Titanic exhibition prepares to dock in Capital

Published on Monday 24 May 2004 01:00

THE largest Titanic exhibition ever to be brought to Scotland is to go on show in the Capital this summer.

The exhibition, which will feature more than 100 artefacts from the wreck of the ship, will take place at the City Art Centre in Market Street from July 10 until the end of September.

The event, coming to Edinburgh as part of a UK tour, will feature the necklace worn by 19-year-old Kate Phillips, who is thought to have inspired the character played by actress Kate Winslet in the Oscar-winning Hollywood film about the sinking of the famous cruise ship.

The collection details the construction of the ill-fated liner, her maiden voyage and who’s who on her passenger list.

Visitors will be treated to the emotional story of the Titanic’s voyage, when she hit the iceberg, and heart-felt tales of survivors and victims.

Exclusive images and footage of her final resting place some two and a half miles beneath the sea on the North Atlantic seabed will also be on display.

In a bid to give the exhibition a Scottish flavour, details of passengers or crew members with Scottish connections will be showcased, including the story of 39-year-old First Officer William McMaster Murdoch, from Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway.

Murdoch was on duty when he was given the shout: "Iceberg right ahead" before he famously replied: "Stop engines, full astern together, hard a-starboard" and rang the warning bell.

The Titanic, said to be unsinkable by its creators, hit an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage to America on that freezing April night in 1912.

Darryl Keys, managing director of the exhibition, said the event would provide a "truly emotional experience" which would bring to light much of what happened to the people on board.

He said: "It is one of two major collections in the world and it will give people the chance to come and see for the first time some of the rare and unique artefacts connected with the ship.

"It really is a hugely enjoyable exhibition and you only have to look at the visitors’ book to see the kind of impression it has made on the thousands of people who have seen it so far. The exhibition really lets people understand and have respect for what happened to the liner and the people who boarded her and the kind of courage and horror they must have witnessed."

Key pieces include a life jacket worn by one of the passengers, one of only four third-class menus to exist, a deckchair and highly emotional letters written on board to loved ones.

Other artefacts on show will include an unused Turkish bath ticket, the only-known piece of decorative wood from the first-class restaurant and Captain Smith’s telescope. A necklace worn by Ms Phillips will sit alongside the one known as Heart of the Ocean in the blockbuster film Titanic.

Among the passengers profiled are the cream and aristocracy of early 20th-century society who travelled on the maiden voyage, including the wealthy American real estate magnate Colonel JJ Astor, who owned the famous hotel The Waldorf Astoria.

The city’s culture leader, Councillor Ricky Henderson, said: "This will be the first and only time this particular Titanic exhibition will be seen in Scotland.

"The show has attracted an incredible response elsewhere and had rave reviews. The tale of the Titanic is a fascinating and moving story and I’m sure it will have tremendous appeal for all ages."