Before her first voyage, the RMS Titanic, one of three Olympic-class ocean liners built at the turn of the century, was promoted as the “unsinkable ship.” She was created with cutting-edge technology, including steel rivets that outlasted their iron counterparts. People from various walks of life purchased tickets for the luxury ship’s maiden journey, from penniless immigrants to the affluent and famous elite. Some were on their way to a new life in America. Others were on their way home from work. Others were looking for a fun, nautical holiday. All of these ambitions came to a halt on the evening of April 14th, 1912, when the Titanic, the unsinkable ship, collided with an iceberg and sank in under three hours. Aside from the testimonies of survivors, there is no record of these occurrences, but these photographs can give one an idea of what it must have been like to be aboard the doomed ship. Look through these rare Titanic images and try not to shiver as you imagine what life must have been like on that fatal night.
40+ Never-Before-Seen Titanic Photos
She Was Called ‘Titanic’ for a Reason
When it was unveiled in 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest passenger ship in the world. There was nothing like it, at 882 feet long, 175 feet tall, and 46,328 tons in weight. The huge scale of the ship added to its almost mythological atmosphere, making the ship’s sinking all the more stunning.
She Was Called ‘Titanic’ For A Reason
It Could Have Been Even Worse
The Titanic’s sinking was one of the greatest catastrophes in modern history, with just 710 of the 2,224 people on board surviving. While the loss of life was universally grieved and recorded in history, the tragedy could have been much worse. However, Titanic was significantly under capacity for her maiden voyage: her maximum capacity was really 3,327 passengers.
It Could Have Been Even Worse
The Casualties Began in the Third Class
Many of the ship’s passengers were third-class families hoping to start fresh lives in America. These passengers’ cabins were at the ship’s bottom and were among the first to flood. There were closed gates in the stairwells to keep third class distinct from the others. Many of these guests drowned because the stewards didn’t have time to open all of the gates in the midst of the turmoil.
The Casualties Began in the Third Class
The Ticket Prices Were Unbelievably High
Titanic’s ticket price was high because it was a luxury passenger ship. First-class tickets cost between $30 and $4,350 ($775 and $112,000 today). Second-class tickets ranged from $12 to $60 ($300-$1,500 now), while third-class tickets ranged from $8 to $40 ($200-$1,100 today). Even when inflation is factored in, they are very hefty tickets.
The Ticket Prices Were Unbelievably High
The Disaster Was Predicted
Morgan Robertson penned The Wreck of the Titan: Or, Futility fourteen years before the Titanic’s first voyage, about the largest ship in the world meeting calamity. The Titan was the name of the mythical ship in the story. Its dimensions were nearly identical to the Titanic, as were their velocity when they collided. Both also collided with an iceberg on the starboard side. They also both went down in April, in the same spot, with as few lifeboats as the law permitted. Despite being accused of foresight, Robertson maintained that he merely knew a lot about ships and sailing.
The Disaster Was Predicted
RMS Stands for Something You Wouldn’t Expect
During the journey of the Titanic, all British ships carried the letters RMS, which stood for Royal Mail Ship. The name dates back to 1840, when the British government contracted only the fastest and most trustworthy ships to transport mail. The RMS prefix became synonymous with distinction and quality.
RMS Stands For Something You Wouldn’t Expect
The Crew Was Dutiful to a Fault
Titanic had a crew of 908 people on board. Except for second- and third-class men, the crew members perished at a higher rate than any other group. Many were murdered when the boiler rooms flooded during the initial crash; others were killed while attempting to rescue people from below decks. All five postmen died while attempting to preserve the mail they were tasked with guarding.
The Crew Was Dutiful To A Fault
Many of the men were aware that they would not survive
The wealthiest passenger on board was John Jacob Astor IV. He was projected to be worth $85 million. (That equates to about $2 billion now.) He was on his way with his pregnant wife, whom he assisted in loading onto a lifeboat through a side window. “The sea is calm,” he told her. You’re going to be fine. You’re in capable hands. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.” That was his final words to her. When the ship sank, he drowned.
Many of the men were aware that they would not survive
Many More Almost Went Down
Many celebrities purchased tickets for the trip but did not sail. Milton S. Hershey, the originator of Hershey’s Chocolate, Guglielmo Marconi, the pioneering inventor, and J.P. Morgan, the American banking and steel mogul, were among them. It’s safe to argue that had these men not boarded, the twentieth century may have turned out quite differently.
Many More Almost Went Down
The Ship Ran on Coal Fuel
Titanic required about 600 tons of coal every day to fuel its massive engines, therefore it departed Southampton with almost 6,000 tons of coal. This coal was shoveled into three-furnaced big boilers. In extremely hot and dirty conditions, the personnel, known as firemen, shoveled coal into the furnaces. Many of these men were among the first to perish as the compartments in which they worked flooded and watertight doors automatically sealed to keep the rest of the ship from leaking.
The Ship Ran On Coal Fuel
Titanic Had Four Stacks
The Titanic featured four massive funnels, sometimes known as stacks. The smoke was evacuated through these funnels by the ship’s engines. Three of them served as smoke stacks, while the fourth served as an air vent. When the boiler rooms began to fill with water, there was much concern that the cold seawater might force the warm steam held in the funnels to explode. To avoid this, the firemen and engineers had to swiftly evacuate as much steam from the stacks as possible.
Titanic Had Four Stacks
Many of the Crew Weren’t Sailors
On Titanic, waiters, waitresses, and maids were referred to as stewards. Only 60 of the ship’s 421 stewards survived, and 48 of them were women. Above is steward Thomas Whiteley, whose leg was injured by falling debris while boarding a lifeboat. Violet Jessop, another stewardess, had been on Titanic’s sister ship, the RMS Olympic, when it crashed with a British warship the year before. She survived that, the Titanic disaster, and the four-year-later sinking of their other sister ship, the Britannic. She was dubbed “Miss Unsinkable.”
Many Of The Crew Weren’t Sailors
The Captain Did Not Make the Difficult Decision
Titanic Captain Edward J. Smith had gone for the evening on the night of the sinking, leaving First Officer William McMaster Murdoch in command. When Murdoch heard the iceberg warning, he ordered that the ship turn immediately and that the engines be turned down. Regrettably, it was already too late. The boat’s vast size prevented it from turning in time to escape the collision, and the starboard side collided with the iceberg.
The Captain Did Not Make the Difficult Decision
There Were Only Seconds Until Impact
Lookout Frederick Fleet (shown) spotted the iceberg about a minute before the Titanic hit it. Officers at the bridge had only around 30 seconds to decide what to do because of the time it took to convey the message, leaving them vulnerable to nearly a century of second-guessing. Fleet did survive that night, but he suffered from depression for the rest of his life, most likely as a result of the sinking. In January 1965, he committed suicide by hanging.
There Were Only Seconds Until Impact
The Captain was among the best.
The Titanic’s captain, Edward J. Smith, had a long and successful career with the White Star Line, and had been transferred from Titanic’s sister ship, the RMS Olympic, specifically for this maiden voyage. His parting words to the crew were, “Well, boys, do your best for the women and children, and look out for yourself.” Smith intended to retire after the voyage.
The Captain was among the best.
Multiple Ice Warnings Were Issued By Other Ships.
Several times throughout the day leading up to the accident, the Titanic was warned about floating sea ice. Several ships had reported “field and pack ice,” and the reports had been relayed to Titanic. However, due to a backlog of passenger messages from the previous day, only two of the six messages received made it to the bridge. The SS Californian had notified that it had stopped for the night in an ice field just nine minutes before the incident. Unfortunately, radio operator Jack Phillips cut them off and replied that he was busy transcribing passengers’ messages.
Multiple Ice Warnings Were Issued By Other Ships.
There Were No Binoculars in the Crow’s Nest
There were no binoculars in the crow’s nest due to a mix-up at the Southampton port. This didn’t matter much, given how black the night was. Though the sky was clear, there was no moon, and the sea was so smooth and tranquil that it was hard to tell whether waves were washing up against barriers ahead. Crewman Frederick Fleet, who observed the iceberg, later said during the investigation hearings that if he had been handed binoculars, “we could have seen it (the iceberg) a bit sooner.” So, that’s enough to get out of the way.”
There Were No Binoculars In The Crow’s Nest
They Had Already Sold Tickets for the Return Voyage
Before setting sail across the Atlantic, the Titanic stopped in two distinct ports: Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown, Ireland. She was intended to stop in Manhattan to let first- and second-class passengers off, then continue to Ellis Island to let third-class passengers through immigration. The Titanic was slated to return to New York on April 20th, with several further trips planned throughout the year until December 28th.
They Had Already Sold Tickets For The Return Voyage
A Record-Setting Sinking
The Titanic took 2 hours and 40 minutes to sink after colliding with an iceberg. Ships that have met the same fate in the past took closer to 12 hours to fully submerge. If the Titanic had taken so long, assistance would have come in plenty of time, as the Carpathia arrived at roughly 4 a.m.
A Record Setting Sinking
The Iceberg Stayed Afloat Nearby
A steward on another ship captured an unsettling shot of a big iceberg the day after the Titanic sank. This photo, which shows a definite black imprint on the berg’s side, served as a disturbing reminder of what had transpired the day before.
The Iceberg Stayed Afloat Nearby
The Youngest Passenger Became Famous
Elizabeth Gladys Millvina Dean, the youngest passenger to survive the sinking of the Titanic, was only nine months old when she boarded the ship with her parents and older brother, Bertram. She was the only child to survive the disaster. She managed to get away from the shipwreck with her mother and brother, but her father was among those who perished. Her family had planned to relocate to the United States, but with the passing of her husband, Gladys’ mother made the decision to relocate the family back to Southampton. Millvina was referred to as “the darling of the ship” the entire time they were sailing back to England from America.
The Youngest Passenger Became Famous
There Are No Survivors Left
When Millvina passed away in 2009 at the age of 97, she was the only known survivor of the Titanic disaster to have ever lived. Following her passing, her body was cremated. Her ashes were spread over the Southampton docks, which were the location where, as a newborn, she had boarded the Titanic with her family.
There Are No Survivors Left
Titanic’s Eateries
The à la Carte Restaurant, located on the B deck of the ship, was reserved only for first-class passengers. The first-class guests had access to a wide variety of unique food options while they were on board, including this café, the other café on board, and the main dining hall. A guy named Luigi Gatti, an Italian businessman, was the proprietor of a la Carte before he perished on the Titanic. Only one male clerk and two female cashiers were left alive out of the whole crew of 66 persons that worked at the restaurant.
Titanic’s Eateries
She was inspired by the Ritz Hotel.
It has been whispered that the world-famous Ritz Hotel in London served as an inspiration for the sumptuous interior design of the Titanic. It included a state-of-the-art fitness center in addition to a swimming pool, squash courts, and a grand staircase. In addition, there were a number of lounges, reading rooms, and smoking rooms available. It was conceived to be the pinnacle of luxurious living at its finest.
She was inspired by the Ritz Hotel.
The Orchestra Played Happy Tunes
The orchestra played music during the sinking, as seen in the film. They were doing everything they could to comfort the passengers. Most of the time, they weren’t playing sad, mournful music because it would be interpreted as a terrible omen and would only add to the stress. They instead performed ragtime and peppy dance music. Only when disaster was inevitable did they start playing hymns at the request of stranded passengers. Even now, many argue about what the band’s final song was.
The Orchestra Played Happy Tunes
There were not enough rafts to go around.
If life rafts had been taken more seriously, many lives could have been saved. To begin with, there were just 20 rafts, which could only hold around one-third of the ship’s capacity. She could carry 64 passengers, but the White Star Line preferred uninterrupted views of the ocean, and rafts were only used to transport passengers from one ship to a rescuing ship at the time. It was unthinkable that the ship would sink in less than three hours. The crew was also not properly taught on how to operate the boats. They’d only done one drill, and even then, most of the crew had no idea where they were supposed to be. Many people believe that even if the ship had all 64 boats, they would not have all been launched successfully due to a lack of training.
There were not enough rafts to go around.
Many Were Never Found
The search for and collection of dead remains in the Atlantic was carried out by eight ships. Many of the dead were unrecognizable, so they were buried at sea. Some were not discovered until a month later, such as the remains discovered floating in collapsible boat A by the RMS Oceanic. Only around one-third of the bodies were ever found.
Many Were Never Found
The Ship Didn’t Stay Intact
After sinking below the surface, experts believe Titanic took only 15 minutes to reach its ultimate resting place on the ocean floor. It sank so fast that it carved big craters on the seafloor where it fell. The impact forced the decks to collapse on top of one another, further burying the wreck on the seafloor.
The Ship Didn’t Stay Intact
The Wreck Took 73 Years to Find
It took a long time to find the Titanic wreckage because it was so deep in the water. This problem was exacerbated by the fact that it was given false coordinates before sinking, thus scientists, historians, and divers searched for it for decades. It was discovered to great acclaim in 1985 by Robert Ballard.
The Wreck Took 73 Years To Find
A Titanic Ticket Is Still Expensive
Many people are unaware that Titanic may be visited on the ocean floor. It’s disintegrating swiftly now, so it won’t be there for long, and you can only go if you have a lot of money. A private party ticket to the wreckage costs $59,000 per person. Anyone with enough money can take the plunge through Deep Ocean Expeditions, a private company.
A Titanic Ticket Is Still Expensive
There Might Be a Titanic II
Clive Palmer, an Australian businessman, planned to build Titanic II, a duplicate of the Titanic. It was originally scheduled for 2016, but was pushed back to 2018. The project was slated to begin in 2022 as recently as October 2018. It’s worth mentioning that Palmer is known for devising odd plans that never materialize, such as a Jurassic Park duplicate on his golf course and a commercial Zeppelin company. It’s probably for the best that it doesn’t come to fulfillment, because many people considered the Titanic II concept as unpleasant and inconsiderate.
There Might Be A Titanic II
George Washington Vanderbilt II Changed His Plans Last Minute
George Washington Vanderbilt II was Cornelius Vanderbilt’s grandson and heir to the Vanderbilt fortune. He was supposed to be on the Titanic, but after talking to his sister-in-law about the probable dangers of traveling on a ship on its maiden voyage, he changed his mind a few days before it sailed. However, he did send his bags and one of his servants aboard the Titanic. The servant, a second-class guy (the group on the ship with the highest mortality rate), perished.
George Washington Vanderbilt II Changed His Plans Last Minute
Theodore Dreiser Nearly Met Disaster
Famous author Theodore Dreiser similarly modified his plans and did not join the ship, instead opting for a less expensive option recommended by his publisher. “To think of a ship as immense as the Titanic, new and bright, sinking in endless fathoms of water,” he wrote after the Titanic’s disaster. And the 2,000 people who were dragged like rats from their sleepers just to float hopelessly in miles of sea, begging and crying!”
Theodore Dreiser Nearly Met Disaster
Henry Clay Frick Was Saved by a Sprained Ankle
Henry Clay Frick, an American steel magnate, planned to travel on the Titanic. However, his wife hurt her ankle a few days before the vacation, and they agreed that she should stay at home and recuperate. This has to be the luckiest sprained ankle of all time.
Henry Clay Frick Was Saved By A Sprained Ankle
Guglielmo Marconi’s Personal Paperwork Kept Him Alive
Guglielmo Marconi, a Nobel Prize winner and prominent telegraph inventor, had been offered free passage on the Titanic but chose to embark on the Lusitania instead. His daughter later said that he was doing paperwork and preferred the telegraph operator on that ship to the one on Titanic.
Guglielmo Marconi’s Personal Paperwork Kept Him Alive
Alcohol-Fueled Survival
The Titanic’s head baker, Charles Joughin, survived the sinking by clinging to the ship and “riding” it down as it sank, then swimming for about two hours in the frigid waters of the Atlantic until being picked up by a lifeboat. According to Joughin, the substantial amount of whiskey he drank prior to departing ship helped him stay cool and afloat. In James Cameron’s film, he was played by Liam Tuohy.
Alcohol Fueled Survival
Economic Inequality Indeed
The huge Turkish Bath was one of the Titanic’s most lavish and luxurious places. Only first-class passengers had access to the facility, which contained steam rooms and massage tables. The 700 third-class passengers, on the other hand, had to share two bathtubs.
Economic Inequality Indeed
Engineers Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
Every single one of the Titanic’s engineers perished in the sinking because they remained belowdecks keeping the power on so that others may escape for as long as possible rather than attempting to flee ship. In 1914, Southampton dedicated a memorial to the gallant Titanic engineers (shown top).
Engineers Made The Ultimate Sacrifice
A Tragic Headline
The early newspaper stories of the Titanic accident indicated falsely that no lives were lost. Unfortunately, it took a few days for the truth to be revealed.
A Tragic Headline
Haunted Honeymoon
On the Titanic’s inaugural trip, 13 couples, including the aforementioned John Jacob and Madeleine Astor (photos), were on their honeymoon. Three of those couples were fully slain in the sinking, four had one half of the relationship survive while the other died, and six couples survived.
Haunted Honeymoon
The Mysterious Cancelled Lifeboat Drill
A lifeboat exercise was planned for April 14, the day the Titanic struck the iceberg. Captain Smith canceled the drill for unknown reasons. While it’s unlikely that the drill would have saved many more lives, its termination feels like an alarming coincidence.
The Mysterious Cancelled Lifeboat Drill