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Online Display Of Titanic Related Items From Private Collection
Scarce & Special ☆☆☆☆☆

UNSEEN UNUSUAL UNEQUALLED ARTIFACTS & OTHER TREASURES !

TITANIC BOMBSHELL !!!
ONLY HERE ON SSTITANIC.ORG !!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE MOST INCREDIBLE UNKNOWN UNSEEN TITANIC ARTIFACT YOU HAVE EVER SEEN !
TO THIS DAY NOT DOCUMENTED IN ANY BOOK, NOR MUSEUM, NOR COLLECTION !
YET ANOTHER MIND BOGGLING TITANIC RELIC PICK EXCLUSIVELY BY SSTITANIC.ORG !
IT'S THE LIFEBOAT ROPEITOOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!
TITANIC BOMBSHELL !!!

western union telegram telegraph marconi marconigram sos distress franklin titanic 1912

"SOS / from Marconi operator RMS Titanic / We have struck iceberg / Sinking fast / Come to our assistance /"

Titanic's SOS 'sinking fast' to WSL in NYC, post-disaster c1915

Size: 16.8 x 20.0 cm (6.6 x 7.9 in) ☆

1 OF JUST 2 (KNOWN) ! WIRELESS TELEGRAM VIA NEWFOUNDLAND TO NYC !

Try find another ! Amazing scarce unprecedented specialty collectible !

Although this "marconigram" (wireless telegram) is not genuine from the night of the sinking, nonetheless it seems to date from relatively shortly after the historic event, more precisely from between Apr 1914 and Feb 1916, thus produced 2-4 years after the Titanic sinking. This can be established as follows. The telegram's masthead reads "Newcomb Carlton, President" and "Belvidere Brooks, Vice-President". Mr Carlton was appointed President on 15 April (mind you) of the year 1914. Mr Brooks was appointed Vice-President in the year 1913 and died at home of heart failure on 10 Feb 1916. Furthermore, the authentic preprinted sheet and typing characteristics of the message seem to indicate that the telegram was produced with an automated typing machine at Western Union. Why the telegram was recreated, only a few years after the sinking, remains unknown; possibly for a magazine article or some other either memorial or historical purpose between 1914 and 1916. To my best knowledge, the original 1912 telegram is not known to still exist (long lost/missing, and never described or pictured). As such, very interestingly, this apparent 1914-1916 recreation by Western Union must be considered historically significant, as it shows how the original 1912 telegram would have looked like. Also, it seems to "proof" that Titanic did transmit a telegram to White Star Line in NYC, something that was later denied by Mr P.A. Franklin, Vice-President and Manager of White Star Line in NYC. This 1914-1916 recreation is the next best thing after the presumed lost/missing original telegram from early 15 April 1912.

November 2015 an almost identical looking telegram was up for auction at Heritage Auctions, in their own words "The World's Largest Collectibles Auctioneer", Dallas, Texas, USA. (There, the telegram was falsely described and presented as authentic from the night of the sinking.) The required starting bid was $20,000, with pre sale estimate $32,000 - $48,000. For now it did not sell. According to Heritage, the existence of this historical document was not known and thus unrecorded. In June 2016 I coincidentally came to know about the (now) other known telegram then being up for sale, namely the very one from my collection, and it was very low priced (relatively speaking), and only then I came to learn about the other one from Heritage Auctions. Also my acquired telegram originates from an old private collection. The "wireless" message is addressed to the manager of the White Star Steamship Co. in NYC. As it seems, that company name was an other and/or more official denotation as opposed to the commonly used "White Star Line"; in the newspaper reports following the disaster the company name "White Star Steamship Co. (Ltd.)" is used often, if not predominantly. ... more

Both these telegrams emerging almost simultaneously from two different sources is even more surprising, not to say astounding. The telegram's paper is clearly very old and brittle, with fold cracks and separations, and visible fibers. The preprinted texts display the correct mediocre sharpness, and are slightly lowered (indented) into the paper: evidence of old letterpress printing style. Also the typed message is indented into the paper as expected. The typing's visible ribbon structure is authentic, since, looking with a magnifying glass, it shows no dot matrix pattern typical for modern/reproductive printing style. On both telegrams the top half of the typed texts is inked and/or struck only faintly, which suggests the very same typing apparatus for both telegrams at Western Union, NYC. The typing (the message) appears dark gray when compared with the full black preprinting. So, in regards characteristics of paper and printing and typing I can only confirm the findings by Heritage Auctions (although the correct dating is not 1912 but very most likely 1914-1916). A mystery is why the two telegrams are not identical but almost identical. Heritage Auctions stated that (this kind of) telegrams at the time were sent "2-up" ("twice"), this possibly as a safety measure. So perhaps, who knows, these two telegrams represent the actual "2-up".

Some interesting findings from my own research: The relatively low identifying number "31" in the box named "NUMBER" seems to confirm that this telegram's missing original was received and machine typed, at Western Union NYC, not long after midnight on Monday 15 April 1912 respectively during the sinking of Titanic. Furthermore, the box named "CHECK" shows, along with the word count "35", a typed word "BLUE" which is symbol for "Day Letter". In telegraphing there were 4 telegram categories: Day Message (up to 10 words); Day Letter (up to 50 words); Night Message (up to 10 words); Night Letter (up to 50 words). Excess words for any chosen category would cost extra. Default was the Day Message, which, disregard its name, was processed without delay 24/7. Night telegrams were a cheap option for non-urgent messages, but were accepted only up to 2am and delivered no sooner than some time after daybreak or even in the afternoon. Now why was Titanic's distress telegram ordered or categorized or processed as Day Letter and not as the default Day Message? The answer to this appears to come from the increasing competition of the telephone service that the telegraph businesses were already facing in 1912. This competition had led to treating a Day Letter with almost the same speed as the Day Message as well as immediately telephoning (speaking) the telegram message to the addressee prior to the physical delivering: ... more

Extract from an article in monthly magazine "The Fra", May 1912, page 41-42:
A GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH – The Postmaster-General has made a suggestion to Congress to the effect that the Government should purchase the telegraph-lines. [...] The telephones have broken in on the telegraph business, until now it is no longer the monopoly it once was, and the owners of the telegraph are open to argument. [...] The Day Letter ["BLUE"], whereby fifty words can be sent at one and one-half ["one and one-half" = 1,5] times the regular ten-word rate [Day Message], "subject to delay", shows the tendency of the times. The Night Rate [Night Letter] of fifty words goes for the same rate as the regular ten-word day message. "Subject to delay" is merely a formal phrase, and nineteen times out of twenty the telegram [Day Letter] will be delivered just as quickly as if it goes "regular" [Day Message]. Both companies [Postal; Western Union] now make it a rule to telephone messages and then send them by mail or messenger, at their convenience. This plan seems to be eminently satisfactory to the "consumer", as a telephone operates much quicker than the average boy [bike messenger], and is safer as well. A messenger-boy was always proverbially slow and inefficient. All boys are, for that matter. All boys require supervision – and most men are boys who never grow up. When a message is telephoned and then sent by mail [in an envelope], the risk of no-receipt is very slight.

For the "full" background on this fascinating and historically significant Titanic SOS telegram I hereby cite Heritage Auctions:

[Source: Heritage Auctions, Nov. 2015] Unrecorded, Newly Discovered Titanic S.O.S. Telegram.
R.M.S. Titanic: Distress Telegram sent to the White Star Line. 8" x 6 1/2" Western Union Telegram received at the Western Union office in New York City, via Marconi wireless, April 15, 1912. The telegram was relayed to Western Union from the Marconi station in Cape Race, Newfoundland. The sender was the R.M.S. Titanic and the addressee was Philip A. S. Franklin, Vice President and manager of the White Star Line office in Manhattan. In full: "To Mr. P.A. Franklin, White Star Steamship Co. 9 Broadway, NYC. CQD, CQD SOS SOS= From MGY (RMS Titanic)= We Have Struck Iceberg= Sinking Fast= Come to our Assistance= Position: Lat 41.46 N.= Lon 50.14 W. MGY". MGY was the unique Marconi code identifying the R.M.S. Titanic. Folded horizontally in thirds. Very minor partial separation at top fold with small piece missing in lower left corner.

The story of the sinking of the Titanic is well-known and continues to fascinate the public more than 100 years after the event. The luxury liner was owned by the International Mercantile Marine Company and operated as the White Star Line. One of its directors, J. Pierpont Morgan, was scheduled to be a passenger on the maiden voyage, but opted to remain in Europe a little longer to spend time with his son in France. J. Bruce Ismay was the General Manager of the White Star Line. He was aboard the Titanic and was one of the lucky passengers to get a place on a lifeboat, a circumstance that forever tarnished his reputation. He was taken aboard the Carpathia and sent a series of messages to the home office in New York, directed to Philip Franklin. A Congressional hearing was held almost immediately after the Carpathia docked in New York. Later on, the British government conducted an inquiry of their own. The Senate hearing was chaired by Michigan Senator William A. Smith. During that testimony, Franklin denied receiving any telegrams from the Titanic, claiming there was "... not a word or communication of any kind or description" from the ship. In discussing the sequence of the telegrams he had received, he attempted to comply with the request of Senator Smith, but complained "... The only trouble is they do not have the time on them." He first got a hint of a problem when reporters from Canada called him at home at 2 A.M. asking if he had heard of the distress calls issued by the Titanic, received by ships in the area and reported by AP [Associated Press?] from Cape Race. Franklin immediately contacted office personnel and asked them to assemble at 9 Broadway. He received a telegram from Captain Haddock of the Olympic at 8:27 A.M. Monday morning telling him of the accident. For most of the day, he responded to members of the public and the press, assuring them that the unsinkable Titanic had not sunk, but that passengers had been evacuated and many rescued. Finally, after hearing from J. Bruce Ismay aboard the Carpathia at 6:16 P.M., he was forced to face the grim reality and admit to the public that the Titanic had indeed sunk. ... more

After the Titanic hit the iceberg, it issued a series of distress telegrams. It also notified the United States Postal Service and British Royal Mail. It makes sense that they also notified the operator of the ship, the White Star Line but, until now, no evidence of that has surfaced. The telegraph log went down with the ship, so the only record of the telegrams dispatched are the ones that have survived. The two Marconi operators were Jack Phillips (who perished in the disaster) and Harold Bride, who testified at the Senate hearing (for some reason, he was not asked if any telegrams were sent to the offices of the White Star Line). The first six distress telegrams were all marked "CQD" (All Stations Distress) but, at the suggestion of Bride, subsequent distress telegrams included the newly adopted SOS signal (first used on U.S. ships in 1909). This telegram was sent to the nearest landfall, Cape Race, Newfoundland and was received by the Marconi operator there, Walter Gray (a Marconi Wireless School classmate of Jack Phillips). Initially, the personnel aboard the Titanic did not think the ship was in danger of sinking but, after about an hour, Phillips sent a message to Gray saying "We are slowly sinking by the head and putting women and children into lifeboats."

Since the Marconi office at Cape Race had no facilities to deliver the telegram, it was transmitted to the Western Union office in New York [195 Broadway] 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. [...] 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. [Source: Heritage Auctions].

In addition to citing Heritage Auctions, I hereby cite from The Denver Post, 15 April 1912, Page 1:
OFFICIALS NOT WARNED ABOUT LINER. – At 9 o'clock this morning Mr. Franklin gave out the following statement: "We place absolute confidence in the Titanic. We believe the boat is absolutely unsinkable, and, although she may have sunk at the bow, we know that she would remain afloat. We do not attach any significance to the fact that there are no Marconi messages being received from the boat. We think it denotes nothing but the fact that the boat is in communication with other steamers, for she may have gotten off all the messages she wanted to send." ☆

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postcard photo konigsbruck germany lager landwehr rekruten soldaten titanic 1912

Probably the 2 'boats' are in fact (horse) wagons or the like. The man far right sits in a 'lifeboat' (wash tub).

Königsbrück marine recruits in 'boats', May 1912, real photo pc

Size: 8.9 x 14.0 cm (3.5 x 5.5 in) ☆

NEVER SEEN ! MAYBE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS 'TITANIC' SCENE EVER SEEN !

Try find another ! Amazing scarce unprecedented specialty collectible !

Let us first have a close look at the chalk writings in German language from left to right and then translate these: "Titanic - Gestorben am 16. April 1912" / "Die Landwehr kommt! ; 4. Komp[anie]. 1. Res[erve]. Reg[imen]t. XII [XI?] ; Königsbrück, 2.-16. Mai 1912" / "Olympic - Noch nicht gestorben" ; "Rettungsboot". Now in translation: "Titanic - Died/Deceased [sic!] on 16 [sic!] April 1912" / "The military comes! ; 4th Company 1st Reserve Regiment XII [XI?] ; Königsbrück, 2-16 May 1912" ; "Olympic - Not yet died/deceased [sic!]" ; "Lifeboat". (Of course the "Gestorben am 16. April 1912" is incorrect; Titanic sank in the early hours of 15 April.) What we are looking at is a group of 23 military men, mainly recruits, at the military training camp, since 1906, near the town/city Königsbrück in the region of Sachsen. Königsbrück is located roughly 25 km (roughly 16 miles) north of the city Dresden in the far east of Germany near the border with Poland.

The man to the left of the central wooden sign wears a 3-stripe "chevron" on his upper arm. If my research has been correct, this would make him a "Hauptgefreiter" of the Kriegsmarine (navy). This would then indicate that most of the 23 men are recruits for the navy (and the two "boats" thus making more sense). As it seems to me, these novices had just completed their two-week basic military training: "2-16 May". Also it seems plausible that the photo was taken either on or one day after that final training day, 16 May, which was one month after the Titanic disaster. The 3rd man from the left is waving a flag, but I have been unsuccessful in identifying what flag. Also the man far right is holding a flag (monochrome color?), sitting in a wash tub with written in chalk "Rettungsboot" ("lifeboat"). This wash tub must somehow have been elevated, for the "sea water" to be added later by the photographer. Another man holds a rope attached to this "lifeboat". It remains unclear why the group of military men have theatrically staged these two "vessels" Titanic and her sister Olympic. Perhaps this was following some sort of drill with two teams competing. In any case it appears inexplicable to present the two ships in this manner. ... more

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mourning woman book titanic sinking disaster photograph titanic 1912

Also in my collection (RPPC): an aged man with book "Story of the Wreck of the Titanic" by Marshall Everett.

Although just smaller than a postcard, this glass negative photo print shows every detail in the lace collar.

Woman in mourning, with book on the sinking, real photo c1912

Size card: 14.5 x 12.0 cm (5.7 x 4.7 in) Size photo: 11.2 x 8.4 cm (4.4 x 3.3 in) ☆

TRULY STUNNING INSANELY RARE AND STARTLING ONCE IN A LIFETIME FIND !

Try find another ! Amazing scarce unprecedented specialty collectible !

In the immediate aftermath of the Titanic sinking there was a huge demand for books, postcards, memorabilia etc. on the subject. As such the so called "instant books" on the Titanic disaster were produced in no time and sold door-to-door by salesmen and -women. Also featured on this website (page 5) is an extremely rare postcard for recruiting colporteurs for the famous 1912 book "The Sinking of the Titanic and Great Sea Disasters" compiled by Logan Marshall. This real photo portrait of the elder woman now shows the other famous 1912 book: "Sinking of the Titanic - The World's Greatest Sea Disaster" by Thomas Russell.

Judging by the card stock, the photo print, its aging and also how the elder woman is dressed up, this photograph should date from shortly after the sinking disaster. Apparently the woman is in mourning; she wears a black hair bow, a bar shaped mourning pin (brooch), and multiple thin black ribbons embroidered in her lace collar and sleeves. (In Victorian and to lesser extend Edwardian era the mourning etiquette was important, complex and strict. People would go through several stages of mourning, depending on their relation to the deceased one. In Victorian era, 1837-1901, this process could take up to about 2.5 years in total.) Furthermore it would seem logical to pose with a book title which was still topical at that moment and also relating to the deceased person. Altogether the woman apparently had just lost a loved one in the Titanic tragedy, and even maybe, although far from likely, was a surviving passenger herself. ... more

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harland and wolff wolf saw hand tool handtool back tenon titanic 1912

Old, antique, but still perfect for today's job. It is often said that pre-WW2 saws will outclass any modern saw.

14" back saw (tenon) c1900, from Harland & Wolff shipbuilders

Size: 15.5 x 48.0 cm (6.1 x 18.9 in) Blade: 35.5 cm (14.0 in) ☆ Weight: 600 gr (21 oz) ☆

NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND H&W ARTIFACT ! MAYBE USED ON OR FOR TITANIC !

Try find another ! Amazing scarce unprecedented specialty collectible !

Harland & Wolff, founded 11 April 1861, was the exclusive builder for White Star Line ships including Titanic. The Irish company still exists today, now mainly specializing in offshore construction. On the rare occasion that an antique H&W shipwright tool is offered for sale, it may or will be accompanied by a provenance document from a family descendant. Occasionally the name or initials of the shipyard worker (or contractor) may even be engraved in the wood or the metal of such personal tool. As a result, authenticating such handtool in regards to its original owner will then be easier and more conclusive.

This carpentry back saw of the type "tenon" (because of its 14" blade), although used, is still in very good condition, with its teeth sufficiently sharp, and a nice patina with light pitting but without rusting. There is no manufacturer's mark to be found, however there may be one being covered by the small brass plate. The saw blade counts a rather moderate 10 teeth per inch, thus making it "10 tpi" (teeth per inch), UK style, or "11 ppi" (points per inch), US style. Apparently this carpenter tool is a "rip saw" (working along the wood grain) as opposed to "crosscut saw" (working across the wood grain), however saws from this time period often served either purpose. To elaborate on this: sharpening each individual tooth for crosscutting is more complicated and more time consuming. ... more

This very saw happens to be inscribed with the Belfast shipbuilders name, Harland & Wolff. And not just once but even twice. On one side "H&W" iseither cut, engraved or impressed in the steel back (spine) which holds and stiffens the saw blade. This marking's width is 4.0 cm (1.6 in). The ampersand is written as a Greek letter epsilon (Ɛ) or, quite similar looking, a rotated/mirrored digit 3. Especially in the letter "H" it shows pitting, which is similar to the blade's pitting; so, the "H&W" is undoubtedly old, from the time-period of usage. On the other side of the blade the execution is very different. A brass plate of 8.1 cm (3.2 in) is soldered onto the saw's spine. This small tag's stamping reads "Harland & Wolf" (sic!); indeed, a misspelling of the co-founder's name Wolff! Each of the 12 characters is struck individually, and below the "F" the letter "O" is struck with light force by accident. Then the brass plate was coated with lacquer (transparent). The reason for this protective finishing may seem unclear, since brass can not rust or otherwise oxidize. Possibly, likely, it was done for standing out; with the clear coating the brass would retain its shinyness and thus stand out indefinitely, as opposed to ultimately become dull and tarnished and as such become less readable.

Since not only H&W shipyard workers but also contractors would be working the ships, the name marking of handtools obviously was to prevent or at least discourage theft and accidental taking of these tools by the contracted workers (but certainly also by the H&W workers...). This very saw was obtained directly from a Northern-Ireland based antique dealer, active in house and company clearances within the local area including Belfast.

My gut feeling is that the marking "H&W" is older than the other side's brass name tag. This saw's design/construction and its markings are indicative of this tenon back saw dating from about late 1800s or around 1900. Although there is no way of knowing and proving, this tool may very well have been used for constructing (fitting out) Olympic and Titanic and even actually have been used on these ships (on-site fitting out). ☆

pre sinking disaster rare scarce postcard olympic titanic 1912

"860 Feet", but overall length 882.5 ft. Very rare early card; maybe therefore quite unknown and underrated.

Titanic & Olympic: earliest postcard/depiction, issued late 1909

Size: 8.7 x 14.0 cm (3.5 x 5.5 in) ☆

Try find another ! Amazing scarce unprecedented specialty collectible !

VERY SCARCE ! ALMOST TOO TOUGH TO FIND ! EARLIEST VIEW OF THE SHIPS !

This promotional postcard's nautical scene, a drawing by an unidentified artist, appears to be the first visual impression of Olympic and Titanic released for press and public by White Star Line. You will find this very same illustration in 1909-1910 newspaper pages reporting on these mammoth liners then being built. Just like on this postcard issued/authorized by WSL, also the media often stated the ships' length to be "860 feet". That however was builder's style measurement; the overall measured length was an extra 22.5 ft: for Olympic 882' 5", for Titanic 882' 9" (269.06 m). The explanation for their marginal size difference of 4 inch (10 cm): allegedly for again (Titanic, after Olympic) claiming and advertising the build of the "largest steamer in the world".

In the drawing two masts are visible, however in the New York Daily Tribune of 30 May 1909 the 2nd mast is absent in the very same drawing (see image nr 3)! Interestingly, one month later, on Wednesday 30 June 1909, it was decided by Bruce Ismay, head of WSL, to have a 2nd mast installed:

New York Tribune, Fri. 9 July 1909, page 7:
NEW LINERS AS TWO-MASTERS - J. Bruce Ismay's Plan for the Equipment of the Titanic and the Olympic. - J. Bruce lsmay, president of the International Mercantile Marine Company, who arrived here on the White Star liner Oceanic a week ago Wednesday, has decided to add another mast to the new steamers Olympic and Titanic, now under construction at Belfast. He saw the Cunarder Lusitania [Lusitania was the pride of rival company Cunard Line] departing for Liverpool a few hours after his arrival. Her four funnels and two masts impressed him so favorably that he decided then and there to add a mainmast to the new White Star leviathans, both of which were designed to carry only a foremast. Mr. Ismay is one of the few steamship men who don't see much use in a mast on a big passenger steamer. The hauling up of hold baggage can easily be accomplished by a small boom, or it can be transferred to the pier by an electric traveller, and the carrying of a mast for appearance sake is not good business. Practically no steamers except those of the Old Dominion Line come into this port with a single stick, and the similarity in design of Titanic and Olympic to these coastwise vessels has brought forth much comment in shipping circles. It is thought that if some means can be found to carry the wireless antenna on the new ships sir Ismay may again change his mind and send over the four-funnelled monsters with no masts at all. ... more

postcard photo redruth whitsum fancy fair titanic 1912

Low left in faded photo: "Redruth Fancy Fairs 1912. No.3" (perhaps referring to a booth No.3; see image nr 6).

Redruth fancy fair: Titanic 'Relief Fund' support act, RPPC 1912

Size: 8.8 x 13.9 cm (3.5 x 5.5 in) ☆

SINGLE ONE KNOWN ! 1912 SNAPSHOT OF LOCAL SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS !

Try find another ! Amazing scarce unprecedented specialty collectible !

Redruth is a town or village in the region of Cornwall in the far south-west tip of England, UK. Redruth's well-known "Whitsum fair" on the local Fairfield site started off some time before 1900. This historically interesting real photo postcard (by the way unposted), thus not printed, is a well composed snapshot of a theatrical act also involving the Titanic disaster. Without the informational signs displayed on the stage this postcard would not have gained my attention and subsequently not have been publicized via this website. It just would have remained another tucked away and long forgotten postcard respectively historical document. Since this is an antique real photo postcard (RPPC) and no reference or mentioning of it can be found on the internet it altogether is extremely rare. The photo dates from shortly after the sinking, which is also evident from the lower left caption: "Redruth Fancy Fairs 1912. No.3.". Judging by the spectators' clothes and also considering this Whitsum fair obviously held sometime between Spring and Autumn (as is custom for fairs), this photo should date from the period May to September of 1912. Probably we are not looking at the actual performance but at a free preview in order to attract spectators for an indoor event (movie? theater?). Just a minor photo detail: in the far top left corner clearly appears to be a bell (and just below that the bell's rope end), likely for announcing the start of the next scheduled performance.

In the photograph there are in any case 3 paper signs mentioning Titanic, with referrals to her sinking and the support for survivors. Even on my high-res scans the signs' (smaller) text portions are almost impossible to read. These however became readable after dramatically increasing the image contrast. It was only after my patiently looking and guessing and analyzing that the extremely blurry and distorted words and sentences became identifiable. (The only (slight) doubt I have is with this one word "Saddened", on the far left sign.) "NOW SHOWING Saddened teens bringing Clothes for the Survivears [sic!] of the TITANIC & new sets Shown at each Performance". "NOW SHOWING The Disaster Of The World's Largest Liner TITANIC". "Memorialising Calamity With the Titanic"? Please see the close up images of the stage signs. (Immediately to the left of the diagonal beam is a sign seemingly showing an image of Titanic. Still, my enhancing of the image contrast could not affirm this any further.) Without the identification of these text portions this postcard would have been less interesting and less significant in a cultural and historical perspective. ☆

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hull rust iron steel the big piece titanic 1912

In 2001 an 18-wheel trailer combo overturned, and a 'wrecker' picked up this and many more hull fragments.

Small hull chip (2.8cm/1.1") from The Big Piece (8m/26', 17tons)

Size: 2.8 x 2.25 cm (1.1 x 0.9 in) ☆

TOUCHING TITANIC ! RARE WRECK FRAGMENT OF THE FAMOUS OCEAN LINER !

In 1996 a first attempt was made for raising The Big Piece: a ca. 3.8 x 8 m (ca.12.5 x 26.5 ft) starboard C-Deck hull portion originating from cabins C-79 and C-81 (both unoccupied in 1912). Only 60 m (200 ft) beneath the sea surface the cables from the diesel filled flotation bags snapped and the roughly 17 metric tons steel fragment went all the way back down, to the ocean floor, at a depth of 12,415 ft (3,784 m). Two years later, 10 August 1998, a new attempt was successful, with 5-inch (12.7 cm) nylon ropes attached to 6 diesel filled flotation bags.

To stop further deteriorating of the steel, a long-term conservation and restoration procedure was initiated soon after. For desalination (sodium chloride (salt) removal) the hull section was placed in a large container of water with a sodium carbonate solution for 18 months and attached to the object were sacrificial aluminium/magnesium anode blocks (which would be attacked by the salt in the steel). During this long period the Titanic artifact was on display at multiple locations in USA. For the next conservation and restoration stage, in September 1999 it was transported to Santa Fe, Mexico, starting with another 3 months of submerging for further desalination. Then the piece was hoisted into dry air and waterjet cleaned at a pressure of 3,000 psi in order to remove loose rust and rusticles. The Big Piece was then coated with tannic acid to stabilize remaining corrosion, and treated with a microcrystalline wax to prevent further corrosion. Finally, hard to believe but apparently true, the conservation team applied a protective coating in... color black! ... more

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norman hardy art drawing sketch titanic 1912

In the old days, quote (") and period (.) were much used. For that, and topicality, sketch 'must' be from c1912.

Norman Hardy drawing c1912, after Henry Reuterdahl painting

Size: 9.4 x 15.5 cm (3.7 x 6.1 in) ☆

AUTHENTIC TIME-PERIOD ART ARTIFACT ! SMALL SIZE BUT GREAT QUALITY !

This postcard-size sketch with graphite pencil and also black ink was supposedly taken out of a sketchbook. After comparing it with other "Titanic" drawings and paintings, I noticed that the exact scene is freely copied from an expressionistic painting by Henry Reuterdahl (1870-1925), done in the weeks after the sinking, see image nr 2. As a Swedish-American painter, Reuterdahl was famous for his nautical artwork. In contrast with him, the internet provides no information whatsoever on this Norman Hardy. Nonetheless, it is a good quality drawing; skillful, high in contrast, dynamic, dramatic, expressive. The full horror of Titanic's terrible demise is expressed to the greatest extend possible. Although the sketch could be from a much later date, my guess would certainly be 1912. My presumption is strengthened by the artist's use of quote(") and period(.), which was a very common practice during the early 1900s. ☆

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