Image: Willy Stöwer / Wikimedia Commons
On this day 99 years ago the RMS Titanic sank off the New Foundland coast with the loss of more than 1,500 lives. Billed as the world's first and only unsinkable ship, she met a tragic end when she struck an iceberg during her maiden voyage on April 15th 1912 and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. As one of the most luxurious and infamous liners in history her final resting place became the subject of much debate, and was finally discovered in 1985 by American oceanographer and underwater archaeologist Dr Robert Ballard. Many subsequent expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic have yielded numerous treasures, some of which can now be viewed at the Titanic Exhibition, touring worldwide and currently located at London's O2 Arena. I was lucky enough to go this exhibition last weekend and it didn't disappoint! Amongst the artefacts on display were; the crow's nest bell, jewellery, crockery, even perfume and champagne bottles with their contents still intact!
If you can't make it to the exhibition in London why not borrow a copy of James Cameron's film version of Titanic from Dynevor Library (791.4372/TIT), or borrow one of the many books we have on the subject, such as, Titanic: End of a dream (Townhill Library 910.91634/TIT) or Titanic Legacy: Disaster as media event and myth (Owen Library 363.34/HEY). You can even view old newsreels relating to the Titanic on our Newsfilm Online database. Why not bring some history to life with the help of your SMU libraries!
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