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Unseen single known color design plan (completed!) of Titanic; paint & india ink on ferro‑gallic print, H&W c1909.

A CALL FOR INFORMATION / $ 500 REWARD
Please contact me if you can provide any information on the following very 'unknown' historical artifact: RMS Carpathia onboard notebook with handwritten list of personal properties from Titanic survivors (thus not being the well-known "List or Manifest of Alien Passengers etc" from the port of New York City). The ca.5‑page list mentions Titanic's lifeboats in order of arrival at RMS Carpathia and for every lifeboat an array of personal effects. For lifeboat #11 for example, 14 items are listed. For lifeboat #12 (snippet): "small knife, some coins". The list is said to not feature any survivors names. This Carpathia notebook is said to have been publicized on the internet for only a brief time-period in 2012. $ 500 reward for any tip leading to my accessing the list (for purpose of research).

The kitchen staff of Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Montreal, Canada, 1913 (likely May/Jun). Paul Maugé sits extreme left.

Paul Maugé, only male survivor A La Carte Rest. staff, RPPC 1913

Size: 8.4 x 13.7 cm (3 5/16 x 5 3/8 in) ☆

UNSEEN !  TITANIC KITCHEN CLERK AT RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL MONTREAL 1913 !

"Montreal  Le 10 Juin 1913  Chère mère  Je t'envoie une foto de la Brigade[;]  celui que j'aie  [sic, "j'ai"]  marqué a côté de moi il ai  [sic, "est"]  de ...? Suisse et celui qui ou è  [sic; "est"]  en civil assie c'est le secrétaire du chef, le seul cuisinier survivant du Titanic.  Sur cette carte il y a des Canadiens, Etat[s]-Unis, Belge, Luxembourgeois, Espagnale  [sic, "Espagnols"], Greque  [sic; "Grecs"], Allemand, Suisse, Français, Italièns, Anglais, et Auvergnas.  Ritz Carlton Hotel"

"Montreal  10 June 1913  Dear mother  I send you a photo of the staff[;]  the person I have marked next to me he is the Swiss ...? and the person sitting in civil clothes  [extreme left in group photo]  he is the secretary to the chef, the only kitchen employee  [from 1st Class' "A La Carte" restaurant]  surviving the Titanic.  On this card there are Canadians, Americans, Belgians, Luxembourgers, Spaniards, Greek, Germans, Swiss, French, Italians, British, and 'Auvergnas'  [Auvergne: region in mid France].  Ritz Carlton Hotel"

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Jan 1914: Vanderbilt's design, winner of the open competition by the Women's Titanic Memorial Association.

Titanic memorial statue (DC) by Gertrude Vanderbilt, photo 1914

Size: 24.1 x 19.6 cm (9 1/2 x 7 3/4 in) ☆

UNSEEN PRESS PHOTO !  STATUE IN HONOR OF MEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

This 'Olympic' postcard was expectedly acquired (bought) aboard Olympic, on that fateful day, 20 Sep 1911.

Olympic onboard postcard 20/9/1911 about collision with Hawke

Size: 8.8 x 13.8 cm (3.5 x 5.5 in) ☆

UNIQUE ONBOARD RECORD OF SEVERE MISHAP TO TITANIC'S ELDER SISTER !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

THE ACCIDENT CAUSED TITANIC'S MAIDEN VOYAGE TO BE POSTPONED 21 DAYS, FROM 20 MARCH TO 10 APRIL!  OLYMPIC'S MISHAP UNDER COMMAND OF CAPTAIN  E.J. SMITH (!) 'CAUSED' TITANIC TO MEET HER SAD FATE !  WITHOUT THIS 'HAWKE INCIDENT', TITANIC WOULD HAVE ENDED UP ONLY AS A FOOTNOTE IN HISTORY !

"On board the RMS Olympic  20th September 1911.  Left Southampton [UK] at 11.25 a.m. on the world's largest liner for New York and when sitting at lunch the HMS Hawke crashed stern on into her starboard quarter just shortly before 1 o'clock. The collision occurred about a mile and a half from Cowes, the Olympic was unable to proceed on her voyage, so had to cast anchor in the Solent and await the arrival of tugs next day. The crash of the impact was distinctly heard at Cowes where there were many eye-witnesses to the collision. There were altogether 3,000 souls on board, 732 were first-class passengers including 20 well-known American millionaires, a record for any ship crossing the Atlantic. At 8.45 a.m. next morning six powerful tugs arrived and the great liner was slowly towed back to Southampton."

This is about a very extraordinary, not widely known episode in the history of Titanic. Initially her maiden voyage was scheduled for 20 March instead of 10 April, 1912. This delay of exactly 3 weeks was due to an incident that involved her elder sister Olympic. On 20 September 1911, starting her 5th atlantic crossing, closeby Isle of Wight (UK), Olympic collided with Royal Navy ship Hawke. Olympic suffered 3 vertically aligned holes at her rear's starboard side and was towed back to Southampton by several ("6") tug boats the next morning for temporary patching up. Hawke's bow was completely squashed, as a result of her head-on collision. In the aftermath Olympic, commanded by the later Titanic captain Edward John Smith (!), was blamed for a bad steering maneuver, and White Star Line suffered huge costs and claims. Financially it became much worse, as Olympic was taken out of service many weeks for repairs in Belfast, Ireland (UK). For speeding up and getting Olympic back in service sooner, her damaged starboard propeller crankshaft (and also starboard propeller blades?) was replaced by that of Titanic, however at the cost of delaying Titanic's completion date and subsequent maiden voyage. The patching up in Southampton, 2 weeks, and the following permanent repairs in Belfast, 6+ weeks, had taken 2 months in total. Olympic was back in service 20 November, but then 24 February 1912 lost a port side propeller blade after hitting an unidentified object while returning from New York. Again for speeding up repairs, resources of Titanic (a propeller blade) were used for Olympic. (Yet already in October 1911, the month after the first incident, the one with Hawke, it was decided by White Star Line to postpone Titanic's completion date and subsequent maiden voyage by 3 weeks.)

The worst thing in all this now: Olympic's collision with Hawke on 20 September 1911 had specifically caused the postponement of Titanic's completion, and thus maiden voyage, and, as such, her subsequent collision with an iceberg, resulting in the sinking disaster on 15 April 1912. Even more ironically, or even cynically: with the bad steering maneuver under his command, the later Titanic captain, E.J. Smith, essentially had initiated his own and countless others' unfortunate passing away, as well as the unimaginable loss of the world's largest and finest ship, on its maiden voyage, with all the invested man hours, resources, contents, furnishings, fittings, supplies, (mail) cargo, etc. etc. With more than 1500 human casualties, Titanic's sinking was and still is the severest (peacetime) passenger ocean liner catastrophe in history thusfar and still resonating to this day. ☆

The illustration with both Olympic and Titanic was additionally glued onto the already present product label.

Olympic & Titanic advertising: Wills cigarettes tin for WSL, c1911

Height: 8.2 cm (3 1/4 in) ☆ Diameter: 6.7 cm (2 5/8 in) ☆ Weight: ± 55 gr (± 2.0 oz) ☆

SINGLE 1 KNOWN !  OFF AN UNKNOWN SHIP: "SPECIALLY PACKED FOR WSL" !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Dorothy Gibson (L), 21 years, and 2 unidentified females, at Jackson's Point, Lake Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.

Dorothy Gibson, survivor : photo & written message, RPPC 1910

Size: 8.9 x 13.9 cm (3.5 x 5.5 in) ☆

UNSEEN !  ACTRESS IN 1ST TITANIC MOVIE, RELEASED 31 DAYS AFTER SINKING !

"Jackson's Point  Aug 30th [19]10  Dear Harry,  I am sorry to say my holiday is nearly at an end.  I go home next Monday.  I thought I would send you one of my photo's [sic].  I am the one in the darkest dress.  But I guess you know that I am not changed much.  I will send Annie one later.  I am having one taken in a day or two of us in bathing + I will send her one.  Perhaps you will send me one of yourself before long.  I hope you are all well[,] write soon.  Love from Dorothy Gibson  This was taken where we have been staying all summer"

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

2 young females at the piano, likely in UK. The played music (to the left of the 'Titanic' music) is unidentified.

Titanic sheet music "Just as the ship went down" on RPPC c1912

Size: 8.7 x 13.8 cm (3 7/16 x 5 7/16 in) ☆

NEVER SEEN !  1ST EVER SEEN POSTCARD PICTURING 'TITANIC' SHEET MUSIC !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Allevard: a town in the province Isère of the district Grenoble in the far east of France. Postmark 23 Jul 1914.

Lac du David, Allevard (FR): rowboat 'TITANIC', postcard 1912/13

Size: 8.9 x 14.0 cm (3.5 x 5.5 in) ☆

UNSEEN !  EXTREMELY HARD TO FIND TITANIC NAMESAKE STYLE POSTCARD !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Edith Haisman (L), US, Eva Hart, UK, at the opening of 'Titanic Memorial Garden', Greenwich, UK, 15 Apr 1995.

Edith Haisman, Eva Hart, survivors, at opening, photo 15/4/1995

Size: 12.7 x 17.8 cm (5.0 x 7.0 in) ☆

UNSEEN PHOTO RECORD !  OPENING IN 1995 OF 'TITANIC MEMORIAL GARDEN' !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Fairview Lawn cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada): 121 Titanic victims were buried here May-Jun 1912.

Molly Brown, survivor, decorating graves at Halifax, photo 1920

Size: 16.6 x 21.4 cm (6.5 x 8 7/16 in) ☆

NEVER SEEN (PRESS) PHOTO !  MARGARET BROWN WITH 2 NIECES, AUG 1920 !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

William Richard "Ronald" Brailey (1863-1931): various occupations, also Baptist preacher, and clairvoyant.

Stereoview medium Ronald Brailey, warned son to avoid Titanic

Size: 9.0 x 17.4 cm (3.5 x 6 7/8 in) ☆

UNSEEN !  SON THEODORE STILL EMBARKED AS TITANIC BANDSMAN & DIED !

THEODORE BRAILEY WENT ONTO TITANIC AS PIANIST (AND VIOLINIST).  HIS FATHER, RONALD BRAILEY, WAS A FORMER BAPTIST PREACHER WHO HAD LEFT THE MINISTRY TO LATER BECOME SUCCESSFUL AS CLAIRVOYANT (MEDIUM, PSYCHIC).  ACCORDING A STORY PASSED DOWN THE FAMILY, RONALD SENSED SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO TITANIC, AND THEN WARNED HIS SON TO NOT SAIL THE NEW STEAMSHIP.  THEODORE DIED IN THE SINKING AGED 24, HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED OR IDENTIFIED.  RONALD'S SON WAS A MUCH TALENTED AND ACCOMPLISHED PIANIST AND ALSO VIOLINIST, AND ALSO MASTERED THE FLUTE AND THE CELLO.

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

A group of people in summer outfit enjoying a 'Titanic' river/canal boat trip someplace in USA, 1912? 1913?

'TITANIC' named horse-drawn river boat, USA, post-sinking RPPC

Size: 8.8 x 14.0 cm (3.5 x 5.5 in) ☆

UNSEEN !  EXTREMELY HARD TO FIND TITANIC NAMESAKE STYLE POSTCARD !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

White Star Line had a vast office complex "White Star Works" at 27 Strand Road, Bootle (near Liverpool), UK.

Olympic & Titanic advertising: White Star Works envelope, 1910

Size: 8.0 x 13.8 cm (3 1/8 x 5 7/16 in) ☆

NEVER SEEN ANOTHER !  ULTRA RARE SURVIVOR OF EARLY O&T PROMOTING !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

This RPPC must have been bought at Pier 54 (there, 17 Apr, Lusitania had left for Queenstown and Liverpool).

Titanic: postcard bought & sent at NYC Pier 54  early 18 Apr 1912

Size: 7.1 x 16.3 cm (2 13/16 x 6 7/16 in) ☆

ACCOUNT FROM PIER 54 ABOUT CROWDS AWAITING RESCUE SHIP CARPATHIA !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

HANDWRITTEN MESSAGE BY EYEWITNESS READS: "AWFUL EXCITEMENT HERE, LOST SHIP 'TITANIC' WITH 1400 PASSENGERS TO WATERY GRAVE.  CAN[']T DESCRIBE SCENE AT DOCK OF SURVIVORS  [ HERE REFERRING TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, ETC. OF TITANIC VICTIMS & SURVIVORS ]".  SENDER'S NAME APPEARS "QUIG"?  POSTMARKED THURSDAY 18 APR 1912 IN THE MORNING 10AM.  CARPATHIA WOULD DOCK LESS THAN 12 HOURS LATER, MID EVENING 9:25PM, AT CUNARD LINE'S PIER 54, AFTER DEPOSITING TITANIC'S 13 SAVED LIFEBOATS AT WHITE STAR LINE'S PIER 59 (WHERE TITANIC WAS DUE TO DOCK WELL OVER 48 HRS EARLIER).  LUSITANIA HAD JUST LEFT PIER 54 THE DAY PRIOR FOR QUEENSTOWN AND LIVERPOOL, UK.

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

A used plate primed with likely India ink, then the picture hand-scratched, (nearly) exposing the white pottery.

Titanic commemorative scratch drawing plate, folk-art, UK 1912

Diameter: 19.2 cm (7 9/16 in) ☆ Height: 1.7 cm (2/3 in) ☆ Weight: 220 gr (7 3/4 oz) ☆

JUST A FEW KNOWN !  ANONYMOUS FOLK-ARTIST'S CATASTROPHE MEMENTO !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Concave shaped glass was designed for holding pens & what not. A black printed picture was hand colored.

Titanic glass pen tray souvenir, sold in Titanic's barber/gift shop

Size: 18.7 x 9.8 x 2.2 cm (7 3/8 x 3 7/8 x 7/8 in) ☆ Weight: 410 gr (14.5 oz) ☆

UNSEEN TRUE GEM !  MEMENTO FROM BARBER/GIFT SHOP ABOARD TITANIC !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

EXTREME RARITY OF THE SMALLER GLASS PAPERWEIGHT IS ECLIPSED BY THIS SINGLE KNOWN PEN TRAY ! : DISCOVERED IN 2021 ALONGSIDE AN IDENTICAL RMS LUSITANIA GLASS PEN TRAY WHILE CLEARING THE HOME OF A DOCTOR IN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, UK, WHO WENT INTO ASSISTED LIVING.  A PREDECESSOR MUST HAVE ACQUIRED THE ONE PEN TRAY ABOARD LUSITANIA ON A TRIP TO/FROM NYC, AND THE OTHER PEN TRAY LIKEWISE ABOARD TITANIC !  LUSITANIA, THE PRIDE OF WHITE STAR LINE'S RIVAL COMPANY CUNARD LINE, MAIDEN VOYAGE 7 SEP 1907, WAS TORPEDOED BY A GERMAN U-BOAT 7 MAY 1915 (WW1).  'LUSITANIA', 1198 LIVES LOST, WAS AND STILL IS THE 2ND‑WORST (PEACETIME) PASSENGER OCEAN LINER DISASTER, AFTER 'TITANIC' 15 APR 1912 !  STUPEFYING ARTIFACT FIND !  WORDS CAN NOT DESCRIBE THIS TITANIC SOUVENIR'S SCARCITY & SPECIALTY & SIGNIFICANCE !  CERTAINLY THE SINGLE 1 KNOWN TO EXIST !  VIRTUALLY CERTAINLY THE SINGLE 1 EXISTING (LESS MAYBE 1 OR MORE LYING ON THE OCEAN FLOOR) !  DEFINITELY IN MY COLLECTION'S TOP-10 ACQUISITIONS !  OUTRIGHT ASTOUNDING FULL-ON TREASURE !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Stevengraph woven-in-silk pictures were invented+manufactured since early 1860s by Thomas Stevens (UK).

Titanic woven in silk postcard (Stevengraph), onboard souvenir

Size: 8.8 x 13.6 cm (3.4 x 5.4 in) ☆

MAYBE 10-12 KNOWN TO STILL EXIST !  SOLD IN TITANIC'S BARBER/GIFT SHOP !

BEWARE OF 2 SORTS FAKE:  RMS OLYMPIC OR 'HANDS-ACROSS-THE-SEA' CARD WILL HAVE 1) THE EMBOSSED 'FRAME' PAPER FLIPPED (EMBOSSING THUS LOWERED) AND THE IMAGE CAPTIONS THEN NEWLY PRINTED; OR 2) THE SHIP NAME RUBBED OUT (SCRAPED OFF) AND THE RMS TITANIC NAME CAPTION THEN EITHER NEWLY PRINTED OR HANDWRITTEN WITH BLACK PEN(CIL).  ANY SUCH FAKE IMAGE CAPTION WILL BY NO MEANS MATCH MY COLLECTION'S AUTHENTIC CARD IN TERMS OF THE LETTERING'S  DESIGN, SPACING, AND POSITIONING !  ALSO, THE INHERENTLY EXCLUSIVE RED-BROWN PRINTED BACKING PAPER MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH A RANDOM POSTCARD HAVING A (CA.) APRIL 1912 POSTMARK !  SINCE YOU ARE NOW INFORMED, RECOGNIZING A TAMPERED WITH SILK POSTCARD SHOULD NOW BE CHILD'S PLAY, A WALK IN THE PARK.  IF YOU HAPPEN TO OWN ANY SUCH DESPICABLE FORGERY, BEST WOULD BE TO TEAR IT TO PIECES AND DISPOSE OF IT ASAP !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Ultra rare 1911 color postcard was trimmed round, laid under a glass dome, with glued on shells & seaweed.

RMS Olympic: shellwork framed picture (NYC harbor), UK 1911

Width: 15.0 cm (5.9 in) ☆ Thick: ± 3.5 cm (± 1.4 in) ☆ Weight: 200 gr (7.0 oz) ☆

SINGLE 1 KNOWN !  UNSEEN UK SEASHORE SOUVENIR SHELLWORK OLYMPIC !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Non-magnetic, cast in bronze (copper+tin) or brass (copper+zinc), coated with zinc or such (partially worn off).

Harland & Wolff maker's badge (age unknown), Belfast shipyard

H x W: 21.3 x 21.3 cm (8 3/8 x 8 3/8 in) ☆ Thick: 0.3 cm (1/8 in) ☆ Weight: 510 gr (18 oz) ☆ Note: curved horizontally ☆

NEVER SEEN !  ORIGINALLY AFFIXED TO SHIPYARD VEHICLE OR MACHINERY !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Left tag: 'ZMEUL' ('giant'). Port tags illegible. Pointed bow has steering wheel & horn (flute!) with rubber bulb.

Young man in 'TITANIC' labeled rowboat, RPPC Romania ca.1935

Size: 8.8 x 13.7 cm (3.4 x 5.4 in) ☆

NOT SEEN BEFORE !  SWASTIKA NAZI SYMBOL DATES PHOTO TO POST-1933 !

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A TITANIC RELATED POSTCARD, OR WHICHEVER, FROM ROMANIA OF ALL PLACES ?
EXTREMELY HARD TO FIND TITANIC NAMESAKE STYLE POSTCARD !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Likely from f.e. a door or cabinet or paneling. India ink writing with dip pen. Also 'white' paint & linseed oil (?).

HMS Hawke collision: 11cm/4.5" wood piece from RMS Olympic

Size: 11.4 x 2.0 x 0.9 cm (4.5 x 0.8 x 0.35 in) ☆ Weight: ± 5 gr (±1/6 oz) ☆

UNSEEN !  1911 ARTIFACT FROM SEVERE DAMAGE TO TITANIC'S ELDER SISTER !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

THE ACCIDENT CAUSED TITANIC'S MAIDEN VOYAGE TO BE POSTPONED 21 DAYS, FROM 20 MARCH TO 10 APRIL!  OLYMPIC'S MISHAP UNDER COMMAND OF CAPTAIN  E.J. SMITH (!) 'CAUSED' TITANIC TO MEET HER SAD FATE !  WITHOUT THIS 'HAWKE INCIDENT', TITANIC WOULD HAVE ENDED UP ONLY AS A FOOTNOTE IN HISTORY !  THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN OLYMPIC 'HAWKE' ARTIFACT AND ALSO THE ONLY KNOWN ARTIFACT AS A LINK BETWEEN OLYMPIC'S COLLISION WITH HAWKE AND TITANIC'S DELAYED MAIDEN VOYAGE AND LATER COLLISION WITH AN ICEBERG AND SUBSEQUENT SINKING !  AS SUCH, THIS SMALL WOOD PIECE IS TO BE CONSIDERED OF GREAT SPECIAL HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE !  A TRULY AMAZING ARTIFACT FIND & DISCOVERY, SURFACING JUST LIKE THAT OUT OF NOWHERE FROM AUSTRALIA !

This is about a very extraordinary, not widely known episode in the history of Titanic. Initially her maiden voyage was scheduled for 20 March instead of 10 April, 1912. This delay of exactly 3 weeks was due to an incident that involved her elder sister Olympic. On 20 September 1911, starting her 5th atlantic crossing, closeby Isle of Wight (UK), Olympic collided with Royal Navy ship Hawke. Olympic suffered 3 vertically aligned holes at her rear's starboard side and was towed back to Southampton by several ("6") tug boats the next morning for temporary patching up. Hawke's bow was completely squashed, as a result of her head-on collision. In the aftermath Olympic, commanded by the later Titanic captain Edward John Smith (!), was blamed for a bad steering maneuver, and White Star Line suffered huge costs and claims. Financially it became much worse, as Olympic was taken out of service many weeks for repairs in Belfast, Ireland (UK). For speeding up and getting Olympic back in service sooner, her damaged starboard propeller crankshaft (and also starboard propeller blades?) was replaced by that of Titanic, however at the cost of delaying Titanic's completion date and subsequent maiden voyage. The patching up in Southampton, 2 weeks, and the following permanent repairs in Belfast, 6+ weeks, had taken 2 months in total. Olympic was back in service 20 November, but then 24 February 1912 lost a port side propeller blade after hitting an unidentified object while returning from New York. Again for speeding up repairs, resources of Titanic (a propeller blade) were used for Olympic. (Yet already in October 1911, the month after the first incident, the one with Hawke, it was decided by White Star Line to postpone Titanic's completion date and subsequent maiden voyage by 3 weeks.)

The worst thing in all this now: Olympic's collision with Hawke on 20 September 1911 had specifically caused the postponement of Titanic's completion, and thus maiden voyage, and, as such, her subsequent collision with an iceberg, resulting in the sinking disaster on 15 April 1912. Even more ironically, or even cynically: with the bad steering maneuver under his command, the later Titanic captain, E.J. Smith, essentially had initiated his own and countless others' unfortunate passing away, as well as the unimaginable loss of the world's largest and finest ship, on its maiden voyage, with all the invested man hours, resources, contents, furnishings, fittings, supplies, (mail) cargo, etc. etc. With more than 1500 human casualties, Titanic's sinking was and still is the severest (peacetime) passenger ocean liner catastrophe in history thusfar and still resonating to this day. ☆

Outline drawing on linen cloth was, using light, copied onto sensitized paper. L+R cut 2" by (a) former owner.

Titanic rigging plan, 193cm/76" 1:144, diazo/ aniline print, c1910

Size: 51 x 193 cm (20 x 76 (originally ±80) in) ☆ Scale: 1/12 in = 1 ft  (1:144) ☆ Weight: 80 gr (2.8 oz) ☆

UNIMAGINABLY RARE !  PHOTOCHEMICAL COPY BY H&W OF SIDE VIEW PLAN !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

THIS IS THE 1ST TIME I WITNESSED A TITANIC CA.1910 RIGGING PLAN 'CONTACT COPY' !  IT IS JUST THAT RARE !  A LEGACY OF MICHAEL V. RALPH  (1943-2017), CO-FOUNDER OF TITANIC INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY (TIS) !

Known are the harsh "xerox" electrostatic black toner rigging plan photocopies from 1980s(-1990s) produced by Harland & Wolff upon ordering by collectors, researchers, modelmakers, etc. Then there are the inkjet plotted prints from ca.1990s, having the added "R.M.S.Titanic" caption to the left of the aft mast. This one in my collection however is a H&W reprographic "contact"/"chemical" copy, a photo-chemical reproductive style that has become obsolete gradually over time. A chemically sensitized paper was laid under the (translucent) linen cloth drawing plan and this was then exposed to a strong UV light source. (The copy in my collection was made while using an intermediate cloth, also showing brush marks from a wax treatment or such. Possibly this extra cloth served to protect the original drawing cloth against the paper's sensitizing chemicals. See detail image nr 4.) Then the paper was developed (and fixated) with either ammonia gas (diazo print, a "dry" process) or an acidic bath (aniline print, a "wet" process). This presumably either diazo print or aniline print displays smooth close-up detail and nuance in the architectural drawing of Titanic, and even also shows the weave pattern of both aforementioned fabrics. After WW2, but before their "xerox" blackline copies, H&W would occasionally produce "contact" copies off a folded much used original 1910/1911 "contact" copy from their archive, having 1 horizontal and 7 vertical fold creases. Also known is a 1963 "contact" copy from the original linen plan, produced for a drawing artist named Laurence Dunn, and which has dark blue linework and is stamped by H&W with "3 July 1963". Unknown is if H&W's later "xerox" copies were derived from the original linen cloth drawing plan and/or from some sort of copy of that.

This rigging plan in my collection is a very rarely seen H&W "contact"/"chemical" copy, much less c1910 copy, however age yet not fully conclusive. Its paper has slightly darkened (yellowed) and has by no means become brittle. Also the very fine and smooth fiber structure suggests that the paperstock is entirely made from plant fibers (linen, hemp, cotton) rather than wood pulp. (Around the year 1910, still ca.10% of all paper supply was made from rags. Nowadays, only currency banknotes, and such, are made from plant fiber: for strength, durability, etc.) Only just noticeable, the paper's back has a ribbed texture, which was impressed by either a "pull roll(er)" or a "dandy roll(er)" (cylinder) during the paperstock manufacture; ca.40 ribs per inch (ca.16 ribs per cm). At the time, this ribbing was typically performed by a copper wire with diameter of thus ca.1/40 inch (ca. 0.625 mm) which was spiraled around the said steel cylindrical roller. This very subtle, almost unnoticeable ribbing effect should ultimately be a key element in dating this paper sheet respectively this rigging plan. Altogether, also because of the imagery having discolored into a violet color, I suspect that this rigging plan copy dates from 1910-1911; however, still not to be fully excluded is 1960s-1970s (although for that time-period the paperstock will be typically wood pulp based). In my mind, neither the aforementioned copper wire spiraling nor the plant fiber paperstock were still (commonly) at use in the 1960s-1970s, much less the combination of both! The imagery's discoloration into a purple (violet), which originally was probably dark blue or "black", is typical for the aging, over time, of diazotype and anilinetype. After my rigging plan purchase, I also managed to get hold of and inspect a rigging plan copy that was originally obtained, new, from THS (Titanic Historical Society) in ca. late 1970s, having then been produced by Harland & Wolff while using the aforementioned folded rigging plan copy from 1910/1911 from their archive, hence showing many folding creases. Its identical purple image color again suggests either diazotype or anilinetype duplicating, however the feel and fiber structure of that ca. late 1970s sheet clearly indicate wood pulp based paper, and furthermore that sheet lacks the fine ribbed structure on the back. ... more

[ Still to be added here, 1200dpi hi-res full scan ca 91000 x 24000. A hell of a job. 20 scans, to be fit together.]

A pre-sinking Britannic postcard was trimmed round, laid under a glass dome, surrounded by shells/seaweed.

HMHS Britannic: shellwork framed picture, pre-sinking, 1914/15

Width: 15.0 cm (5.9 in) ☆ Thick: ± 3.5 cm (± 1.4 in) ☆ Weight: 235 gr (8.3 oz) ☆

1 OF JUST 2 KNOWN !  PREDATES MAIDEN VOYAGE AS A WW1 HOSPITAL SHIP !

Also the only other known is in my collection (images still to be added) !

TITANIC'S YOUNGER SISTER ALSO SUNK EARLY IN CAREER, OFF THE GREEK COAST BY GERMAN MINE (WW1) !  BRITANNIC NEVER SET SAIL FOR NEW YORK, HENCE INSTANTLY REQUISITIONED FOR WAR EFFORT !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Unidentified office, USA, "3:20pm". Wall also shows pennant & group photo from Goodyear tire manufacturer.

RMS Olympic "46,359 tons" poster (1913) in office, USA photo

Size: 8.6 x 13.1 cm (3.4 x 5.2 in) ☆

UNSEEN IMAGE WITH UNKNOWN VERSION OF NEARLY NONEXISTENT ADVERT !

TITANIC'S ELDER SISTER, NICKNAME 'OLD RELIABLE', HAD A 24‑YEAR CAREER UNTIL 1935, THEN SCRAPPED !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Ocean navigation aid: monthly update from ships' logs on wind, wave, weather, ice, fog, current, pressure, etc.

Pilot Chart Of The North Atlantic Ocean "May1912" (publ 29 Apr)

Size: 61.7 x 86.3 cm (24.3 x 34.0 in) ☆

STELLARLY RARE !  MONTHLY AID TO SEA NAVIGATION !  'TITANIC' REVISIONS !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Assembled on a slab of wood, no larger than book novel size: velvet; celluloid; alumin(i)um; small metal nails.

Titanic small intricate memento plaque for wall hanging, c1912

Size: 21.0 x 14.0 x 0.5 cm (8.25 x 5.5 x 0.2 in) ☆ Weight: ± 95 gr (± 3.35 oz) ☆

UNIQUE GREAT QUALITY COMMEMORATIVE !  EXPERIENCED HOBBYIST FEAT !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

The distressed condition of this 14-page original from 1912 somehow highlights the epic historic catastrophe.

Newspaper Boston-American of 16 April 1912; day after sinking

Size: 54.3 x 42.0 cm (21 3/8 x 16.5 in) ☆

STUNNINGLY SCARCE !  ONE OF THE MOST POIGNANT 'TITANIC' FRONTPAGES !

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According to but 2 sources known, this steel device served for prying open the moorings of Titanic's lifeboats.

±39cm/15" lifeboat davit mooring ropeitool (7x) markedi'TITANIC'

L x W: 38-41 cm (15-16 in) x 3.2 or 3.5 cm (1¼ or 1⅜ in) ☆ Thick: 0.65 cm (¼ in) ☆ Weight avg: 535 gr (19 oz) ☆

7 OF  9  KNOWN TO STILL EXIST !  UTMOST UNKNOWN, ALMOST FORGOTTEN !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, DETECT AND/OR ACQUIRE !  MUCH LESS 2 !  LET ALONE 3 !  NEVER MIND 7 !  #1 SOON LED TO #2 #3, 5YRS LATER #4, & SOON #5 #6 (1BUY), NOW #7;  BY PURE LUCK, HARD WORK, PATIENCE !  I RETRIEVED ALL 7 FROM USA:  ARIZONA (BUT FROM OHIO), NEBRASKA, OKLAHOMA (3), WISCONSIN, FLORIDA !  PUTIN (RE)GAINING SANITY (*) IS MORE LIKELY THAN RUNNING INTO NO LESS THAN  7  OF THESE OBJECTS !  UNBELIEVABLE !  TRULY UNBELIEVABLY UNBELIEVABLE, TO THE POINT OF (NEAR) LITERALLY UNBELIEVABLE !  TOOLiFIND #7 IS SPECIAL IN THAT IT IS AN UNSEEN 4TH VARIANT:  1 1/4" WIDE WITH BOTH TIPS HAND FORGED !   (*) First it was "Peace in the Middle-East is etc", & then "Trump turning Democrat is etc". I made these up myself.

The lifeboats inventory list's "stretcher", "$ 0.75", is totally different from the also listed wooden "foot stretcher", "$ 0.05"; thus a 15 times value difference.

Titanic's sister ship Olympic expectedly, or I think I should say logically/undoubtedly, was equipped with the exact same steelitools, and as such (almost) definitely marked "OLYMPIC". Then following the Titanic disaster (1912) these got scrapped 1912-1913 with the installation of another, newer type of lifeboat davits on Olympic. So maybe 1 or more of theseitools marked "OLYMPIC" were at the time kept as a souvenir and 1, or some, still surviving to this day! Finding and owning one, if existent, should be considered the most special, most precious, most valuable, most significant Olympic artifact one can possibly imagine; call it the holy grail of Olympic artifacts (or at least that is my opinion). Also, and not unimportantly, such find would then instantly establish, beyond any possible doubt, the authenticity of the "TITANIC"itools (and, of course, also vice versa), especially to those among us who may be more or less sceptical or even downright dismissive. Still, what are the odds of 1 or more persons having saved 1 or more of such "OLYMPIC"itool as a keepsake in 1912-1913, and, to add to that, at least 1itool still surviving to this day? Close to zero? Or maybe just zero?

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Titanic post-disaster lifeboats contents inventory, typewriter docs, late 1912 :
Version 1  (4.6MB hi-res 3-page PDF)  or web page US National Archives
Version 2  (6.7MB hi-res 5-page PDF)  or web page US National Archives

Olympic & Titanic were the response to Lusitania & Mauretania of the Atlantic trade competitor Cunard Line.

20cm/8" coldichisel  from Cunard Line's RMS Mauretania (1906)

Length: 20.5 cm (8.0 in) ☆ Width x Thick midway: 2.5 x 1.9 cm (1.0 x 0.75 in) ☆ Weight: 590 gr (20.8 oz) ☆

UNSEEN !  MAYBE SINGLE 1 EXISTING !  YES, CUNARD, YET WOWING ARTIFACT !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Note position of 3 flags due to wind's direction! Funnels' smoke in 'wrong' direction was likely added later.

Drawing by Scottish boy (12) made on-site, Southampton, 1912

Size: 21.6 x 25.4 cm (8.5 x 11.0 in = US Letter) ☆

UNIQUE !  UNLIKE ANYTHING !  3-10 APR 1912 EYEWITNESS DRAWN DOCUMENT !

BOY LATER AT 18 WAS KILLED IN COMBAT AT END OF WW1, FAMILY LATER MOVED OVERSEAS CIRCA 1920-25 !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Ronis brand 'main switch' key, c1970s-1980s, used and worn, with its brass fob. '23 bl' is short for 'block 23'.

Harland & Wolff: switch key + tag of Goliath gantry crane (1969)

Length key: 4.1 cm (1.6 in) ☆ Length tag: 6.4 cm (2.5 in) ☆

IMPOSSIBLE FIND !  UNIQUE HISTORICAL ARTIFACT OF TITANIC'S SHIPBUILDER !

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Label on top iceberg reads in uppercase "W.S. Liddle" (the maker). A toddler used the photo for scribbling?!

Apple Show, Sebastopol (California): Titanic sinking, RPPC 1912

Size: 8.8 x 13.7 cm (3.4 x 5.4 in) ☆

UNSEEN APPLE PC !  MESMERIZING RECORD OF 'TITANIC' IN EVERYDAY LIFE !

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"Help Surpasseth Pity - Balham and Tooting Titanic Relief Fund" (Thinking poor condition? See the reverse!)

Balham and Tooting alumin(i)um medal to Relief Fund workers

Diameter: 4.5 cm (1.75 in) ☆ Thick: 0.4 cm (1/6 in) ☆

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND !  VERY DISTRESSED, POSSIBLE DIRTROAD FIND !

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Attic find, 2017 (Kingston, PA, USA). Ca. 5 were known to exist; yet effectively 7 are traceable. This find is nr 8.

Titanic small advert poster: 3rd Class rates & return maiden trip

Size: 52.4 x 23.4 cm (20.6 x 9.2 in) ☆

JAWDROPPING !  UTTERLY RARE ADVERT FOR NEVER-TO-BE RETURN VOYAGE !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

11 Nov 2011 an identical one sold at Swann Auction Galleries for the then record sum $ 72,000 incl tax/premium
20 Oct 2018  an identical other went at Henry Aldridge & Son for the new record price $ 81,000 incl tax/premium

Aldridge & Son to Irish Mirror, 17 Oct 2018 :
"[...] only a handful of these posters exist. You can count them on one hand."
(A professional auctioneer would never declare "only a handful exist" but "only a handful are known to exist"!)
"The Victoria & Albert Museum have one for its Speed & Style exhibition but this one is in better condition."
Aldridge & Son at live auction, 20 Oct 2018 : "There is 4 of these known to exist."
False statements! 7 are traceable (not counting my nr 8) and the one at V&A was in a very good condition (see the above image nr 5) !

JustCollecting News, 10 Oct 2018,
"Titanic return journey poster could set new auction record" :
news.justcollecting.com/...  (new window)

BBC News, 20 Oct 2018,
"Rare Titanic poster sold for £ 62,000 [ $ 81,000 ] at auction" :
bbc.com/news/...  (new window)

VERY REGRETTABLY THE LYING DERANGED USA SELLER DITCHED THE POSTER'S C1912 CUSTOM MADE FRAME AT AN UNKNOWN POINT IN TIME DESPITE HIS PROMISE TO ADDITIONALLY SEND IT AT MY POSTAGE EXPENSE :
5 Oct 2018 03:01 "I have no problem shipping you the frame as long as you pay for the shipment but you already stated you would."  9 Oct 2018 01:37 "It's 7[:]35 pm here in Pennsylvania. I'll be shipping tomorrow about 11am."  THEN AFTER 18 DAYS OF NO RESPONSE:  27 Oct 2018 09:17 "Enjoying my spam folder? 🤔😂 "  THEN AFTER 24 MORE DAYS OF AGAIN NO RESPONSE:  20 Nov 2018 19:05 "I tossed that frame in the fireplace."  THEN 6 HOURS (!) LATER, UPON OFFERING HIM MONEY FOR THE FRAME:  21 Nov 2018 01:17 "I can ship it out still as I'd never burn something or destroy anything. As I'm sure you knew that too. [ THE LYING DECEIVING CROOK IS TAKING A TURN ONLY FOR THE MONEY ]"  24 Nov 2018 12:10 "I can ship it out Wednesday morning is that's ok."  26 Nov 2018 12:39 "I would be able to ship it today but like I said i don't have the money to cover shipping until Wednesday."  26 Nov 2018 15:01 "If you could send $15 to this account [ PAYPAL OF HIS WIFE ] via 'friends and family' I would be able to access it and use it today to ship it with [ HIS OWN PAYPAL ACCOUNT WAS SUSPENDED DUE TO HIS CONTINUALLY NEGLECTING HIS MANY BUYERS OF MAINLY SECOND HAND KIDS DVDS  ( READ: HIS NOT SHIPPING HIS SOLD ITEMS, SOON RESULTING IN AN ONGOING TSUNAMI OF 23 (!) 'NEGATIVE FEEDBACK' WITH HIS FRESH EBAY ACCOUNT REGISTERED ONLY 5 SEP 2018.  EBAY THEN TERMINATED HIS USER ACCOUNT.  NOW LOOKING BACK, I WAS VERY LUCKY HE HAD LISTED THE INCREDIBLY VALUABLE TITANIC POSTER JUST BEFORE HE BEGAN TO ROB HIS BUYERS ON EBAY WITHIN ONLY A FEW WEEKS LATER ! ) ]."  27 Nov 2018 02:21 "I'll be able to get to the post office tomorrow around 4pm."  THEN AFTER 22 DAYS OF AGAIN NO RESPONSE: 19 Dec 2018 11:52 "That frame is LONG GONE. [ HE MEANS: LONG DISCARDED ]"  SUCH  A  M***N  AND  R****D  IN EVERY WAY !  BUT IF HE ONLY KNEW HE SOLD ME AN INCREDIBLY SCARCE PRICELESS ORIGINAL ICONIC POSTER AND FOR ALMOST NO MONEY:  US$ 37.50  BUT WORTH AT LEAST 2,000 X MORE !  "🤔😂 "

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

After visiting Europe in 1911, USS Petrel (PG-2) returned to the Atlantic coast for a period spanning 1911-1912.

Titanic life ring  found & marked by USS Petrel, real photo, 1912

Size: 8.5 x 13.3 cm (3.35 x 5.25 in) ☆

UNSEEN PRIVATE SNAPSHOT !  AMAZING HISTORICAL EXTRAORDINARINESS !

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A black printed picture was hand colored. Originally a blue (?) ribbon was woven through the square spaces.

Titanic milk glass ribbon plate (5x), onboard sold souvenir, 1912

Width: 18.8 cm (7.4 in) ☆ Height: 2.3 cm (0.9 in) ☆ Weight: ±285 gr (±10 oz) ☆

5 OF NOW 11 KNOWN TO STILL EXIST !  SOLD IN TITANIC'S BARBER/GIFT SHOP !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

121 victims were buried here May-Jun 1912, and the grave stones erected autumn 1912 (likely date of photo).

Titanic graves: Fairview cemetery, Halifax (Canada), RPPC 1912

Size: 8.5 x 13.5 cm (3.3 x 5.3 in) ☆

NOT YET SEEN ANOTHER !  1912 PHOTO DOCUMENT, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA !

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In the gantry: Titanic & Olympic keel laid (also see 3rd image). Card with embossing, lacquer, gold ink/paint.

Arrol Gantry postcard: Titanic's keel laid just, April or May 1909

Size: 8.9 x 13.9 cm (3.5 x 5.5 in) ☆

STUPENDOUSLY RARE PC !  TITANIC INFANCY 36 MONTHS BEFORE DISASTER !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

CS Minia arrived at wrecksite 11 days since the disaster; then for 7 days she recovered bodies & much debris.

29cm/11.4" piece of Titanic, salvaged 1912 stuck to a deckchair

Length: 29 cm (11.4 in) ☆ Width max: 3.8 cm (1.5 in) ☆ Thick max: 0.4 cm (0.15 in) ☆ Weight: 270 gr (9.5 oz) ☆

A+ ARTIFACT !  BENT RIPPED WARPED CORRODED !  STILL WITH BLACK PAINT !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

STEEL (CARBONIZED IRON) CORRODES IN SALTWATER 5 TIMES FASTER THAN IN FRESHWATER, AND CORRODES IN SALTY HUMID OCEAN AIR 10 TIMES FASTER THAN IN THE AVERAGE INLAND AIR.
OCEAN WATER BACTERIA ALSO CONSUME IRON, AND THEIR EXCRETIONS TURN TO RUST.
STEEL IN SALTWATER IS ATTACKED FROM ALL ANGLES, IN A COMPLEX OF (ELECTRO)CHEMICAL PROCESSES WITH  IONS, OXYGEN, HYDROGEN, SULFATES, BACTERIA.

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

"Valentine's Series" postcard: issued very shortly after the sinking, and in large quantities. (Great picture!)

Disaster postcard (2x) with earliest date stamp seen: 18(!) April

Size: 8.9 x 13.8 cm (3.5 x 5.4 in) ☆

ULTRA RARE !  POST-SINKING PRINTED PC WITH POSTMARK 3(!) DAYS 'AFTER' !

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'Paramount' printing style for Titanic name, White Star Line flag, and Oceanic Steam Navigation Co. emblem.

Titanic stationery: piece of 'blank' (unused) 1st Class menu card

Size: 4.7 x 6.5 cm (1.85 x 2.55 in) ☆

LIKELY FROM TITANIC SHIP PRE-TRIP !  OUT A CRESTS & MONOGRAMS ALBUM !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Paint + India ink on ferro-gallic print: a graphite pencil outline was, using light, copied onto sensitized paper.

Titanic color design drawing (completed), Harland & Wolff c1909

Size: 33.0 x 82.0 cm (13.0 x 32.25 in) ☆ Scale: 1/32 in = 1 ft  (or 1:384) ☆

UNSEEN PERPLEXING SINGLE KNOWN H&W COLOR DESIGN PLAN OF TITANIC !

Incredible find !  Its significance & overall value can not be overstated !

EPIC FAIL by 4 of the foremost experts (authors) on Titanic build/history :
"Much like the work of a child (*) [...] worthless [...] of very little to no interest to a serious collector"
"Stay away from this. it is not a good buy"
"I'm not really sure what I can offer you in the way of a comment"
"This is a fake" (or wordings to that effect)
(*) The colorized area of stern and bow is only 1/3 respectively 1/4 the size of a credit card!, clearly the work of a professional! (In order to protect and respect their identity and reputation, the names of the 4 experts (authors) have been omitted.) My advice: If one doesn't have the eye nor the experience for quality and authenticity, then please refrain from judgement!

Guaranteed by me an authentic ca.1909 artifact, hands down one of all-time greatest Titanic finds & discoveries!

This drawing came from the Ken(neth) Schultz Collection (and no, it was not accompanied by a fake sale receipt !). So it may have been featured in his 1970s-2000s sale catalogues. Please contact me if you know more!

[ Article text still to come.] ☆

Large image (15000 x 6075):  Front (3.6MB)
Extra large image (30000 x 12150):  Front (7.7MB)
Bow detail image (12150 x 7500):  Detail (2.1MB)
Reverse side image (4420 x 1800):  Back (0.6MB)
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