On April 15, 1912, Titanic, the biggest ocean liner in history, sank after colliding with an iceberg, claiming more than 1,500 lives. On the centennial of the sinking, the South Carolina State Museum observed the anniversary of the tragedy through Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.
More than 125 fascinating artifacts recovered and conserved from Titanic’s debris field are being showcased, offering museum guests a poignant look at this iconic ship and its passengers.
The exhibition has been designed with a focus on the legendary RMS Titanic’s compelling human stories, as best told through these authentic artifacts and extensive recreations of rooms from the storied ship. Perfume from a maker who was traveling to New York to sell his samples, china etched with the logo of the elite White Star line, and many other authentic objects offer haunting, emotional connections to lives abruptly ended or forever altered.
“Visitors are drawn back in time to 1912, as each one receives a replica boarding pass of an actual passenger aboard Titanic,” says director of education Tom Falvey.
“They then begin their chronological journey through the life of Titanic, moving through the ship’s construction, to life on board, to the ill-fated sinking and amazing artifact rescue efforts decades later.”
In the Memorial Gallery, guests will take their boarding passes to the memorial wall and discover whether their passenger and traveling companions survived or perished.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition can be seen at the State Museum in Columbia through Sept. 3. Admission is $11 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and $7 for children ages 3 to 12, in addition to general museum admission. South Carolina students in groups are admitted to the exhibit for $5.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the museum’s website at www.southcarolinastatemuseum.org.
Photo Courtesy of SC State Museum
