Back to the Days of Titanic

by Xiang Jiu

Titanic, familiar to global audiences, is a film of world fame which portrays the bittersweet love of Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater that has inspired millions of people.

Recently,Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, co-hosted by Wuhan Hangu Art Gallery and American Pulier Exhibition Company,has been kicked off. The 4,000-square-meter exhibition hall features over 300 items from Titanic, and for locals, it has given new life to the memory.

Today, these artifacts and remains remind us of the glamour and glory of the legendary Titanic’s maiden voyage, from its departure to its inevitable wreck.

The bronze bell, hung over its conning tower on the foremast,was used for warnings and time keeping. On the night of April 14,1912, the lookout Frederick Fleet rang this bell three times, warning an iceberg straight ahead. And so began the fateful sinking of the Titanic.

Titanic’s grand staircase was one of its most spectacular features. Situated at the forward end of the ship, it was topped by a dome of iron and stained glass, which allowed the light to penetrate the first balcony where an elaborate panel featuring the figures of Honor and Glory Crowning Time was carved. The staircase’s graceful iron balustrades were decorated with bronze flowers with two bronze cherubs greeting the guests at the deck. The staircase was the main corridor linking all five levels, ending itself at the VIP Reception and Dining areas.

当年的船票 Tickets for the Titanic in 1912

仿佛在泰坦尼克号上

文/湘玖

对全球观众而言，《泰坦尼克号》是一部耳熟能详的经典电影，杰克和罗丝的凄美爱情故事更是让无数人感动流泪。

近日，中国汉古艺术馆与美国普利尔展览公司联合在中国武汉举办“泰坦尼克文物精品展”，让市民一饱眼福。300多件随泰坦尼克号沉没的物品，陈列在4000平方米的范围内，向人们诉说着那段历史，让人们得以一窥当年。

现在，让我们随这些文物走近当年的泰坦尼克号，体验它的繁华与超绝。

这尊铜钟最初悬挂于泰坦尼克号前桅杆（瞭望台）之上，用于发警报和报时。1912年4月14日晚，瞭望员敲了三下警钟，警告正前方发现冰山。泰坦尼克号沉没的厄运由此开始。

大楼梯是泰坦尼克号最壮观的特征之一。它位于轮船前身靠后部位，顶部是镶嵌彩色琉璃的拱形铁穹，自然光透过楼梯第一个平台，平台之上镶嵌着精雕细琢的板画，绘着光荣加冕时代的历史人物。在精美的栏杆之上装饰有青铜花，甲板上立着两座青铜迎宾天使。大楼梯是船体五层的主要通道，从底层一直通到第五层的头等舱接待处和餐厅。

泰坦尼克号从英国启程，出港时装载了6000吨煤，提供动力、发电、供暖和厨房烹饪。泰坦尼克号上有159台锅炉，每天耗煤高达850吨。该船每航行1米，消耗煤1.5千克，30千克煤炭仅可驱船前行20米，或让船全速前进约1.5秒。

14克拉黄金制作的狐狸头金针，工艺精巧Fine 14-karat gold stick pin with a fox head

桅杆挂钟 The crow’s nest bell

Profile:RMS Titanic, an Olympic-class ocean liner, was the world’s largest ship afloat at the time. Deemed “practically unsinkable” by the White Star Line and its builders, RMS Titanic, in its maiden voyage, collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40 pm on the night of April 14, 1912; at 2:20 am on April 15,the ship was split in two and sank into the Atlantic Ocean. There were an estimated 2224 passengers and crew members aboard, and more than 1500 died, making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. (Photos:Zeng Pengling; Hangu Art Gallery)

Titanic departed from England, carrying 6,000 tons of coal which provided power for navigation, electricity generation, heating, and cooking. There were 159 vast boilers on the ship,which consumed up to 850 tons of coal per day. Titanic consumed 1.5 kilograms of coal for every meter travelled. In other words,a 30 kilograms lump could move the ship through the water about 20 meters, or for about 1.5 seconds, at full speed.

As passengers boarded the lifeboats, Titanic’s Chief Purser, Herbert McElroy,mustered the ship’s band on the boat deck, demanding them to play to calm the passengers. As each boat was loaded and launched,the band played many lively tunes. Since the band members were privately contracted, they were neither called upon as crew to man the lifeboat nor could they escape as passengers. After the lifeboats were gone,Wallace Hartley, the band leader, lifted his bow for a final tune: “Nearer, My God,to Thee.” Tragically, none of the Titanic musicians survived.

In addition, a large number of personal belongings, such as exquisite jewelry, dictionaries, scarves,etc., were discovered at the bottom of the sea.

据船体设计，所仿大楼梯 Reproduction of the grand staircase

泰坦尼克号船上乐队的七位成员 Seven musicians on the Titanic

本次展览门票 Tickets to the artifact exhibition of the Titanic in 2018

在乘客们转救生艇时，泰坦尼克号事务长赫尔伯特·麦克尔罗伊将船上乐队召集到甲板上演奏，让大家冷静下来。救生艇下水时，乐队演奏欢快的歌曲送行。这些乐手都是私人受雇人员，他们既不能作为船员驾驶救生艇，也不能作为乘客坐救生艇逃生。当所有救生艇都离去后，乐队指挥华莱士·哈特利拿起琴弓演奏《更近我主》，为他们的不幸送行，七名乐手和一位指挥无一生还。

此外，还有大量文物如精美的首饰、乘客携带的词典、女士的丝巾等，这些从沉船上打捞后经修复的文物，深深地震撼着我们。

链接：泰坦尼克号是一艘奥林匹克级邮轮，是当时世界上最大的客运邮船。被称为“永不沉没的邮轮”的泰坦尼克号，在它的处女航中，于1912年4月14日，船上时间夜里11时40分在北大西洋撞上冰山；4月15日凌晨2时20分，船裂成两半后沉入大西洋。灾难发生时，泰坦尼克号共搭载2224人，其中1514人不幸罹难，710人生还。泰坦尼克号海难是和平时期死伤人数最多的海难之一。（图：曾鹏凌；部分图片由汉古艺术馆提供）