Artefacts From The Titanic Berth In Bangkok: Exhibition

[webfact]

All the lost memories

Manta Klangboonkrong

The Nation

The RMS Titanic before her launch in 1911 from the shipyards in Belfast.

BANGKOK: -- Making another voyage a century later, artefacts from the Titanic berth in Bangkok

When the Titanic was finally found again on the bottom of the North Atlantic, broken up across two massive debris fields, part of the ship was designated its "graveyard", shielded from scavengers in memory of the hundreds who perished.

History yearned to own the rest. The right to salvage mementoes from the wreckage went to a consortium that called itself RMS Titanic Inc, and what it has drawn up from the depths is what you see in "Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition", opening today at CentralWorld in Bangkok.

Here are the haunting remnants of life aboard the great "unsinkable" ocean liner that nevertheless sank almost immediately, during its 1912 maiden voyage from Portsmouth in England to New York.

Along with the multitude of personal items belonging to the ill-fated passengers, there is a mock-up of the Grand Staircase, whose fame was bolstered by James Cameron's movie "Titanic". And you can see, life-size, what the passenger cabins looked like in first, second and steerage class.

Paul-Henry Nargeolet of RMS Titanic Inc has seen what's left of these structures aboard the actual sunken liner. He's visited the wreck more than 30 times - more than anyone else - in the 25 years since it was found and has helped recover more than 5,000 artefacts.

"On the real Titanic there was no piano - Cameron just added a grand piano in the movie," Nargeolet, 66, tells The Nation. "But, except for the piano, I think the Titanic would have looked like it does in the movie. Cameron knows the Titanic very, very well, and he did a very good job with the film."

Nargeolet points out that RMS Titanic Inc doesn't own the wreck per se.

"Technically, nobody really owns the sunken Titanic. First the ship was owned by the White Star Line, which abandoned its claim after it sank. The wreck is in international waters, so the first to claim it by displaying any artefact got the salvage rights, and we did."

The firm, he emphasises, treats the wreck zone as both a memorial and an archaeological site. No objects are retrieved from inside the ship. "We do send cameras in to inspect the changing condition of the ship, but we never take anything from it.

"We collect artefacts from around the ship. Evidently the ship imploded and then exploded, so there are many objects scattered around."

Nargeolet's last visit was in 2010, when his team mapped the entire debris field for the first time, using sonar and remote-controlled robotic vehicles that took hundreds of thousands of photos.

Has he ever seen a gouge in the hull - any clear evidence that an iceberg really sank the unsinkable liner? He's seen nothing so clear, and is unsure about the story. "There are different theories. We know there was the iceberg, but we don't know what exactly the iceberg did to the ship. We did X-rays and saw scrapes along the side, which can't really tell if that was the actual cause of the disaster. It's still, to this day, a mystery.

"When we first saw the Titanic we could tell immediately that the ship was deteriorating - it was already 75 years old," Nargeolet recalls. "The worst enemy is rust. At that depth, 3,700 metres, the water is only 35 or 40 per cent oxygen, but that's still enough to cause rust.

"Bacteria are dissolving the ship away too, and let's not forget about the underwater current, which is very strong and changeable at that depth. It rocks the ship back and forth, and that also causes damage. Of the two separated parts of the ship, the bow and the stern, the stern was already in bad condition in 1986."

Another century from now, he says, "I guess we'll still see the engine, the boilers and other big parts of the ship, but maybe not the structure of the ship anymore."

A former navy diver, Nargeolet has always been fascinated by shipwrecks, but nothing took hold of him like the Titanic, "because it's so big and lies so deep in the ocean. At that depth everything is fascinating visually. I went down to her sister ship, Britannic [sunk by a mine off Greece in 1916], and it's nothing at all compared to the Titanic."

RMS Titanic Inc, he says, has "hundreds of people working constantly to preserve the objects once we pull them out of the water". These are the artefacts in the exhibition, which Nargeolet observes tell "the stories of the people, both those who perished and the survivors, that make the Titanic special and timeless. Everyone can relate to it.

"We once found a watch that belonged to a man who'd died on the ship. His daughter had survived, and we actually tracked her down and gave the watch to her. I've met six or seven survivors." One was Elizabeth Gladys Dean, known as Millvina, who died in 2009, the last of the survivors. "She didn't remember anything because she was only six months old when she was on the ship.

"But Edith Haisman did remember well what happened, and what it was like in the lifeboat. She was 16 at the time." Haisman died at age 100 in 1997, at her home in Southampton.

Asked if his enthusiasm for the ship means he would even buy passage on board the Titanic if he could turn back the clock, Nargeolet answers without hesitating. "Yes, of course! Who wouldn't want to be on the Titanic?"

Full steam ahead

_ "Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition" runs until September 2 at CentralWorld Live on the mall's eighth floor.

_ Admission is Bt500 for adults (Bt350 for children under 12), available at ThaiTicketMajor or at the door.

_ Call (02) 262 3838 or visit www.BECTero.com/Titanic.

-- The Nation 2012-06-09

[Pseudolus]

Still not sure why anyone gives a toss about the Titanic. Many more tragic accidents in the world larger than a ship going down. I blame Leo and Kate for all this nonsense.

[richsilver]

Still not sure why anyone gives a toss about the Titanic. Many more tragic accidents in the world larger than a ship going down. I blame Leo and Kate for all this nonsense.

Actually there are many reasons people have found this disaster interesting for 100 years now. First, it was the only luxury ship ever to go down on its maiden voyage. Second, it was the largest, most expensive ship ever built at that time. Third, it was declared "unsinkable" by the operator. Fourth, it was carrying many famous and wealthy people. Fifth, it was at the dawn of ship to shore radio which produced exciting news coverage.

While you are correct that there were many more tragic accidents, few have caught the attention of the world as did the Titanic. It was the last ship to go down from striking an iceberg.

[kiniyow]

The Titantic is a True piece of History and I hope it is never forgotten~~Blood-Sweat and Tears

[sandrabbit]

I think Cameron wishes they had taken an artifact from the site now so they had control and stop the looting plus controlling visits to the site.

[Searat7]

I went to the exhibit today and was very impressed. It's large with many artifacts and a sound track using an Ipod like device. The double staircase looked just like the movie and much more to see there.

[mrdome]

Still not sure why anyone gives a toss about the Titanic. Many more tragic accidents in the world larger than a ship going down. I blame Leo and Kate for all this nonsense.

If you really didn't give "a toss about the Titanic" why did you click on and read at least part of the post and even left a comment?

[Soutpeel]

I think Cameron wishes they had taken an artifact from the site now so they had control and stop the looting plus controlling visits to the site.

Yeap this mob are just modern day grave robbers

[elektrified]

Just saw the advert on Thai TV. I'm a huge Titanic fan. Worth the day trip from Chiang Mai to see the exhibit?

Anyone else been to see it? Impressions?

Thanks in advance.

[orchis]

An American friend saw it and though it very good.

[Genericnic]

Thanks for posting this. I'm heading to BKK next Friday and it should be worth a look.

David

[arkom]

Would be interested to know if anyone has gone as well, is it worth the price of admission?

[Genericnic]

Would be interested to know if anyone has gone as well, is it worth the price of admission?

I went when I was in BKK on July 2. It was well worth seeing. They did an impressive walk through with text explaining the building of the ship and its sinking. The artifacts were well laid out and labeled and, to the extent that they knew who they belonged to, there was usually a short bio about the person ... and not just the important ones. There were bios, if I remember correctly about one of the boiler tenders and some of the 2nd and 3rd class passengers. Stories I had not heard before. It helped give names and lives to the faces. I was actually quite moved by it.

While it was pricy, I think I got my moneys worth out of it.

David

[arkom]

Would be interested to know if anyone has gone as well, is it worth the price of admission?

I went when I was in BKK on July 2. It was well worth seeing. They did an impressive walk through with text explaining the building of the ship and its sinking. The artifacts were well laid out and labeled and, to the extent that they knew who they belonged to, there was usually a short bio about the person ... and not just the important ones. There were bios, if I remember correctly about one of the boiler tenders and some of the 2nd and 3rd class passengers. Stories I had not heard before. It helped give names and lives to the faces. I was actually quite moved by it.

While it was pricy, I think I got my moneys worth out of it.

David

Thanks for that, sounds very interesting and may have to check it out before it leaves Bangkok.

Edited July 20, 2012 by arkom

[theoldgit]

Anybody wishing to see this needs to go soon as it finishes next weekend.

We went last week and enjoyed it, if you have a One Card you get reduced price entrance of 350 Baht.

[Genericnic]

I'm heading back to BKK the middle of this week and am tempted to go back and see it again. I thought it was that good.

David

@theoldgit, what is a One Card? Obviously something I missed along the way.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Genericnic

[theoldgit]

@theoldgit, what is a One Card? Obviously something I missed along the way.

It's the combined loyalty card issued by Tops supermarkets and stores in the Central group.

I didn't know it would get me a discount until the lass selling tickets asked me if I had one.

[Genericnic]

@theoldgit, what is a One Card? Obviously something I missed along the way.

It's the combined loyalty card issued by Tops supermarkets and stores in the Central group.

I didn't know it would get me a discount until the lass selling tickets asked me if I had one.

Thanks

Worth getting one.

David

[cdnvic]

An American friend saw it and though it very good.

Saw it in Canada a few years ago. Great exhibit.