‘Unsinkable’ artifacts sail to local museum

The Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science transports its visitors through the construction of the Titanic, as well as chronicles its sinking nearly 100 years ago.

 “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” is a worldwide traveling exhibit featuring well-preserved objects like leather shoes, chandeliers, floor tiles, hairpins, plates and toothbrushes.

Chief Operating Officer Trish Hanson said the exhibition opened on Sept. 2. Tallahassee is the last stop before it travels around the country in celebration of the upcoming 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic.

The museum spared no expense re-creating first- and third-class lodging cabins that passengers inhabited during their stay, portraits of passengers and their families, as well as certain passengers’ items that were left behind.

All exhibition visitors are given a boarding pass upon entry with the name of a passenger of the Titanic, and, at the end of the exhibit, find out whether or not they survived.

The exhibition is owned by RMS Titanic, Inc., a conservation program that has recovered over 5,500 artifacts to date. The program uses sophisticated deep-sea submarines in research and recovery expeditions. Its goals are to stop deterioration of underwater artifacts from the wreck site and to preserve and display these objects in memory of those who died on the ship.

“This is definitely an educational experience, and personal,” Hanson said. “They are telling real life stories. You’re getting a more personal aspect with this exhibition.”

The museum will be holding a black-tie gala for the “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” on Thursday, Sept. 22. For more information contact Trish Hanson at (850) 513-0700 or visit www.thebrogan.org.