Nearly 104 years to the day from when the RMS Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean, we are still learning more about what it was like to be a passenger on the ill-fated ocean liner.
Most people know the basic outlines of the story, from a mixture of popular lore and even more popular viewings of the 1997 movie starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio that launched Céline Dion into international superstardom with the hit song “My Heart Will Go On.”
It was one of three brand-new cruise ships built in Belfast. It was deemed “unsinkable,” and the builders of the ship were so confident in its prowess that its architect, Thomas Andrews, even accompanied the ship on its maiden voyage.
But while almost everyone knows about the ship’s fateful descent to the bottom of the ocean after hitting an iceberg, and about the 1,200 lives lost that day, the biggest unexplained mystery surrounding the old liner is what it was like to be onboard.
Recently, a handful of menus said to be from the shipwreck cropped up online, showcasing the lifestyle onboard, and giving us a rare glimpse into the lives of the passengers before the ship sank.
Thumbnail Credit: Flickr
Among the most fascinating details are a collection of menus, showcasing what would be served to each group of passengers onboard.
The passengers were divided into third, second, and first class, depending on ticket price, so a wide array of people were aboard the Titanic.
Third class was mostly populated with immigrants looking for new lives in America, who could expect to dine on oatmeal, gruel, soup, and roast beef on April 14, the day that the Titanic began to sink.
For second class, only the breakfast menu for April 11 has surfaced, but it seems to indicate that things were a bit posher in second class.
Passengers who had paid more for these mid-tier spots had a wide selection of breakfast options, ranging from simple oats and fruit to more decadent breakfast meats and eggs.
Meanwhile, what remains of the first-class menu is an interesting glimpse into the lives of the richest-of-the-rich aboard the Titanic.
The most expensive tickets on the ship garnered more elaborate food, as we can tell from this lunch menu from April 14, the day of the sinking.
Luncheon was generally the biggest meal of the day in this era, and options ranged from lighter egg or chicken dishes, to a fully stocked grill and buffet, complete with a cheese course.
Other artifacts of the Titanic's maiden voyage have also surfaced over the years, like this handful of American cash that dates back to the 1912 trip.
Though most of the bills do still bear a passing similarity to current U.S. currency, you'll definitely notice differences. That one-dollar bill, for example, is still marked "one silver dollar."
Meanwhile, documents related to the Titanic's maiden voyage can still be found on file.
The above is an image of a third-class ticket for the voyage, though this one is blank, and doesn't note any passenger information. You can see the London address of the company, White Star Line, as well as the stamped departure date of April 10, 1912.
Other artifacts of the ill-fated journey include a beautiful violin that survived the sinking in remarkable condition, all things considered.
Much like the fiddles that supposedly played while Ancient Rome burned to the ground, this is the violin played by Wallace Hartley, the ship's bandleader, as the Titanic took on water and began to sink. The band continued playing the whole time, and all died in the sinking.
Other details of life aboard the Titanic are preserved by photos and lithographs left over from the press around the supposedly "unsinkable" ship.
The ship was owned by famous captain of industry J.P. Morgan, and details of its lavish appointments were widely circulated to the press, like the elaborate gymnasium onboard the ship, fully kitted out with the most advanced exercise machines of the era.
But of all the ship's most famous interior details, probably the best-known is the Grand Staircase, a sweeping architectural element designed for first-class passengers.
The luxury of the ship made it an appealing place to see and be seen, and many of the most well-known members of high society in New York and London were on the maiden voyage. The staircase is still visible in the shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean, an eerie reminder of the ship's fate.
Are you still stunned and intrigued by life aboard the Titanic, even after all these years? Make sure to SHARE with anyone fascinated by the tragic glamour of this lost ship!
