Edith Russell’s musical pig is part of Titanic lore. While aboard the lifeboat, she played it to calm people aboard Titanic lifeboat 11. It also helped distract from the sounds of the dying in the water. It appeared in the 1958 movie A Night To Remember (based on the Walter Lord book of the same name). Walter Lord had possession of it and when he passed away in 2003, it was given to the National Maritime Museum.
However it was broken, when it was no one can say. So they decided to see if they could fix it up. Thanks to modern science, they used a three dimensional X-ray scan to see what was inside. They found the curly tail, which was used to turn the device ,had detached and stuck inside. Using a small brass rod, they turned it to hear the music. While a few notes were missing, it apparently was in good condition.
Unfortunately no one knows the tune it is playing. The National Maritime Museum has released a recording of the music it plays in the hopes someone will identify it. The tune is actually quite nice.
Tickets are now on sale for the upcoming Titanic:The Artifact Exhibition that will be held at Lexington Center Museum (Lexington, Kentucky) from 5 Oct 2013-26 Jan 2014. Adults (14 and up) $12, Children $9, Seniors $10.00. Advanced tickets are strongly recommended. For information, hours, and to purchase tickets, go to lexmuseum.com.
The Hartley Violin scheduled to end its exhibition at Titanic Branson on 15 Aug has been extended to 7 Sep 2013. According to KMOX news, 18,000 people have seen the violin already. Reservations are required for the daily VIP tour at 8:30 a.m. Further information can be found at titanicbranson.com.
1. Crain’s Detroit Business examines the possible sale of the Titanic artifacts and who might be in the running to buy it. Candidates are Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA; Titanic Belfast museum (Belfast, N.I), and the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas along with some very wealthy individuals. I would add, considering the interest of bringing Titanic II to UAE, that wealthy business people from there are also interested. Some might scoff at that but remember they have lots of money to spend and are tightly connected to their government (in some cases, they are actually in it). Having genuine Titanic artifacts on display would be a huge tourist draw.
A good portion of the article is divided between what the valuation might be for shareholders and a examination of Mark Sellers III, who took control of Premiere some years ago after getting frustrated with it’s then leadership. Sellers tells Crain’s he is in no rush to sell quick but admits there is pressure to do so. You think? Look at how much time has passed since the salvage award came down till now. At first it seemed like things might be proceeding towards a sale and then it just stopped. This year we finally learned this mysterious consortium that signed a non-binding letter of intent could not get the money. Shareholders thought they would be reaping benefits right now and have not. Sooner or later patience will run out if Seller’s cannot get the sale done. I see lawsuits and demands for transparency about the sale coming soon if nothing happens in six months.
2. You learn of people finding something spectacular in garage sales or scrap yards, but this is the first I think for a Titanic plaque. Doug Turner spotted something dusty and dirty with “Titanic” on it. He bought it for $138 and cleaned it up. Turns out it is a memorial plaque for Titanic’s musicians. He found after checking it out online that it was really one of one. A photo he saw of it in a Titanic book said its whereabouts were unknown. It was was last seen in 1982.That is when he learned it was something really special–a genuine Titanic artifact of that time. Turner, who is in law enforcement, is making sure it cannot be stolen by Titanic fortune seekers. As to its worth, he has no idea but one can fairly guess since it is one of a kind it would fetch a very high price at a Titanic auction. For now he is not interested in selling it. It is currently on loan to Titanic Experience in Orlando where it will be shown next week.
3. The Titanic exhibit in St.Claire, MI which ended on 27 Jul had 4,2000 visitors and brought in $75,000 for the St. Clair Endowment Fund. The exhibit focused on the engineering behind the construction and included an18 foot long model of the ship done by Gary Kohs. His model has won praise for its accuracy. Kohs began designing the model in 1997 and completed in 2002. According to Randy Maiers, president of the endowment fund, they had people from all over the country came to the exhibit at the Moore Boathouse.
1. Cruise Ship News writes about how some are willing to pay $1 million for a ticket on Titanic II. They also report at least 40,000 people have inquired about a ticket thus far. With reported talks going on between Blue Star at United Arab Emirates (UAE) companies, the speculation is Titanic II will likely be directed to wealthy Emirates.
2. Titanic: The Experience has opened in Buena Park, CA at the old Movieland Wax Museum. It runs from 1 Aug-21 Nov and is open daily. Ticket prices, hours of operation and other information can be found here.
3. The Hartley Violin is now on display at Titanic Branson Aug 1-15. Visitors are advised to purchase tickets in advance. Reservations are required for daily VIP Hartley Violin tour.
4. Titanic Belfast Update:The Belfast Telegraph reports that Ulster Bank has renewed financing with the group backing Titanic Belfast. The £92m financing deal will help further development of the site.
Well August has finally rolled in meaning soon summer vacations are heading to a close. Schools in many places start up towards the end of the month. Kids count down those days as each day means one day less to play around. Titanic news has been a little quiet, usually is during the summer. Probably because so many people are busy doing other things. Except of course here at Titanic News Channel where we are also looking for interesting Titanic stories.
1. Titanic Belfast has hit a milestone when it went over a million visitors. The one millionth visitor was family from Country Kildare, Ireland according to BBC News. Needless to say, the people behind Titanic Belfast are quite happy that it has exceeded expectations.
2. Spas are very popular these days and a special treat for many. One such is Titanic Spa in West Yorkshire, England. The name Titanic does not come from the ship but from a woolen mill that used to be located there (and built in 1911). It advertises itself as an eco spa, meaning of course it is very chic, modern, and costs lots of money. As Roger St. Pierre wrote recently in Belfast Telegraph:
Those opting to overnight or spend a few days will find the apartment-style accommodations spacious and uncluttered, with high ceilings, huge windows and spacious private balconies and a lot of white and cream paint, creating a fresh, light-infused ambiance that puts you straight into a relaxed frame of mind. Breakfast baskets await in the kitchenette. Beds are big and exquisitely comfortable. This all makes an irresistible excuse for a self-indulgent breakfast in bed.
While the ship may not have inspired the name, they clearly borrowed some of its style.
3. Titanic Cliche Alert! This just in from Finland: Union leader Antti Rinne pulled no punches in his assessment of the performance of the country’s business elite during the ongoing economic crunch. Rinne accused business leaders of behaving like first class passengers of the sinking Titanic, who thought only of their own welfare during a crisis. “Like the Titanic in its time, life boats are primarily reserved for the cream of society. Ordinary people are being left to battle with the cold water or then to face death,” Rinne declared.
We got Titanic, lifeboats, people being tossed into water. Wait a minute! That was Titanic in 1912 not Finland in 2013. Once again someone attempts to misuse Titanic for political points and fails. We would award Rinne our famous, never duplicated, Fractured Finger Award but we doubt it would make it past customs.
Source: Union Leader Warns Elite Against Abandoning The Less Privileged(27 Jul 2013,UUTISET)
4. Why is Titanic still popular? There have been many, sometimes even more heartbreaking, sinkings before and after 1912. The reasons for its popularity are many but apparently Stephen Brown (University of Ulster), Pierre McDonagh (Dublin City University), and Clifford J. Shultz, II (Loyola University Chicago) decided to study Titanic’s popularity. Their work appeared recently in Journal of Consumer Research. According to the write-up in Science Codex, it is the various questions left unanswered that give Titanic is ongoing appeal.
“The Titanic represents a marketing bonanza for movie makers, memorabilia sellers, tourist attraction managers, and many more. This casts doubt on the long-standing assumption that brand identities should be clear, concise, coherent, and consistent. Clarity is overrated. Imprecision is underappreciated. Legendary brands need both,” the authors conclude.
Now the study is focused on the consumer appeal and why it draws so many to see movies and exhibits. From a marketing standpoint (this is a business not historical study), understanding how brands become legendary is important. Titanic, they argue, became legendary because of so many unanswered questions as to its demise. It is what Walter Lord called the famous What Ifs? If that is the case, then clear brand identities are not always going to work. Imprecise and ambiguous might work as well. How does that play the marketplace? Well if you plan to market something, sometimes the precise will not work but making it seem legendary in some fashion might sell it. Marketing gurus already, I think, know this but it is very hard to put into practice. It requires some very clever thinking and strategy behind it (or you end up burned like Coca-Cola did with its famous New Coke that enraged consumers).
The three city tour of Jewels of Titanic will end its journey at the Titanic Exhibition at Luxor Hotel in Los Vegas on 21 Jul. According to the press release, after this exhibit ends the jewels will be redistributed to other Titanic exhibitions. Admission to the Luxor Titanic exhibition includes Jewels of Titanic. Admission prices, hours of operation, and other information can be found here.
Oscar Palmquist, age 26, was immigrating from Sweden when he boarded Titanic in Southampton as a third class passenger. He was in lifeboat 15 when rescued. Eventually he ended up living near siblings in Bridgeport, Connecticut where he worked as a tool maker. He died in 1925 under circumstances that many thought suspicious when his body was found floating in a pond. Since many knew he feared water, they did not believe he committed suicide.
Some suspected murder by a jealous husband over an affair with his wife. However officially his death was determined to be accidental and neither murder or suicide. He was buried in Bridgeport’s Mountain Grove Cemetery. His grave was never marked with a headstone and he faded from memory. However his tragic death did apparently strike a chord with many people and was remembered last year during the 100th anniversary of Titanic’s sinking. It also began an appeal by Titanic International Society to put a proper headstone on the grave.
And on 29 June at 11 a.m., a ceremony and dedication at Mountain Grove Cemetery will take place. His great nephew, David Palmquist, and other family members will attended along with Titanic devotees. The public is also welcome to attend.
As previously communicated, on October 15, 2012, the Company entered into a non-binding letter of intent with an entity representing a group of individuals (the “Consortium”) working to effect a purchase of the stock of RMS Titanic, Inc. Since entering into the LOI, Premier has been negotiating exclusively with this group. The entity with whom the Company is negotiating has been soliciting federal, state, and local government entities, as well as philanthropic contributions, to build support to go public with a broader campaign to secure capital necessary to complete a transaction. They continue to request confidentiality until they feel comfortable that there is sufficient support to go public with the project.
Due to the complexity of the transaction and the many elements that are necessary for consummation, the process has taken longer that Premier had hoped. While the Company continues discussions with this group, Premier also recognizes the uncertainty of their completing a transaction and obtaining funding commitments. The Board is therefore considering the full range of strategic and financial alternatives in this regard, which likely will include retaining an investment bank, and will pursue possible paths in parallel.
The complexity of these assets, and the need to comply with the underlying court orders, require that any transaction or arrangement be more carefully structured and executed than a typical transaction. Timing is certainly a factor, but it is not the only factor. The Board and management, together, remain committed to maximizing shareholder value.
This confirms some speculation about who this consortium might be, a group of investors trying to raise capital both with taxpayer money (that is where government money comes from) and private investors (rich people with lots of money like that guy with the hoodie who heads up a social network). You can guess the problem with raising this capital. Not only is the price astronomical, it comes with a major constraint: it stays under U.S. federal court jurisdiction because you are not allowed to sell off any portion of the collection. That means the court will be over your shoulder all the time wanting reports and details of the collection from what is being stored, how it is being carefully preserved, and when it is on display.
So the upshot of it is this: Premiere is formally notifying that they are looking for other interested parties. This may be the reason, according to Seeking Alpha that Premiere’s stock price has dropped. It dropped from $2.30 to $2.10 ion 28 May and dropped much further since. Premiere might consider appealing the judge’s decision to a higher court. And it is entirely possible down the road one of two things happening: the entire collection being shuttered until resolved or the U.S. government seizing it as a national/international treasure under some obscure international treaty or possibly use a congressional resolution passed years ago as the pretext.
1. Titanic II Update: The Australian drops a small zinger saying its development appearsto have slowed. No explanation is given for this statement or what they base it upon. They also note they were recently denied access to tour the CSC Jinling shipyard in Nanjing.
2. The Mystic Aquarium recently expanded its Titanic exhibit to include a gallery about the International Ice Patrol reports The Day. The unit, based in New London, is a small unit within the U.S. Coast Guard. Commander Lisa Mack believes it provides great visibility for the Coast Guard. “Our hope is that people find it interesting and learn something about our service.” Many people have no idea the Coast Guard tracks icebergs until they learn of it through such exhibits or research the Titanic story.
3. From Ireland:Creating large scale models often pose a problem when you need to move them. 17-year-old Lorin Robinson had built a 7 foot long model of the ship but college is 15 miles away. So he called up a friend and using a trolley made from an old go-cart to move it from his room to Weston College in time for summer arts show. The set off after midnight hoping the roads would be quiet. Not so quiet as trucks roared past them and many street lights are no longer operating at that hour. Fortunately they got there and were spotted outside their classroom at 7:30 a.m. The model is now on display from 18-28 June. Hopefully they will have an easier time getting it back home.
Source: Student Drags His Titanic 15 Miles(13 June 2013,Irish Independent)
(Link Not Provided To Republic of Ireland Newspapers Due To Paid Links Demand)
4. A new cruise facility will be built in the Titanic Quarter owing to the increased stopping of cruise ships that have generated £3.9m in visitor spending. £7m is going to be invested to allow passengers to disembark within walking distance of Titanic Belfast, the Pump House, and Nomadic.
Source: £7m Invested In Titanic Cruise Facility(13 June 2013, 4ni.co.uk)
Tickets are now on sale for the upcoming Titanic:The Artifact Exhibition that will be held at Lexington Center Museum (Lexington, Kentucky) from 5 Oct 2013-26 Jan 2014. Adults (14 and up) $12, Children $9, Seniors $10.00. Advanced tickets are strongly recommended. For information, hours, and to purchase tickets, go to 
The Hartley Violin scheduled to end its exhibition at Titanic Branson on 15 Aug has been extended to 7 Sep 2013. According to KMOX news, 18,000 people have seen the violin already. Reservations are required for the daily VIP tour at 8:30 a.m. Further information can be found at 
