The Titanic.
Once the largest passenger steamship on the planet.
Completed in March 1912.
Set sail on its maiden voyage on 10th April 1912.
Four days later, it hit an iceberg and went down.
2,227 people were on board.
706 survived.
The story of the Titanic, the world's most famous ship, still captures people's imagination like no other. And with the 100th anniversary of its doomed maiden voyage fast approaching, another wave of publicity for this enduring story is just on the horizon.
Anyone interested in the legendary liner will be pleased to know that for six months the
Titanic Artefact Exhibition is being held at the O2 Bubble in Greenwich.
Organised by RMS Titanic Inc., the only company with permission to remove items from the wreck, the exhibition features 300 authentic artefacts, offering an intriguing insight into a journey, as well as lives, cut tragically short by an iceberg drifting in the ocean.
There have been seven expeditions to the ship since the first in 1987, and the exhibition at the O2 Bubble holds some objects from the latest, which took place over the summer. These newly recovered objects are on display for the very first time.
Brought from the wreck, which lies almost 4,000 metres below the surface of the Atlantic's icy cold waters, are items such as the ship's bell that rang frantically before hitting the iceberg, a silk top hat, a leather boot, a postcard of the British parliament, handwritten sheet of music and White Star Line crockery. These seemingly everyday items are brought to life at the exhibition, with many explanations and human stories told throughout.
A big part of the exhibition features life-size recreations of parts of the ship, such as the boiler room and various cabins.
Visitors can also marvel at footage of the latest expedition to the ship and witness the work of RMS Titanic Inc. as they attempt to map the site and recover more objects before the wreck completely disintegrates.
The Titanic Artefact Exhibition is on until 1st May, 2011.
