In 1912 the Titanic was famously described as an “unsinkable” ship. Some would say that may have sealed her fate. She would embark on her first voyage to New York City on 10 April, only to encounter an iceberg five days later.
It took the vessel two hours and 40 minutes to break apart and sink to the bottom of the ocean floor, tragically claiming the lives of some 1 500 people.
Now, 110 years later, the ocean water and its surrounding elements have vastly eroded the once awe-inspiring vessel.
About 5 500 km away from the wreckage in the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean, the largest replica of the Titanic on the African content can now be seen in the Kalahari town of Kathu.
The “Tintanic” Exhibition in the Kathu Village Mall not only includes the 8,7 m replica of the Titanic, but also a host of other noteworthy pieces of interest about the infamous White Star liner.
A poster-sized reproduction of the front page of The New York Times, dated 16 April 1912 – a day after the disaster hit – also forms part of the exhibition.
In addition, the first edition of The Loss of the Titanic by Lawrence Beesley is on display. He was one of the first survivors to recount the catastrophic tale in a book.
Other pieces include a replica of a teacup and saucer found on the ship, as well as an envelope with a message on the front that states: “Be careful, Gino, the fragments of the RMSTitanic are in here!”
The man named on the envelope, Gino Hart, is the artist and creative mind behind the exhibition. His passion for the history of the ship, and his compassion for the lives lost, shines through every piece of the showcase. He enthusiastically answers questions from visitors and never seems to run out of steam. His knowledge of the ship and its architecture astounds, and he can recall the first and last names of passengers without a second’s pause.
Hart is most spirited when talking about South African survivor Edith Brown Haisman, from Cape Town, who was on lifeboat number 14 with her mother, Elizabeth Eileen Brown, when the Titanic sank. Their story is not widely known. Hart plans on fixing that with his new project, Rearranging the Deck Chairs, with the help of a voiceover of Edith Brown generously contributed by the Haisman family.
“It’s like touching history,” he remarked when asked why this vessel was such a source of fascination.
- The exhibition will be in the Kathu Village Mall until Tuesday (15/02), after which it will be on display at the Flamingo Casino in Kimberley from Thursday (17/02) to 23 February. It is sponsored by Vinolia, the original advertiser for the real Titanic in 1912. Interested parties can visit unsyncable.co.za for more information.
