On April 2, 1912, the renowned Belfast shipbuilders Harland and Wolff had completed the required sea trials on their latest project, the “Titanic.”  With hundreds of ships to their credit, this was one of the builder’s most prestigious efforts.  It represented the epitome of opulence.  

 

The luxury steamship was built for White Star Lines and touted as both glorious and unsinkable.  Ten days later, on April 10, the “Titanic” set sail for Southhampton, England, where it would collect its passengers and set off on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic.

 

Among its high society passengers:  Macy’s department store owner Isidor Straus and his wife, Ida; industrial magnate Benjamin Guggenheim; and multi-millionaire John Jacob Astor IV.

 

A first class suite cost $2,500 in 1912 – equivalent to $70,000 today.  A third-class ticket could have been had for $40 – close to $1,500 today.  (In sharp contrast to the indulgences of first class, there were only two bathtubs to be shared by more than 700 third-class passengers.)

 

Harland and Wolff’s creation has lived on through history, but sadly, not for the reasons the shipbuilders might have hoped.  On April 15, in the middle of the night, the “Titanic” was ripped apart by an iceberg in the North Atlantic that ultimately sent it to the bottom of the ocean.  More than 1,500 lives were lost from among the2,200 passengers.

 

From books to films to Broadway musicals, the fascinating legend and lore of the “Titanic” has never been forgotten. Now, more than 120 years later, Boston is host to “TITANIC: The Artifact Exhibition.” The 15,000-square-foot exhibition is open through Feb. 2, 2025, at The Castle at Park Plaza.  

 

Creators Experiential Media Group and RMS Titanic, Inc. have joined forces to curate a captivating collection of nearly 250 authentic Titanic artifacts.  All recovered items have been honorably conserved and restored to help educate the public and tell the true and often heartbreaking stories of the passengers and crew aboard the ill-fated ship. 

 

It should be noted that RMS Titanic, Inc. was granted exclusive salvor-in-possession rights to the wreck of the “Titanic” and is the only company permitted by law to recover artifacts from the wreck site.  RMST has recovered and conserved more than 5,500 artifacts since 1987. 

 

The company’s mission is to preserve the legacy of “Titanic's” maiden voyage, its subsequent sinking, and the memory of her passengers and crew through comprehensive educational programs, innovative exhibitions, research and recovery initiatives, wreck site imaging and analysis, and ongoing Titanic collaborations.

 

RMST maintains multiple Titanic exhibitions around the world, with permanent shows in Orlando and Las Vegas, plus five touring exhibitions. Attendance tops more than 35 million people worldwide.  Boston ranks as one its largest shows.

 

I was part of a private tour hosted by Tomasina Ray, director of collections for RMS Titanic, Inc.

 

 The “Titanic” is endlessly fascinating,” she said. “There were 2,200 souls that were onboard. That’s 2,200 stories. Whether you’re interested in the technology of the time, or the technology of today that we’ve used to recover the artifacts, or whether you’re interested in maritime history, or history in general of this time period, “Titanic” is really a time capsule . . . It provides a focal point in history.”

 

And what of those who question whether the final resting spot of the ship and its passengers should be considered sacred and left untouched?

 

Due to the conditions in the sea, the passage of time and the natural process of deterioration, Ray said, “We know there are no remains down there at this point. And the best service we can do for the people who were on “Titanic” is to remember them and their lives. And the best way to do that is through the things they leave behind.  We want to make sure their stories aren’t forgotten.   

 

“People like Miss Marion Meanwell. She was a 63-year-old milliner traveling alone in third class.  No one is going to know her story unless we have her things and can document her life . . . We’re able to put the pieces together and give these people their voice and their character because of the artifacts we collect, and because of the work we do to preserve “Titanic” and her memory.”

 

And how have items been extracted from the debris field?  According to RMST, artifacts are collected in sampling baskets or placed in lifting baskets.  Once an artifact leaves the water and is exposed to the air, it must undergo an immediate stabilization process to remove damaging salt and rust, and to prevent further deterioration.  Artifacts are cleaned with a soft brush and placed in foam-lined tubs of water.  

 

Once received at the conservation laboratory, contaminating surface salts are removed from each artifact.  After a period of six months to two years, artifacts can be further conserved using treatments that are compatible with each artifact’s construction materials to ensure its long-term survival.   

 

Upon checking in to see all of this at The Castle, guests are handed a replica Boarding Pass noting the name and personal details of an actual passenger. The identity of this person accompanies you throughout your visit.  You only learn the fate of your passenger at the very end of the tour.

The Grand Staircase Photo: RMS Titanic Inc

 

The first item guests see, in a room all its own, is an enormous bell that had been hanging in the crow’s nest on the ship’s front mast.  Lit by a solo spotlight in a darkened room, this sets an indelible tone of reverence for everything that follows.  It also gives pause to be standing within inches of this item.  

 

The bell was rung by crew members to tell time, but it also should have been used to warn of the emergency that night in April.  Like everything else, it wound up resting two and a half miles below the surface of the sea.

 

Visitors are drawn back in time through various exhibition areas, the first exploring the construction of the ship itself.  Guests then “board” the ship via a replica of a hallway accessing first class cabins.  

Titanic First Class Cabin Re-creation Photo: R J Donovan

 

The first class gallery includes a detailed re-creation of a cabin as well as a re-creation of the ship’s opulent Grand Staircase, complete with massive wood carvings, a glistening glass rotunda dome, and a wall clock forever frozen at 2:20, the actual time the ship sank.  

 

Subsequent halls are devoted to what second and third class passengers would have experienced on board. Throughout, temperature and humidity-controlled glass display cases are filled with decorative items from the ship, china from the dinner tables, champagne bottles from the bar, chairs, railings, trinkets from cabins, and personal items from passengers ranging from jewelry and spectacles to clothing, wallets, coins and more. 

 

Titanic Artifacts. Photo: R J Donovan

 

As you proceed, you’ll visit a re-creation of the ship’s boiler room, which then leads to an eerie timeline corridor detailing the warnings sent to the Titanic telling of ice in its path.  One of the more impressive pieces is an actual davit crane that would have been used to lower lifeboats into the sea.  Again, it’s almost impossible to view this and not imagine passengers crushing past as they desperately boarded the lifeboats.  

 

Fittingly, a life-sized outline of a lifeboat is projected on the shadowy gallery floor, providing a chilling look at how passengers might have been positioned as they tried to escape.

 

We now know there were not enough lifeboats on board.  And that those that were launched were not always full. Accurate evacuation plans were not well planned.

 

As a result of the Titanic tragedy, new safety rules were ultimately put into place for transatlantic voyages. An adequate number of lifeboats would be required, essential ice patrols added, and regular safety drills scheduled to ensure passengers and crew knew exactly what to do in case of an emergency.

 

In the exhibition’s final hall, passengers are personally honored. It is here you discover whether the passenger on your Boarding Pass survived or not.  As well, a massive wall is devoted to the names of all passengers, the crew, and their fates.

 

In this area, visitors also have an opportunity to touch an actual piece of the Titanic’s hull, originally located between C and D decks.  Again, extremely moving.

 

As Tomasina Ray noted, all artifacts and pieces on display have been recovered from the ocean floor.  Nothing within the wreck itself has been disturbed.

 

She said, “We know now that when “Titanic” sank, she split in two. And when she did, she littered the ocean floor with her contents.  It’s everywhere.   We don’t recover anything by pulling it off the ship. We only recover artifacts from the debris field.”

 

Ray continued, “Things like the davit crane were attached to the stern. And as the stern was sinking, it imploded.  It was very violent.  Things got ripped off.  Because it was lying in the debris field, we were able to recover it . . . The scale of it and the perspective of being next to it and what it would have been like that night on the ship – it’s irreplaceable to be able to xperience that in person.”

 

And is there a “wish list” Titanic piece that RMST still hopes to retrieve from the ocean floor?  

 

Ray noted that on a recent dive this past summer, “we saw the [lost bronze] 'Diana of Versailles' statue that was in the first class lounge.  It’s beautifully preserved and actually speaks to the opulence of the ship . . . That’s one of the things we want to bring to the surface, just to protect her.  She’s not experienceable down there.  We want to bring her to the public.”

 

And so “Titanic” lives on.

 

For information on the exhibition, visit titanicboston.us