This week saw the opening of a new major exhibition at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Telling the story of the famously unsinkable ship, the Titanic, the exhibition takes a fresh look at the facts and the myths behind this endlessly fascinating event.
Infamous tragedy
Titanic was meant to be the ship that even God couldn’t sink but on the night of the 14th April 1912 history was made. It was the huge vessels maiden voyage from Southampton to New York but when she stuck an iceberg an estimated 1496 passengers and crew lost their lives.
It is a story that enthrals us and never seems to get old with the retelling. The National Maritime Museum has created a wonderfully engaging and at times deeply moving exhibition which aims to re-appraise many of the assumptions and controversies surrounding this momentous episode in history.
Never seen before objects
Titanic Stories brings together historical objects some never seen in public before alongside the personal stories of the victims. The exhibition also features the Cornish connections to the disaster. There were 58 Cornish passengers on board, as well as photographs, letters and video footage.
Centre-stage is an exact replica of one of the ships lifeboats. Lifeboat 13, which was made in Falmouth especially for the museum. It’s presence somehow bringing the reality of the event into focus.
After looking at the trauma of Titanic’s actual sinking the exhibition goes on to explore the repercussions of what happened. It looks at the legacy of Titanic, the stories of the survivors and how the retelling of this tragic tale continues to create ripples within popular culture.
Highly recommend taking a look!
Further reading
If you like this you may also like:
Newlyn: The Last Port for the Mayflower
Mystery: One Gallant Little Boat: 11,000 miles to Australia
The exhibition runs until 7th January 2019
see website for details nmmc.co.uk
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Our maritime museum here had a similar exhibit several years ago which our entire family enjoyed. Our granddaughter was especially interested in the child passengers.
Will definitely visit this Libby looks enticing:) we went to see a similar exhibition 18 years ago in Seattle which was very moving experience a lot of personal possessions were on display and they recreated the main staircase so will look forward to this thanks for sharing