On April 15th 1912, the passenger liner Titanic perished at sea on her maiden voyage from England to New York, after colliding with an iceberg. Over 1500 people died on this doomed Trans-Atlantic voyage, and now more than 100 years later, Melbourne Museum is hosting the exhibition dedicated to this ship. From about 4km under the Atlantic Ocean (that's ten Empire State buildings!), thousands of priceless artefacts have been recovered from the wreckage, and more than 280 of these artefacts are now on show at the exhibition.
On a rainy Sunday, with boyfriend in tow, I head to Melbourne Museum to check it out. As we enter we are given replica boarding passes bearing the name of an actual passenger who was onboard the ship, and are assured we will discover our fate by the end of the exhibition. We discover we are both travelling in Steerage, and are already feeling less than positive! Nonetheless, we begin our journey through the realistic recreations of the ship's interior, experiencing the Steerage and First Class cabins, and even a faithful reproduction of the Grand Staircase ('don't touch,' we are told sternly, and we reluctantly comply.) It's fascinating to imagine what it was like onboard, and as we continue to wander, we are able to read the personal stories of some of the passengers and crew onboard.
Continuing through the exhibition, we learn of the tragic collision with an iceberg that led to the sinking, along with the fascinating discovery of the wreckage in 1985. This leads to the story of the delicate retrieval of thousands of priceless artefacts. It's truly amazing to see these authentic items, such as cups and plates imprinted with the White Star Line logo, along with precious jewellery and lost personal items such as glasses, which have been retrieved from the bottom of the ocean and painstakingly preserved. It's eerie to come so close to these precious items, feeling as though we have been invited into the lives of people who perished in, and survived, this huge maritime tragedy.
Nearing the end of the exhibition, we come to the Memorial Gallery, where a wall of names reveals whether the real person on our boarding pass survived or not. To the boyfriend's disappointment, we discover we didn't make it, however both agree it was well worth the journey.
Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition is running at the Melbourne Museum (11 Nicholson Street, Carlton) until 17th September 2010. Over the past 19 years, more than 22 million people have seen this exhibition in major museums around the world, including Paris and New York. It's well worth a visit, so take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and pop into Melbourne Museum this weekend. Tickets range from $24 for adults to $16 for children. A family of two adults and two children can buy a pass for $66. The Museum is open daily between 10am and 5pm, and Titanic session times run every fifteen minutes from 10am. The Exhibition is popular, so it's recommended you book session times and tickets prior to going at the
Melbourne Museum website.
Bon voyage!
