Tag Archives: Titanic

Titanic

Former Thomas Andrews Home Up For Sale

Thomas Andrews, 1911 Public Domain-US
Thomas Andrews, 1911
Public Domain-US

The Belfast headquarters–and former home of Titanic designer Thomas Andrews–of the International Football Association (IFA) will be  put up for sale. The IFA bought the house in 1960 from the Dixon family but it was the home where Andrews lived with his family before his tragic death when Titanic went down in 1912. The house was originally built in 1863 and while many of its features remain (the staircase that inspired the one on Titanic,stained glass windows, and fireplaces),an attachment to the property was built for the IFA. A plaque indicating that it was once the home of Thomas Andrews is on the outside. According to Belfast Telegraph, visitors have come to see the home and the stairs that inspired Andrews. The IFA is moving to a new location in February and the sale price was not listed in the article.
Source:For Sale: IFA Puts Historic HQ Where Designer Of Titanic Once Lived On The Market(Belfast Telegraph,1 Dec 2015)

Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions

Titanic News Briefs

1.  Titanic Survivor’s Lincoln Park Home May Go Residential Again
A once-elegant Lincoln Park townhouse designed for a survivor of the Titanic may become a residence again after spending 40 years as the home of a recovery program for people with mental illnesses. The corner home was built in 1917 for Emily Ryerson. Five years earlier, her husband Arthur, a lawyer and member of the family behind Ryerson Steel, died in the sinking of the Titanic, but she, their three children and two servants survived. Emily Ryerson’s 17-room home was the biggest of an attached string of four completed in 1917 by architects David Adler, Henry Dangler and Ambrose Cramer and designed to resemble grand rowhouses in London.
Source: Titanic Survivor’s Lincoln Park Home May Go Residential Again(Crain’s Chicago Business, 19 Nov 2015)

2. Titanic Hotel To Help Pensioners On Christmas Day
White Christmas Liverpool, held in the Town Hall for the past two years, offers a hot meal and entertainment to 250 elderly people who would otherwise be spending Christmas Day alone. But last month it was announced that the event was at risk of being pulled due to a lack of funding, and organisers put out an urgent appeal for support and a venue. Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel announced that the event will be hosted in its Rum Warehouse venue on Stanley Dock.
Source: Christmas Day Event For Lonely Pensioners Saved After Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel Steps In (Liverpool Daily Echo,19 Nov 2015)

3. Rare Plymouth Titanic Poster Sells For A Small Fortune
A rare 104-year-old poster advertising transatlantic trips, via Plymouth ,on the ill-fated Titanic and her sister ship, the Olympic, sold for almost £7,000 at an auction in America last night. The 20 by 24 inch poster, issued in or around 1911, the year before the Titanic’s ill-fated maiden voyage, is emblazoned with the words: “White Star Line,Southampton-Cherbourg- Queenstown-New York (via Plymouth eastbound)Triple-Screw R.M.S.Olympic 45,000 tons & Titanic 45,000 tons. Largest steamers in the world.”
Source: Rare Plymouth Titanic Poster Sells For A Small Fortune (Western Morning News, 20 Nov 2015)

4. Aboard the Titanic at Liberty Science Center
Inside the Liberty Science Center’s new Titanic artifact exhibition, be sure to check out the extensive menu enjoyed by wealthy passengers: It starts with consommé, goes into salmon, filet mignon, lamb, duck and beef sirloin, and ends with Waldorf pudding, éclairs and French ice cream. I can attest to the richness of it all: I attended a re-creation of the Titanic’s final first-class dinner held by the science center last week. The sumptuous meal went on for 10 courses and lasted more than three hours. “Back then, no one looked at their waistlines,” said Donatella Arpaia, who, along with fellow celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli, presented dishes such as asparagus vinaigrette, roasted squab with cress sauce, green pea timbale (a molded custard) and foie gras pâté (the ninth course!).
Source: Aboard the Titanic at Liberty Science Center (NorthJersey.com,5 Nov 2015)

5. Titanic Belfast Stars In UK Passport
One of Belfast’s most eye-catching landmarks is to sail into the new UK passport when it is rolled out next month. Titanic Belfast has been selected to feature on the ‘brilliant buildings’ page, which celebrates modern and historic architecture across the UK. The tourist attraction’s design is based on the bow of the Titanic and capitalises on its unique location, built beside the slipway where the liner was floated in 1911.
Source: Titanic Belfast Stars In UK Passport (Belfast Telegraph,5 Nov 2015)


Titanic

Titanic Menu Sells For $118,750

A rare Titanic menu was auctioned off this last weekend (the same
auction where the Titanic telegram failed to sell)for an astounding
$118,750. From finebooksmagazine.com:

The remarkable Titanic final dinner menu is signed by first class
passengers Edward P. Calderhead of New York City; Spencer V. Silverthorne of St. Louis; George E. Graham, a sales manager from
Winnipeg, Canada; James R. McGough, a buyer from Philadelphia; and JohnIrwin Flynn of Brooklyn, and is one of three pieces of memorabilia relating to the sinking offered in the auction. An oil painting of the iceberg by rescue ship passenger Laura Wilson Luce of Titusville, Pennsylvania sold for $12,500 and a menu from the R.M.S. Carpathia, the ship which first reached the Titanic following the sinking, sold for $3,125.

Source:Titanic’s Last Menu Tops $1.1+ Million Americana Auction atHeritage Auctions(finebooksmagazine.com,11 Nov 2015)


Titanic

Titanic Telegram Update

According to an article at Smithsonianmag.com, its history can only be dated back to 1988 when it was discovered it was found in an envelope marked “This is 86 years old.” Apparently the paper stock and ink match the time period at issue. But due to lost records (from Titanic)it cannot be verified it was sent from the ship. Nor is their any proof that it was actually delivered to White Star Line in New York independent of the telegram. Nor can it be ascertained who saw it if it was in fact delivered. One interesting note from the Smithsonian write-up: it failed to sell at auction on Saturday.

Western Union telegram informing Millsaps College beats Mississippi A&M (now MSU)in football, 19-13. Photo:Natalie Maynor via Wikipedia
Western Union telegram informing Millsaps College beats Mississippi A&M (now MSU)in football, 19-13 in 1930.
Photo:Natalie Maynor via Wikipedia

Source:The Mystery of a Titanic Telegram–Did the Titanic’s owners know about its collision with an iceberg?(Smithsonianmag.com,9 Nov 2015)

Titanic

Claim: Titanic Telegram Shows White Star Official Lied To Congress

A telegram up for auction appears to show the White Star Line office in New York was informed of the sinking by Titanic. The Western Union telegram is dated 15 April 1912 and is addressed to P.A. Franklin at the White Star Offices in New York. The telegram reads:

CQD CQD SOS SOS = From MGY (RMS Titanic)=
WE HAVE STRUCK ICEBERG=SINKING FAST=COME TO OUR ASSIST=POSITION: LAT 41.46 N=LON 50.14 W. MGY

The telegram was part of a collection of telegraphy items and not Titanic. It is making news since it is being put up for auction at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas this weekend. The telegram would appear to contradict sworn testimony by Philip Franklin who stated that no communication had reached their office while the ship was sinking. Of course we all know about the mangled telegrams that appeared to give false hope Titanic was afloat and passengers safe. And Franklin’s statements early on reflected those sentiments (till the truth was learned).

Outside the White Star Line Office after Titanic Disaster, New York, April 1912. Bain News Service, U.S. Library of Congress, digital id#ggbain 10352
Outside the White Star Line Office after Titanic Disaster, New York, April 1912.
Bain News Service, U.S. Library of Congress, digital id#ggbain 10352

Assuming the telegram to be genuine, why would Franklin lie? With the exact position he could immediately inform the authorities. Perhaps by the time it arrived it was too late to do anything about it (like what happened at Pearl Harbor when the attack warning was sent via Western Union). Or he spoke the truth and never saw this telegram. Many questions arise as to whether this truly originated from Titanic. They did send out a distress call to all ships in the area but would they send a notice to one of their offices? What good would that do if the ship was in immediate danger? The question of who sent the telegram also has to be raised. Nothing in the testimony indicates the wireless operators on Titanic sent a message to White Star Offices.

Rather than leaping to conclusions that Franklin lied to the U.S. inquiry, it might be wise to check all the facts regarding this telegram. Note that in the official description of the telegram, the auction house never says Franklin lies. Nor do they even claim it was delivered and might be a copy. They do believe it is genuine but I think more investigation and study of the telegram itself is in order.

Sources:
1. Titanic Cover-Up Exposed: Newly Discovered Evidence Proves Doomed Ship’s Owners Lied To Congress (The Inquistir,6 Nov 2015)

2. Heritage Auctions
From the official description of the telegram at Heritage:
“Since the Marconi office in Cape Race had no facilities to deliver the telegram, it was transmitted to the Western Union office in New York and delivered by messenger to Mr. Franklin at 9 Broadway. This may be the telegram that was delivered, or it may be a retained copy, as we have evidence that these telegrams were sent “2-up”. While it seems certain that the telegram was delivered (or the attempt made), we cannot say for sure whether Franklin saw it in a timely manner, or testified falsely before Congress. There is no contemporary provenance that accompanies the telegram. It was given to the consignor by a cousin around 1998. The cousin’s father had collected old radio and telegraphic equipment. Upon the father’s death, a fellow collector was called in to appraise the collection. The collection was gifted to him. Shortly thereafter, the recipient sent the Titanic telegram to the cousin, as a token of his appreciation. The cousin placed it in an envelope, marking it as an “86-year old telegram” and gave it to the consignor whom he knew to have an interest in Titanic memorabilia. We have examined the telegram extensively and conclude that all characteristics are “right”, including type of paper, method of printing, aging of the paper and look of the typed message (variation in the lightness & darkness of the inked impression, visible signs of the weave of the ribbon). In summary, we are totally satisfied that the telegram is authentic and a new discovery.”

Titanic Miscellaneous

Dubai Theme Park Will Highlight Titanic and Other Movies

If you go to Dubai in 2018, it will have a theme park based on movies and television shows like James Cameron’s Titanic. The 20th Century Fox World theme park will have a branded resort on site for people to stay while visiting the theme park. This will be the second theme park of this kind for Fox. One in Malaysia is currently under construction and slated to open in 2017. With rising disposable incomes in Middle East and Asia, it is believed these theme parks will draw a lot of tourists as western movies and television shows are very popular.

I bet the new guy running Premier Exhibitions has already taken note of this. After all, would not a Titanic artifact exhibition be a great draw as well?

Source: Dubai Theme Park to Highlight ‘Titanic’ and Other Fox Films(Wall Street Journal,3 Nov 2015)

Premier Exhibitions

Premier Completes Dinoking Merger

PremierExhibitionslogoWith the shareholder approval on 29 Oct 2015, Premier Exhibitions has announced it has executed all the necessary agreements and that the merger is now complete.  The Board Of Directors has appointed Daoping Bao as Executive Chairman Of The Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the company. The Board of Directors has increased to seven members and four new directors were appointed. Shareholders are hoping the new leadership will turn things around for Premier.
Source: Premier Exhibitions, Inc. Announces Closing Of Merger With Dinoking Tech Inc. (Globe Newswire [Press Release],2 Nov 2015)


Premier Exhibitions, Titanic

Premier Exhibitions Announces Shareholder Approval of Merger

PremierExhibitionslogoThe expected approval of the Dinoking merger with Premier Exhibitions took place on 29 Oct 2015. According to the press release, the merger transaction will take place in the next few days. Upon merger completion, Daoping Bao will be appointed the president and chief executive officer of the company. Some shareholders have expressed the hope that Bao will fix the problems caused by poor management of the company.

Source: Premier Exhibitions, Inc. Announces Shareholder Approval of Merger With Dinoking Tech Inc (Globe Newswire-Press Release,30 Oct 2015)


Titanic

Iconic Belfast Titanic Mural Restored By Artist

Titanic mural at Newtownards Road and Dee Street in Belfast, NI. (Andy Welsh,http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallrevolution/68715920/)
Titanic mural at Newtownards Road and Dee Street in Belfast, NI. (Andy Welsh,http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallrevolution/68715920/)

An iconic Titanic mural painted in 2003 had become shabby looking due to weathering. Located at the corner of Newtownards Road and Dee Street in Belfast, the mural had become a destination for bus and taxi tours. Painted in black and white, the mural honors the ship and the workers who built it. John Stewart, who was the artist who created the mural, was able to raise £3,000 ($4,595 USD) to help complete the restoration that took six weeks.

“I’m delighted with how it looks now and I can’t wait to start my next project.”
(John Stewart to Belfast Telegraph)

Source: Artist Restores Much-Loved Titanic Mural To Former Glory (Belfast Telegraph, 29 Oct 2015)

Titanic

Auction Results(Updated)

Mrs. J.J. "Molly" Brown presenting trophy cup award to Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron, for his service in the rescue of the Titanic. Photo:Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id# cph 3c21013)
Mrs. J.J. “Molly” Brown presenting trophy cup award to Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron, for his service in the rescue of the Titanic.
Photo:Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id# cph 3c21013)

Among the other Titanic items that went up for auction at Henry Aldridge & Son on Saturday was a sterling silver cup presented to Captain Rostron by Molly Brown. The cup was given at a ceremony on 29 May 1912 to thank Rostron and crew for rescuing the Titanic survivors.

In grateful recognition and appreciation of his heroic and efficient service in the rescue of the survivors of the Titanic on April 15th 1912,and of the generous and sympathetic treatment he accorded us on his ship. From the Survivors of the Titanic.

Additionally the crew members, based on their rate, received a gold, silver, or bronze medal. The cup was estimated to bring in between $61,000-$91,000. It sold for an astonishing $200,000. The name of the buyer was not revealed.

Source:Molly Brown’s Titanic cup sold at auction for $200,000 (Fox News,26 Oct 2015)