Dubuque exhibition explores ill-fated ocean liner from conception to conservation

'In place of Titanic we had the level sea now stretching in an unbroken expanse to the horizon, heaving gently as before, with no indication ... that the waves had just closed over the most wonderful vessel ever built by man's hand.' — Lawrence Beesley, survivor, second-class passenger

DUBUQUE — For 73 years, Titanic lay in ruins on the bottom of the sea, its final resting place a mystery shrouded in darkness.

In the wee hours of Sept. 1, 1985, the mighty vessel's wreckage appeared on the monitors of a joint American-French expedition. The ship that took three years to build and set new standards for oceangoing luxury had broken in two, entombed in a watery grave 2 1/2 miles deep and 400 nautical miles southeast of Newfoundland.

The bow and stern landed 1,800 feet apart, scattering debris in the sand. More than 5,500 artifacts have been reclaimed from the depths during seven salvage expeditions since 1987. RMS Titanic Inc. aims to preserve and display them in memory of the 1,523 people who died when the ocean liner struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. April 14, 1912, and slipped beneath the icy waters at 2:20 a.m. April 15.

More than 150 artifacts, ranging from dishes and shoes to tiny vials and calling cards, are on view through Sept. 7 at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in the massive downtown Port of Dubuque riverfront development.

Visitors can immerse themselves in the Titanic's storied history, walking among galleries filled with giant photographs, re-creations of first- and third-class cabins, cases of artifacts and biographies of passengers from all walks of life — some who perished, some who lived. Their fates are spelled out in the final somber gallery, where one whole wall lists all the passengers, crew members, and their fates.

Cedar Rapids connection

Among the passengers were Cedar Rapids entrepreneur Walter Douglas, who died in the disaster, his wife, Mahala Dutton Douglas, and maid Berthe Leroy, both of whom survived. Walter Douglas spent his last Christmas at Brucemore, home to his brother George's family. Their father founded the company that became Quaker Oats, and the brothers created Douglas Starch Works. By 1914, it was the world's largest starch works company, grinding 10,000 bushels of corn per day, according to reports on Brucemore's website, where the family's story is told.

Even though the ship's fate hangs in the air over the entire exhibition, the galleries begin with a celebration of the shipbuilding process and accomplishments in Belfast, Ireland. Gently lilting Celtic music plays in the background. Ensuing galleries and music progress through fascination into sorrow.

Admission

The exhibit's Memorial Day opening shattered attendance records for the holiday, drawing 5,677 visitors.

'We are extremely excited about the response from our visitors for 'Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,' '

says John Sutter, the facility's marketing director. 'Our attendance has been ranging around 70 percent higher than the same time period last year.'

All visitors pay the standard museum fee, ranging from $10 to $15, then an additional $5 fee for 'Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.' Other add-ons are available, including a 40-minute, 3-D deep-sea documentary featuring 'Titanic' movie director James Cameron. A second National Geographic film, 'Robots 3D,' opens July 1.

Tickets can be purchased in the National River Center's main entrance at 350 E. Third St., or the nearby Mississippi River Center, which houses the Titanic exhibit on the second floor. The Woodward Boardwalk links the buildings, taking visitors past a riverboat museum, a high-and-dry riverboat, bird exhibits, picnic tables and play areas.

It's easy to spend an entire day at the complex, with ample free parking in two adjacent lots. A day-pass lets you come and go as you please from building to building, but re-entry is not allowed in the self-contained Titanic exhibit. It's one and done.

Do not shortchange your stay aboard 'Titanic.' I spent about 90 minutes there and didn't read all the panels. To enhance your self-guided experience, I highly recommend spending $3 for the audio wand that spells out the story in greater detail, gallery by gallery.

History

More than 20 films have told the story of Titanic's voyage, beginning with 'Saved from the Titanic,' released just 29 days after its sinking. The biggest blockbuster came in 1997, winning 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Song for 'My Heart Will Go On.' At $200 million, 'Titanic' was the most expensive film ever made and the first to reach (and surpass) the $1 billion mark at the box office, eventually reaching $2.187 billion. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet became superstars overnight, giving audiences worldwide a sense of life and death swirling around the doomed voyage.

The exhibition goes much deeper, beginning with the ship's captivating back story through videos, huge, historic photos of the masterminds, schematics, draftsmen, craftsmen and crowds that gathered in Belfast during the creation and launch of the ship. Among those panels and re-creations of mailbags and other pristine, new props lie cases telling a more jarring story: items recovered from the sea.

Galleries

Photos of the richly appointed areas designed for first-class passengers give a glimpse inside the vessel's opulence, leading into re-creations of first- and third-class rooms. The Dubuque exhibit doesn't include a section of the ship's grand staircase, but does feature a large photo and about a 14-inch piece of wooden garland from the magnificent staircase, as well as a prism from the electric lights in the dome overhead.

The first-class cabin, decorated in maroon and gold surrounding wood paneling, features a large double bed, damask-covered walls, a chaise, table with chairs, clothing pieces and other appointments. Cost for first-class passage ranged from more than $2,500 to $4,500, which by today's standards is equivalent to $57,200 to $103,000 — 10 years' salary for the average working man.

In stark contrast is the cramped third-class cabin, sporting bunk beds decked with White Star red and white bedding, accommodating two, four or eight passengers.

A large, open gallery brings home the humanity, with the first of the panels offering passenger biographies, ranging from captains of industry whose names still resonate — John Jacob Astor IV and Benjamin Guggenheim — and actress/model Dorothy Gibson to an engineer and his family, traveling second-class. Their stories are equal parts fascinating and tragic.

Other galleries walk through the boiler room and an eerie timeline for the ice warnings that came before the ship hit the iceberg. Along one wall, visitors can touch a large piece of ice, simulating the chunks in the 28-degree water in which so many passengers succumbed to hypothermia.

Near the exhibit's end are rooms depicting the salvage and preservation efforts at the Titanic site, and in the final room is the massive list of passengers and crew, along with their fate.

Artifacts

The most stunning aspect of the tour is seeing the artifacts, themselves, amazingly preserved by the deep-freeze of the sea and their soft landing in the sand.

• Clothing and toiletry items, including a chamber pot, combs, brush back with no bristles, cherry toothpaste jar lid, blackened copper soap box with soap still inside, glass jar with powder, leather compact, perfume bottle, handkerchief, shirts, suspenders, socks and shoes.

• Artifacts that zero in on portions of the ship's mechanics and handheld tools, from a ratchet screwdriver and folding ruler to a leather pouch and bulkhead rivets.

• Meal serving pieces, a blue Delft dinner plate, au gratin dishes lined up in perfect rows on the ocean floor, as well as a crystal flower vase and floor tiles.

• Delicate items like postcards, a Jack of Diamonds playing card, and calling cards for polite society and businessmen. Most amazingly, a child's miniature porcelain teacup and pot with tiny, intricate paintings still depicting an underwater scene and the Roman sea-god Neptune holding a trident.

Wall of names

At the beginning of the tour, visitors are issued a replica boarding pass containing a passenger's name, age, city of residence, destination, class, accompanying passengers, reason for travel and a bit of trivia, such as my passenger's send-off, which included a choir singing as the Hocking family boarded a train in their native Cornwall, England. The Hocking women and children survived, but grown son George perished.

Tracing your passenger's fate is the most somber aspect of the exhibit.

Gift Shop

All visitors exit through the exhibition's gift shop, chock full of souvenirs, including books, videos, blankets, dishes and jewelry.

Photography is strictly prohibited in the galleries, but the $20, 9-inch-by-12-inch softbound companion book, 'Maiden Voyage: Southampton to New York,' is a wonderful way to preserve your memories of the exhibition — and the memories of all involved, from conception to conservation.

If you go

What: 'Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition'

Where: Mississippi River Center at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium complex, 350 E. Third St., Dubuque

When: Through Sept. 7

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Sept. 7; museum hours vary throughout the year

Admission: $15 to $20, includes museum admission and $5 'Titanic' admission

Extra: 'Titanic' director James Cameron's 'Deepsea Challenge 3D,' taking viewers along on the March 26, 2012, expedition when National Geographic explorer-in-residence James Cameron made a record-breaking solo dive to the Earth's deepest point; add $4 to museum admission

Information: 1-(800) 2260-3369 or Rivermuseum.com