Tag Archives: Titanic

Titanic

Former White Star Building To Become Titanic-Themed Hotel

Albion House,Liverpool
Photo:Wikipedia

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.

Sources:
1. White Star Building To Become Titanic-Themed Hotel(26 Aug 2013,Liverpool Echo)
2. Albion House, Liverpool (Wikipedia)

Titanic

Titanic In Color

Photo courtesy George Behe
Photo courtesy George Behe

Many years ago a controversy over colorization of classic movies erupted. Movies such as Miracle on 34 Street and It’s A Wonderful Life were colorized. Did it ruin or improve the movie? Well depends on your perspective. Some movies were designed to take advantage of black and white and loose some of their character when colorized. It is not an easy thing to do to put color in and make it look natural. Some movies look odd as a result. Miracle on 34 Street is pretty good and the Santa suit (the one the toy manager compliments Kris on) really looks good. Anton Logvynenko decided to use modern technology to render Titanic photos in color.

And the result is nothing less than spectacular. Images most everyone has seen of Titanic now have crisp color to them. It is remarkable what he has done. You can view his work at Titanic In Color.

Source: Inking of The Titanic: Photographer colours black and white pictures of world’s most famous ship with extraordinary results(25 Aug 2013, Daily Mail)

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Titanic, Titanic II

Saturday Titanic Newswrap

Photo courtesy George Behe
Photo courtesy George Behe

1.Titanic II Update: Model testing for Titanic II will begin next month at Hamburg Ship Model Basin in Germany. According to Marinelink: “A 9.3m wooden model of Titanic II will be put through resistance and powering tests in a 300m long tank at HSVA’s Hamburg facilities in mid-September.”
Source:Titanic II Model Tank Testing To Be In Germany(23 Aug 2013,Marinelink.com)

2. Famed underwater explorer Robert Ballard is exploring the Cayman Trough, the deepest part of the Caribbean reports AP.  The trough is at least  25,000 feet deep and the scientists aboard Nautilus hope organisms collected will help understand how life evolves on other worlds According to the news report, they have “captured a dumbo octopus, named for its two ear-like fins; a sea cucumber with an unidentified appendage; and various invertebrates living around hydrothermal vents that can reach temperatures of more than 400 Celsius (752 Fahrenheit).” They are also studying underwater earthslides to determine frequency and magnitude that causes tsunamis.The Nautilus is scheduled to return to port in September to avoid hurricanes and then heads to Puerto Rico in October.
Source:Explorer Who Discovered Titanic Wreck Now Investigating Deepest Trough In Caribbean Sea(22 Aug 2013,AP)

3. Here is a sneak peek of Titanic’s Final Mystery to be shown on Smithsonian Channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdbnAyeUjt8

Titanic

Edith Russell’s Famous Pig Operable….But No One Knows The Tune

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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.

Sources:
1.Listen To Eerie Music From Titanic Sinking, 101 Years On(21 Aug 2013,The Telegraph)

2. National Maritime Museum(Greenwich,England)

3. Edith Russell, her lucky toy pig and her Titanic dress(Encyclopedia Titanica)

Titanic Exhibitions

Tickets Go On Sale For Lexington Center Museum Titanic Exhibit In October

Grand Staircase RMS OlympicTickets 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.

Sources:
1. Tickets NOW On-Sale For Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition(20 Aug 2013,Lex18.com)
2. Lexington Center Museum & Gallery

Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions

Hartley Violin Exhibit Extended At Titanic Branson

Wallace Hartley's ViolinThe 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.

Source: Iconic Titanic Violin Exhibit Extended At Branson Museum(14 Aug 2013,KMOX)

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Monday Titanic Tidbits

Lady Duff Gordon (1919)
Photo:Wikipedia

*A kimono style robe worn by Lady Duff Gordon on the night Titanic sank has been acquired at auction by National Museums Northern Ireland. The robe is now on display at Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

Source: Titanic Survivor’s Luxury Robe Joins Exhibition(12 Aug 2013,News Letter)

*The annual Crosslake Cardboard Races at Moonlite Bay Family Restaurant in Crosslake, Minnesota took place Saturday. Harv’s Baby won the Titanic Award after their dramatic sinking. All caught on video and now for the world to see via YouTube.

Source: Crosslake Cardboard Boat Races(11 Aug 2013,Brainerd Dispatch)

Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Sunday Titanic Newswrap

Photo courtesy George Behe
Photo courtesy George Behe

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.

Source: Buyer Sought For Titanic Artifacts; One Estimate: $189 Million(11 Aug 2013,Crain’s Detroit Business)

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.

Sources:
1. Titanic Artifact Found In Naples Scrapyard(9 Aug 2013,WFTX-TV)

2. Plaque With Ties To The Titanic Ends Up In Naples Scrap Yard(9 Aug 2013,WINK)

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.

Source:Titanic Exhibit Money Goes To St. Clair Fund(7 Aug 2013,Times Herald)

Titanic, TV reviews

Titanic (A&E Documentary, 1994)

Titanic(A&E,1994)One of the better documentaries out there is A&E’s Titanic(1994). Narrated by David McCallum, it incorporates interviews with various Titanic writers, survivors and others. It was originally broadcast as a two parter and the original dvd release kept that order. Part 1 is Death of a Dream and Part 2 is The Legend Lives On. It is hard to find these days as it seems to be out of print. So either you buy it used or pay a huge price (over $200) for it new. Check out your local library, they might have it available to be checked out or able to retrieve it for you from another library in the system.

Fortunately YouTube has them available for view, but I cannot vouch whether the upload is legal or not. You can view the first part, Death of a Dream by clicking here. Part 2 is also available.

The dvd was repackaged for the Titanic centennial as Titanic: The Complete Story. It is the same, as far as I know.