BY HENRY POPOVIC
An intriguing look at what happened with the Titanic ship can be seen in New York City for just a little longer.
“Titanic: The Exhibition,” located on 14th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan, will be open to the public until March 19.
The temporary exhibit, which held its initial run in London, opened in November 2022, and guides attendees through a series of photographs, objects, and stories of those who were on the Titanic.
The event was produced by Spanish company Musealia, and was also made possible by Claes Göran Wetterholm, a historian with expertise in the Titanic.
“Titanic: The Exhibition” boasts a collection of over 200 items that were on the Titanic, including letters, furniture, diaries, and timepieces. It also attracts a significant range of people in terms of its audience.
“I think at first they had it for older people, or students, but we get a lot of younger kids that come in here that are just fascinated by the Titanic and the mystery behind it,” said Ariel Abdullah, manager of the exhibit.
At the beginning of the exhibit, guests are given audio devices which go into detail and explain each part of the exhibition with corresponding numbers from one through 45. The showcase starts with an introduction of how the concept of the Titanic was born, which was through combined efforts of William James Pirrie, a chairman of shipbuilders, and Joseph Bruce Ismay, a director of a shipping company.
The inclusion of the audio guides is central to the experience. Abdullah explains their importance with regards to how they connect users to the event.
“You can’t do the exhibit without it, it basically takes you through the history. How it started, it tells you about some of the people that were on the boat, and the difference between the first class passengers and third class passengers, and what they went through on the boat, the good and the bad, and obviously at the end it tells you how the tragedy happened,” Abdullah said.
Frank Claudio, a staff member who provides the audio devices and collects them at the end, describes how they enhance the experience.
“There’s not a lot of information [or] things to read downstairs, so [people] prefer using the audio devices, and they feel like it explains more depth into it, and the history of the Titanic, and how it was made, and what caused the supposedly unsinkable Titanic to sink.”
Abdullah said she believes this exhibit is unique due to its storytelling of the passengers on board.
“What is different from other exhibits is [that] it actually has stories of the passengers. It’s more about the people that actually experienced being on the Titanic, and we have some of their items here, and it gives you their stories, and I think that’s why it’s more of an emotional journey, because you get closer to the passengers,” she said.
Astris Reyes, an employee who works at the gift shop for the exhibit, discusses what people appreciate about the event.
“I feel like most people come here because of the movie, but also they realize that it’s not exactly like the movie was for the people that were actually on the boat. They appreciate that people are able to tell their stories, even though they’re long dead, and they appreciate the fact that people take time to make this exhibit just for those people who lost their lives, and those who survived also,” she said.
The total duration of a visit is likely to take up to 90 minutes. Tickets are available for $35 for adults and $45 for VIP admission.