RMS Titanic Art, Photos & Books + Food Worthy of the Titanic

At 12:13 pm on May 31, 1911, The White Star Line's RMS Titanic rolled down her slipway at a Belfast shipyard into the water. Almost a year later, on April 10, 1912 the "technological-wonder-of-its-time" left Southampton, England on her maiden voyage. She stopped at Cherbourg, France and Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland before steaming towards her trans-Atlantic destination, New York City. 

Four days later, at 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912, and only three fourths of the way through her maiden voyage, Titanic hit an iceberg. 

The iceberg "they think" Titanic struck. 
Eye witnesses said this iceberg "had paint on it."

A photograph taken of Titanic survivors
from The Carpathian.

The glancing collision, below the water line, caused the starboard hull plates to buckle, opening holes into 5 of the 6 watertight compartments. For two and a half hours the ship gradually filled with water while 710 people, mostly women and children, were loaded into lifeboats. If the lifeboats had been fully loaded, they would have held only about half of the 2,224 people on board. Just before 2:20 am Titanic broke up and sank into the Atlantic Ocean, bow-first.

All below deck drowned and all floating in the icy water lasted for only a few minutes, before hypothermia took their lives. The wreckage remains in two pieces, mostly in tack, on the ocean floor, at a depth of 12,415 feet. 

The bow of the wrecked RMS Titanic, photographed in June of 2004

Titanic is the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in recorded history. Today, 100 years later, the sinking of Titanic is a better known event than anything that happened during WWI, which started two years later. 

John Jacob Astor IV perished. He was the wealthiest passenger on board. His body was recovered with over $2,000 in cash and a gold pocket watch in his pocket.

"We do not care anything for the heaviest storms in these big ships. It is fog that we fear. The big icebergs that drift into warmer water melt much more rapidly under water than on the surface, and sometimes a sharp, low reef extending two or three hundred feet beneath the sea is formed. If a vessel should run on one of these reefs half her bottom might be torn away."

- Captain Smith, Commander of Titanic

The Titanic's Captain
went down with his ship.

On the Titanic were some of the most prominent people of the day. Among them were millionaire John Jacob Astor IV, Benjamin Guggenheim, Macy’s owner Isidor Straus, Denver millionairess Margaret “Maggie” Brown (the Unsinkable Molly Brown), J.P. Morgan was scheduled to be on board, but cancelled at the last minute. Also traveling to assess the performance of their new ship, were White Star Line’s managing director J. Bruce Ismay and the ship's builder, Thomas Andrews. 

The First-class section had an on-board swimming pool, a gymnasium, a squash court, Turkish bath and an electric bath. First-class common rooms were adorned with ornate wood panelling, expensive furniture and other decorations. The Café Parisien offered cuisine for the first-class passengers and had a sunlit veranda. There were libraries and barber shops on both the first and second class decks. The third class general room had pine panelling and sturdy teak furniture. The ship incorporated three electric elevators in first class and one in second class, plus an extensive electrical subsystem with steam-powered generators, ship-wide electric lights and two Marconi radios - allowing constant contact and the ability to transmit the passenger's messages. The most expensive First-class, trans-Atlantic passage to NYC was $4,350 US (which would be more than $95,860 today.) A third class ticket cost $40 US ($770 today.)

Titanic's First Class A-LA-CARTE Restaurant

The famous staircase.

Titanic's First Class Gymnasium

Branson's Titanic Museum has a recreation of the 1st Class staircase which can also be experienced at "Titanic: The Artifacts Exhibition" in Las Vegas. Venues in San Diego, Houston and even Singapore are also hosting Titanic exhibitions that include artifacts recovered from the site. The University of Denver is holding a Titanic concert featuring the premiere of Lifeboat No. 6, in homage to hometown resident Margaret "Molly" Brown. The Royal Philharmonic, in London, will perform The Titanic Requiem composed by Robin Gibb.

The museums, memorials, museum shows, books, plays, movies and merchandise associated with The Titanic is beyond amazing. The 100th anniversary of this disaster has launched another media and merchandising blitz.

Titanic going down by the bow!

Logo for Titanic's White Star Line.

ART

THE REST OF THE STORY!

In the 1997 movie "TITANIC", by director James Cameron, Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) draws a nude of Rose (Kate Winslet). The original artwork was actually drawn by Cameron himself. 

James Cameron's sketch was used in the movie.

Cameron sold the concept of his movie to the studio by pitching it as "Romeo and Juliet on The Titanic." Cameron went on twelve high risk dives to The Titanic wreck site far below the surface of the Atlantic. At that depth, one small flaw in the vessel's superstructure would have meant instant death for all on board. Actress Gloria Stuart played the role of the "older" Rose. The 87-year old actress needed make-up to look "old" for the movie. The wooden molding used by Jack and Rose to hold onto, at the end of the movie, was a recreation of a large piece of Titanic's interior wooden paneling found floating in the Atlantic with the 333 victims recovered. The panel is displayed at Halifax's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The Titanic "set" used in the film was 775 feet long and 10 stories high, 9/10 the size of Titanic itself - although many shots were of a 45 foot long model. In the movie, the First Class dining room was meticulously reproduced - the carpeting was woven by the original supplier of Titanic's carpets and the cutlery and crockery was exact, with the White Star Line crest on each piece.

More ART coverage looking at Titanic "printed matter", books and newspapers associated with the disaster is in our POSTSCRIPT section, at the end of this issue.

(Sources: Wikipedia, Titanic Historical Society, Media Awareness Network, Branson's Titanic Museum Website and various onliine articles written about the Titanic. Old photos of Titanic are in the public domain.)

ART II

DEVIANT ART 
HAS CREATED 
DIGITAL RECREATIONS 
OF SEVERAL ROOMS 
IN THE TITANIC.
SEE THIER SITE
http://usmovers02.deviantart.com/art/Titanic-Honor-and-Glory-Turkish-Baths-525380853

Titanic Turkish Bath
http://usmovers02.deviantart.com/art/Titanic-Honor-and-Glory-Turkish-Baths-525380853

A Staircase
(Source: usmovers02.deviantart.com)

Climbing a staircase
(Source: usmovers02.deviantart.com)

Titanic Lounge
http://usmovers02.deviantart.com/art/Titanic-Honor-and-Glory-525380790

(Source: http://usmovers02.deviantart.com)

ART III 

GRAPHICS from 
MICHAEL SANDBERG'S 
DATA VISUALIZATION

blog

(Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2123082/As-centenary-Titanic-disaster-approaches-gripping-drama-ITV-present-cut-away-guide-ship.html.)



(Source: Gerson Mora https://datavizblog.com/2016/08/13/infographic-titanic-in-detail-gerson-mora/)

FOOD

A new First Class

menu is offered, 

worthy of Titanic!

Wine - Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut Champagne

Appetizer: Plover Eggs with Caviar on Toast

Wine - Salon Le Mesnil blanc de blancs 1985

Soup: Cream of Spring Peas 

Seafood: Lobster Thermidor

Roast Fowl: Quail with Cherries

Vegetable: Asparagus Hollandaise

Wine - Veuve Clicquot 1975 Champagne

Dessert: Orange Surprise Fruit Salad

Cheese: Selection of Fine Cheeses 

Drink: Dark Coffee or English Tea

The Titanic's First Class dinner menu for April 14, the last day of the ship's existence, included a hors d'oeuvre course of oysters, consommé Olga, cream of barley salmon with mousseline sauce, and cucumber. Next came a course of filet mignon, lamb, roast duckling or another meat, with vegetables. Then came roast squab, cold asparagus vinaigrette, and pâté de foie gras. Finally, for dessert, there was Waldorf pudding, peaches in jelly, chocolate and vanilla eclairs, or French vanilla ice cream.

AT AUCTION: A menu for the last LUNCH served to first class passengers on April 14, 1912, sold for $120,000 at a British auction last week. The menu was the star lot in an auction of Titanic memorabilia. The dishes on offer to the ship’s wealthiest passengers for lunch included Chicken a la Maryland (fried chicken with creamy gravy) and Eggs Argenteuil (a plate of poached eggs with asparagus). Other dishes which included over 40 options in several courses, included Galatine of Chicken and Grilled Mutton Chops. The menu had been on the table of American banker Washington Dodge. Dodge’s wife Ruth had slipped the menu into her handbag after lunch, unaware she would be carrying it onto a lifeboat that evening.

The Second Class dining room served Wine Jelly as dessert on April 14th.

The Third Class passengers were offered four meals a day, with waiters and described their meals as: "Good food and plenty of it."

Below is the Wine Jelly recipe:

4 tsp	unflavored gelatin powder
1 cup	white grape juice
1 cup	rosé wine
1/4 cup	granulated sugar
1 cup	thinly sliced nectarines  or peeled peaches
1/2 cup each	small seedless grapes,  raspberries, and orange
1/4 cup	mint leaves or edible flowers
optional	ice cream

Makes 6 servings

• In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup of the grape juice; let stand for 1 minute. Meanwhile, in small saucepan set over medium-high heat, stir together remaining juice, wine, and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Cool to room temperature.

• Spray 6-cup mold with cooking spray; arrange a layer of fruit and mint leaves decoratively in bottom of mold. Gently mix together remaining fruit and spoon over top layer. Reserving 1/2 cup of the gelatin mixture, pour remainder over fruit. Cover with plastic wrap touching surface of jelly. Set plate, or piece of cardboard cut slightly smaller than bottom of mold, on top of plastic; press down with small tin or other object, making sure that mixture doesn't overflow. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until almost set.
• Remove weight and plastic wrap. Pour reserved gelatin mixture over jelly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until firm.
• To serve, gently run knife around edge of mold; turn over, shaking gently to release jelly from pan.
• To serve, cut into slices; serve with a quenelle of ice cream (if using).

(Source: Suggestions for a First Class Dinner from The Australian, Bernadette O'Shea. Wine Jelly recipe and First Class dinner menu, is from the book LAST DINNER ON THE TITANIC: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner by Rick Archbold. Recipes by Dana McCauley. Copyright © 1997 Madison Press Ltd. and Rick Archbold. With permission, requested from Hyperion. All rights reserved. Buy it on Amazon)

ART TRAVEL

The MS Balmoral

A Titanic Memorial Cruise - The MS Balmoral set sail from Southampton on Apr. 8, 2012 with 1,309 paying passengers — the same number that sailed on the Titanic — it visited on Cherbourg and the Irish port of Cobh, where the Titanic made its final port of call on Apr. 11, 1912. It has continued along the route of the RMS Titanic and on Apr. 14, the MS Balmoral will arrive at the site of the historic tragedy in the cold waters of the Atlantic. There will be a special memorial ceremony between 11:40 p.m. when the ship hit the iceberg and 2:20 a.m. when the vessel sank. The food served will be identical to the menus on the original voyage. There will also be music and dancing reminiscent of that of the early 1900s, and lectures from Titanic historians. On the sold out crossing some people will be dressing-up in period costume, to enhance the experience. The final day at sea the ship will make its way into New York — the planned final destination of the original voyage, 100 years ago. The 12-night cruise cost between $2,000 and $6,500.

ART SHOPPING

These are reproductions of the medals presented to the Carpathia's crew for coming to the rescue of the Titanic's survivors. Available online at http://titanichistoricalsociety.net/store/

Titanic's A-LA-CARTE china pattern has been reproduced. Available online, until December 2012, at http://titanichistoricalsociety.net/store/

Until later,

Jack

POSTSCRIPT

The following books on the Titanic disaster are all available through the The Titanic Museum Store of the Titanic Historical Society, Inc. Complete contact information is at the end of this section.

Videos of Titanic in its watery grave.

The Olympic, sister ship to Titanic.

White Star Luggage Tags

Misc. Titanic brochures.

Print of the Titanic's staircase clock.

Poster of Deck Plans

Print of First Class Staircase.

Titanic Stationary

Museum Logo on a Tote Bag.

Pride of the White Star Line (Titanic Music)

A poster of various printed matter from Titanic.

(Source: All items in this POSTSCRIPT SECTION are available from The Titanic Museum Store of the Titanic Historical Society, Inc., PO Box 51053 / 208 Main St., Indian Orchard MA 01151 USA , Open Weekdays 10am - 4pm, Saturdays 10am - 3pm EST, Telephone (413) 543 4770. Closed Sundays and holidays. Their online link: http://titanichistoricalsociety.net/store/

"Titanic Disaster", (No longer available) The Disaster Channel TV (RMS Titanic, a British passenger liner, sinks on its maiden voyage from Southampton, UK to New York City, US. The sinking of Titanic caused the deaths of more than 1,500 people, video: 46 minutes - published June 2, 2014)

Video: "How TITANIC sank - MYSTERY SOLVED"
(History Channel,TV, History.com 1 hour 27 minutes) Mapping the entire debris field, to put the puzzle back together.
Published on Oct 21, 2014

ARTSnFOOD, All rights reserved. Concept & Original Text © Copyright 2012 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. Images © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.