Authentic relics resurface in new traveling exhibit
James Cameron's epic film about the sinking of the Titanic, despite being award-winning and high-grossing, didn't even begin to cover the full story of the unsinkable ship. The South Carolina State Museum, however, is bringing authentic artifacts from the wreckage back to the surface in their latest attraction, "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit."
The exhibition, which travels both nationally and internationally, is put on by RMS Titanic, Inc., the sole owner and beneficiary of RMS Titanic. According to their website, "the company is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the ship, wreck site and all her passengers and crew through educational, historical, scientific and conservation based programs."
A banner at the beginning of the exhibit reads, "The story of Titanic has been told and retold, but never more poignantly and passionately than by the artifacts presented in this exhibition. Respectfully recovered and painstakingly conserved, these objects, more than any word or image, tell the story of RMS Titanic and of her 2,228 passengers and crew whose lives she changed forever."
Indeed, the exhibition is the only one of its kind and features objects recovered from the famous ship's icy grave. It consists of large murals and quotes on the walls along with artifacts in glass boxes arranged throughout several rooms.
Highlights include a large photograph of the famous clock and staircase on the ship, a porthole that acted as a window in one of the rooms and a large black and white piece of art depicting a woman who is distraught when separated from her husband as she is put on a lifeboat.
Along with an exclusive look at these authentic artifacts retrieved from Titanic's final resting place, the exhibit also includes a few interactive elements that make for a more meaningful and memorable experience.
These elements include a boarding pass each museum patron receives at the beginning of the "voyage" with the name of a real Titanic passenger on it. At the end of the exhibit, visitors get to see whether their passengers survived or not.
Other interactive components of note are a miniature "iceberg" that visitors are encouraged to touch and TV screens displaying modern-day footage of the eerie wreck.
With both the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking and the theatrical 3-D re-release of the second highest-grossing film of all time occurring last spring, the exhibit is on display at a perfect time.
"Titanic: the Artifact Exhibit" will be on display until Sept. 3, 2012. The South Carolina State Museum is located in the Vista at 301 Gervais St. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.
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