporting. These rubber blocks were gutta-percha from an Indonesian rubber plantation named Tjipetir and were cargo on Titanic. But Williams thinks after charting where the blocks have been found and learning information from two sources that it is from the wreck of a Japanese cargo ship sunk in World War 1. Specifically the Miyazaki Maru which was sunk 150 miles west of the Isles of Scilly.
She learned that during the salvage large amounts of gutta-percha and rubber bales were released from the ship’s hold. And of course they are picked up by the current and tossed around in the ocean until it lands on a beach somewhere. It turns out that the Miyazaki Maru was sunk by the same U-Boat captain who sank the Lusitania in 1915–Walther Schwieger who was one of Germany’s top U-Boat captains during the war. He died in 1917 when his U-Boat struck a British mine while being chased by HMS Stonecrop.
It is speculated that these rubber blocks may be washing up on UK and northern Europe beaches for years to come. It is possible there is more than one source of these blocks as many ships carrying them were sunk during the war. And there still is the possibility some might be from Titanic.
HMHS Britannic seen during World War I. Image:public domain
1. David Reynolds, age 55, decided to do something to commemorate HMHS Brittanic, Titanic’s sister ship that served in World War I. So he made a matchstick model comprised of 50,000 matchsticks, glue, varnish to build his 5 foot model. And it looks pretty good from the picture in the news article. It took him 700 hours to build the model, which is radio-controlled and water tested. He has built matchstick models before. His 23 foot tall oil rig “Cathedrals of the Sea” is at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum in Florida and a world record for the largest matchstick structure. The article does not reveal what he plans to do with the completed model.
Source: Remarkable Matchstick Model Of Titanic’s Sister Ship HMHS Britannic(1 May 2014,Daily Echo)
Sewol at the moment of capsizing Photo:Korea Coast Guard
2. As we learn more about the sinking of the South Korean ferry more sad stories are emerging about its final moments. The ferry had lots of school students aboard and footage from cell phones are know surfacing, In one the kids, who do not know how dire the situation was, were heard to say ‘This is like Titanic.’ Cries of desperation are also heard in kids saying they did not want to die, this looks like the end, or asking to call mom. More harrowing are images of an arm banging on glass to get the attention of rescuers and then sadly the ferry sinks out of range of the rescuers leaving the trapped to their doom. The footage is now part of the official investigation as to what happened. The captain has been detained and facing charges as are several crew members. Two employees of the ferry’s owner have also been detained. And now we learn that there were structural issues as well. Another ship captain warned of the instability caused by adding more cabins to the ferry. All in all, this is a major screw-up and preventable tragedy. Out of 476 passengers, 174 survived. 2 crew members also perished.
Source:It’s Like The Titanic!’: Harrowing footage from aboard doomed South Korean ferry shows students joking and laughing when ship begins to capsize(1 May 2014,Daily Mail)
Poster Advertising Vinolia Otto Soap for Titanic Image:Public Domain
3. In advertising before its sinking, Vinolia soap advertised it was being used on Titanic. In the movie A Night To Remember, Lightoller pokes fun at the advertising in the rail car scene at the beginning of the movie (in fact the actor had a reproduction of the ad he was looking at for the scene). The Vinolia Soap Works were once located in Bebington, UK , which is where a Unilever building stands today. It was a pricey soap back then costing 35 cents a bar so only people with money to spend could afford it. It was advertised as a cold cream bath soap that had “both antiseptic and antibacterial thanks to the boracic creams used in the recipe.” Vinolia was the only product given permission to advertise its connection to Titanic before the maiden voyage. The company itself was bought in the 1900’s by Lever Brothers and now part of Unilever. You can still buy the soap today but packaging may vary. At the Vermont Country Store, two bars sell for $16.00 and come in standard packaging bearing the name Vinolia. Sometimes it is packaged to show its Titanic connection such as on Amazon. As far as I can tell, they are the same product just different packaging (and prices do vary so shop accordingly).
Source:Bebington Soap Deemed Suitable For The Titanic(30 April 2014,Wirral News)
4. Denise Sheldon writes in The News Herald about how the first class ate on Titanic. They ate very well as many already know. She notes the excellent book, Last Dinner on the Titanic(Rick Archbold and Dana McCauley), as part of her article on the subject. She mentions something that does not get a lot of mention when discussing food and that its preparation was nearly all done by hand. Although Titanic had the best cooking facilities at the time, it required a huge staff to do all the prep work needed for every meal. Remember there were no food processors back then, blenders, standing mixers etc. Which meant you had to hand chop just about everything. Now that does not mean they were without any labor saving devices. They had food mills (hand cranked like the one I have to put my cooked potatoes through to make mashed potatoes), sieves, ovens, toaster racks etc. Just lower tech than what he are used to today. Today when we have tons of veggies to dice up for a crowd, we use a food processor. Back then you had teams of people to do all that chopping for every meal. At any rate Sheldon also finds a recipe, adapted for our time, with Chicken Lyonnaise. I do add a small caveat to it. I would recommend using real chicken stock rather than a broth, which are usually insipid for recipes like this. Swanson’s does have a highly rated chicken stock (highly rated by Cook’s Illustrated) or simply make your own.
Source:Titanic’s Passengers Enjoyed Fabulous Fare(30 April 2014,The News Herald)
5. The Titanic Hotel at Stanley Dock in Liverpool (not to be confused with Albion House, former home of White Star Line that is being converted into a hotel by Signature Living) is set to open in June. According to Bay Tv Liverpool:”The highly-anticipated hotel launch at Stanley Dock, Liverpool will be the first of a multi-staged redevelopment at Stanley Dock Village, which will transform the former Tobacco and South Warehouses, into an innovative residential, business, retail, educational and leisure complex.” The name Titanic Hotel is meant to concrete its connection to Titanic Centre in Belfast. While the development is certainly a positive, it certainly will be confusing to have two Titanic hotels in Liverpool. One at the old offices of the White Star Line and the other at Stanley Dock. Then again they city probably can handle two hotels centered around Titanic but it means tourists will have to be keen on which one they will want to visit. Titanic Hotel Set To Open On Historic Site In Liverpool(30 April 2014,Bay TV Liverpool)
1. Premier Exhibitions, Inc. Partners With Crossmedia to Re-envision Exhibition Marketing Strategy (19 Dec 2013,Wall Street Journal-press release)
Many of the exhibitions have been touring for a number of years and in some instances, have been in their respective markets for five plus years,” said Elizabeth Natwick, the new vice president of marketing that recently joined Premier Exhibitions. “While the concept of the exhibit and the content is evergreen and transcends generations, the way we interact with the public in terms of messaging and marketing should be evaluated and updated, and we are looking forward to doing just that with Crossmedia.”
2. Deep Subterranean Microbe Thrives On Iron And Oil(19 Dec 2013,RedOrbit)
The team found that the bacteria are able to utilize iron and nitrogen from their surroundings and recycle scarce nutrients to meet their metabolic needs. The superstructure of the sunken Titanic is being consumed by another member of the same group, named the Halomonas titanicae. The researchers also found that the microbes living in the deep sandstone deposits of the Illinois Basin were capable of metabolizing aromatic compounds, a common component of petroleum.
3. Probably Coming Out Next Halloween:Ghostly Queen Mary Supernatural Thriller To Set Sail(18 Dec 2013,Bleeding Cool)
Described as “The Shining on a ship,” the untitled film will be a supernatural thriller that taps into the Queen Mary’s own sordid reputation as one of the 10 most haunted places in America (as declared by Time magazine in 2008). One cabin is said to be haunted by someone who was murdered there, while others have claimed to have heard children playing in the nursery.
Warning! Titanic Cliche Ahead
4. Titanic Cliche Alert: Headline for Perez Hilton claims The Voice sinking like Titanic: The Voice Finale’s Ratings Sink Like The Titanic!(18 Dec 2013,Perezhilton.com)
The actual commentary never mentions Titanic so the headline is just an attention grabber. Nice try. Except of course none of those on The Voice had to leave a sinking ship on a very cold night with too few lifeboats to save them. Bad analogy Perez. For that you get the fractured finger Titanic Cliche Award.
In its most recent financial report, Premiere Exhibitions announced the following:
While both parties have worked diligently to finalize a transaction to transfer the Titanic assets, the Company terminated the non-binding LOI with the Hampton Roads consortium effective today. Mr. Weiser stated, “We always believed that Hampton Roads was an ideal location for the permanent home of the collection and the proposed transaction met our criteria of price, court satisfaction and tax efficiency. However, this group has failed to secure sufficient financing so we believe the Company needs to focus on pursuing alternatives to effect a sale of these assets for the benefit of shareholders. From the Company’s perspective, we view the termination of the LOI not as the end but as a new beginning for the process; one that will get us closer towards finalizing this in a manner that fulfills our shareholders’ expectations and satisfies the requirements of the court.”
The actual names behind this consortium has never been reported but the Virginian-Pilot reports that at one time The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News had been negotiating but could not raise the money.
Premiere also announced its second-quarter revenue was done by 42% from the same period last year. Gross profit dropped by half to $4 million compared to $8.2 million a year ago. Hurricane Sandy hurt when it forced closure of Manhattan Titanic along with more money being spent elsewhere on the 100th anniversary of Titanic sinking.
Titanic II Update: Proof of concept testing for Titanic II has begun at Hamburg Ship Model Basin (HSVA) in Hamburg, Germany. The 9.3 meter model is being tested in a 300 meter tank in tests that include resistance and open water tests. “The Titanic II model was tested by HSVA at speeds of up to 23 knots and this testing is crucial for assessing the speed and power performance of this prototype vessel design,” said Clive Palmer.
Source: Titanic II Model Tested(20 Sep 2013,Daily Telegraph)
Photo:Wikipedia
SS Nomadic Update: Ticket prices for Titanic’s tender SS Nomadic may have reduced admission prices for winter reports BBC News. Since SS Nomadic is a separate exhibit from Titanic Belfast, there has been some criticism that they are not connected in simple admission price. While no reduced price has been finalized, the long term goal is for joint ticketing with Titanic Belfast.
Source: SS Nomadic Ticket Changes Likely(20 Sep 2013,BBC )
Once again a Titanic connected antique turns up…
Photo:Wikipedia
A movie camera that possibly belonged to Titanic second officer Charles Lightoller was among 300 cameras that Roger Lott bought at a clearance for £300. When he brought the cameras back to his shop, he discovered an old movie camera with the name CH Lightoller on it. A friend told him it might be the Titanic second officer. Lott says he has an offer to buy the camera and the British Titanic Society is interested in looking at it. There is also still film in the camera which will require a specialist to handle and develop.
“People think I am mad but if I can trace any living relative who would like to own the camera again then I would like to donate it to Mr Lightoller’s family. It would be nice to return it to where it started life. But the family members I have been able to trace through genealogy websites said: ‘Thank you very much for the offer, however the Titanic has blighted our lives.’ I am not sure what is going to happen to this very special camera at the moment.”
Source: Antiques Collector Finds Camera Once Owned By Officer On Doomed Titanic (20 Sep 2013,WalesOnline)
1. Hartley Violin Update: The Hartley Violin will be going on display next in Belfast in the replica second class accommodation suite from 18 Sept – 13 Oct 2013. It is scheduled to be auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son later in October.
Source: Violin From Titanic To Be Exhibited(2 Sep 2013,Belfast Telegraph)
3. You cannot make this up. According to This is Lincolnshire, RNLI lifeboat volunteers responded to a report three inflatable tender boats were in trouble. The found one of the boats was named Titanic and its occupants were trying to start the engine. After that failed, the group then attempted to tow the boat back to the beach as RNLI volunteers watched.
Source:Skegness RNLI Lifeboat Volunteers Involved In ‘Titanic’ Rescue(3 Sep 2013,This Is Lincolnshire.co.uk)
1. Titanic II Update: Clive Palmer says he is considering a Tasmanian company, Liferaft Systems Australia, to construct Titanic II’s lifeboats. Clive Palmer said “The exciting thing about his liferaft system is you don’t sell any in Australia, which means it must be good if people overseas are buying it Australians never buy things that are good they only buy things that are bad.”
Source: Tasmania Considered For Titanic II Liferafts(30 Aug 2013,ABC-Australia)
2. Mystery Of Edith Russell’s Musical Pig Solved-After asking the public to identify the unknown tune, it has finally been identified as “La Sorella” by Charles Borel-Clerk and Louis Gallini. However there was some confusion over a South American dance song called “Maxixe,” which some thought was the tune. The song La Sorella is also known as La Matchiche which is pronounced the same as Maxixe.
Source: Titanic Mystery Solved: Song Toy Played As Ship Sank Is Identified(29 Aug 2013,Newsmax)
RNLI Tribute, Punch Cartoon(1892) Wikipedia
3. Captain John Lowe, grandson of Titanic third officer Harold Lowe, recently attended a special dedication service for the Barmouth Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). Lowe brought his grandfather’s photograph album containing pictures from the 1914 Barmouth Regatta.
Source: Grandson Of Titanic Survivor Attends Service(29 Aug 2013,Cambrian News)$
Albion House in Liverpool, once the headquarters of White Star Line, is now going to become a Titanic themed hotel. According to the Liverpool Echo: “They hope to turn 350,000 sq ft of floorspace, which has been largely unused for three decades, into a 350- bedroom aparthotel with a gym, bar and restaurant named Signature Living Hotel – The Home of the Titanic, in honour of its history.”
Albion House–constructed between 1896 and 1898 and known for its distinctive appearance due to Portland stone and red brick– is a Grade II historical building (which means it is a more than just a building of special interest). Hotel developers Now Signature Living recently acquired the building and have put the paperwork in. They hope to have part of the hotel open by next April.
1. Hartley Violin Update: The Hartley Violin will be going on display next in Belfast in the replica second class accommodation suite from 18 Sept – 13 Oct 2013. It is scheduled to be auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son later in October.
