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Cultural Scene and Heard: A Century of Sunken Dreams – Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
By Mike Sweeney
One hundred years ago, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City and sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic. Over 1,500 people perished that cold April night, the “ship of dreams” lost forever to history… or so we once thought. Thanks to decades of recovery and preservation efforts, visitors from around the world can relive the story of the doomed ocean liner at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, a collection of authentic artifacts and dramatic recreations of the voyage, now in its fifth year at the Luxor.
From moment one, the exhibit conveys a “you are there” quality. Each guest is handed a facsimile “boarding pass” that bears the name of a different real life passenger with facts about their journey aboard the ship. From there, proceed at your own pace through a chronological timeline of the vessel’s legacy, from her construction in the shipyards of Belfast to the ill-fated sinking. Enlarged photographs and archival film footage help bring the startling details to life, while informative placards throughout provide facts on passengers both celebrated and obscure.
All the relics on display were salvaged from the debris field around the Titanic. Nothing is taken from inside the wreckage as it’s considered a memorial grave site. Glass cases house everything from clothes and jewelry to navigational tools to an impressive display of restaurant place settings. Most items are remarkably well preserved, including a half full bottle of champagne and a collection of aromatic perfume samples. Currency from around the world gives a sense of the ocean liner’s diverse collection of passengers, emphasizing the global scope of the disaster.
Beyond the exceptional gathering of artifacts, the exhibit also includes recreations of certain parts of the ship that depict a vintage Edwardian atmosphere. Stroll along the Promenade Deck and feel the chill in the night air. Admire the famous Grand Staircase as elegant chamber music sets the scene. Study duplications of first and third class cabins to see how both the affluent and the less fortunate were able to share the journey. None of it may be real, but you can still feel the lingering ghosts of wealthy dowagers and steerage drifters alike calling out from the past.
One of the most breathtaking items on display is the “Big Piece,” a 15-ton chunk of Titanic’s starboard hull, the largest section of the ship ever recovered. Standing 26 feet long and 12 feet tall, this iron monolith towers over all who stand before it, yet an accompanying illustration shows that this was but a miniscule piece of the 883-foot-long hull. With rivets the size of tennis balls and steel plates that could crush an elephant, it’s easy to see where Titanic got its name.
At last, you come to the memorial wall at the end of the exhibit, a complete list of the ship’s passengers broken down by class – and also by who lived and who died. I check my boarding pass to find out that my alter ego did not survive, but his wife and son did. Small consolation for them, but it’s a sharp reminder of the human face of this calamity. For all its historical importance, the sinking of the Titanic changed many lives forever. Thanks to wonderful exhibits such as this one, we can still experience the profound impact of such an emotional tragedy.
For more information on special events surrounding the upcoming 100th anniversary of the sinking, visit www.luxor.com/entertainment/titanic.aspx.
