Titanic Exhibition London opens to the public this Saturday, 25 July, at Olympia London. It is the first time White Star Heritage has brought its Titanic exhibition to the capital, and the artefacts on show have never been displayed in London before. The exhibition runs at Olympia’s Upper West Hall until 16 August.
The exhibition traces the story of the RMS Titanic from her design and construction at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, through her only voyage and sinking, to her rediscovery on the floor of the Atlantic and the legacy she left behind. At its heart is a collection of genuine artefacts, some recovered from the surface of the sea in the days after the disaster and others brought up from the seabed decades later.
These artefacts are going on public display in London for the first time. Among them is a Titanic deckchair that was thrown overboard and used as a flotation device on the night of the sinking, alongside what is believed to be the largest surviving fragment of the ship’s Aft Grand Staircase.
Visitors are given the card of a real passenger as they arrive and follow that person’s journey through the exhibition. Along the way they can sit in a genuine Second Class chair, handle original fittings, and hear the story told through the words of the passengers and crew who were on board, from first-class travellers to the firemen working below deck. More than 700 people survived the sinking, and the exhibition gives space to their accounts as well as to those who were lost.
Titanic Exhibition London is expected to welcome tens of thousands of visitors across its run.
Alongside the exhibition, visitors can book an Expert Pass, which includes access to the exhibition and a talk given in person by Dik Barton, Titanic Explorer. Dik Barton is the first Briton to dive to the wreck of the Titanic and has made 22 dives to the site. He will share his first-hand experience of the ship with pass holders during the London run. Full details of the Expert Pass are available at titanic.london.
Tom Rudderham, Director of White Star Heritage, said: “Bringing the exhibition to London for the first time is a real milestone for us, and it means Londoners can see artefacts that have never been on display in the capital before. London has such a strong connection to the Titanic’s story, and we’re looking forward to sharing it, and the personal stories behind these objects, with visitors across the summer.”
