I went to the Titanic Exhibition and was shocked by the role Birmingham played in the ship’s history

Interest in the Titanic has grown over the years with stories of the tragic events that unfolded on the “unsinkable ship” that fateful night in Newfoundland.

The ill-fated voyage of the opulent White Star Line cruiser from Belfast to New York was one that was never completed due to the infamous collision with an iceberg that sent the vessel 12,500 feet to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

That, of course, resulted in the deaths of 1,500 passengers in a moment that shook the world and wrote a chapter in the history books that continues to capture people’s attention.

The stories of that night and the boat’s mysterious and haunting presence at the bottom of the sea led to James Cameron’s highly successful and critically acclaimed film Titanic. A film that used real footage captured from the wreck thanks to the director’s underwater travels on the bottom of the Pacific.

Now visitors to Birmingham’s NEC can experience the story of the Titanic up close and personal thanks to an engaging, educational and moving exhibition running throughout the summer.

We went together on the opening day of the exhibition to learn more about a moment in history that I have always been fascinated by. What I discovered at the exhibition was much more than I could have expected.

I certainly didn’t expect so many West Midlands connections to the world’s most famous nautical disaster. I knew about the manufacture of the ship’s anchor in Netherton and saw the replica from the same casting mould. I didn’t expect to see him so vividly in the video footage displayed on the screens of the wreck on the seabed.

Little did I know that the crew uniform buttons had been made by Firmin and Son, a company based in St Paul’s Square in Birmingham. Equally fascinating was learning that the ship’s vaults were built and supplied by Thomas Perry and Son, an iron forge in Bilston.

Bordsley Green, Hoskins and Sewell were commissioned to supply the Titanic’s beds and cots, some of which were found years after the ship sank, still in good condition with no corrosion.

One of the leading silversmiths of the 19th century, Elkington and Co was the Birmingham company charged with providing silverware for the ship’s first class guests.

Stourbridge glassware company Stuart Crystal listed the White Star Line as one of their valued customers and supplied the Titanic’s glassware.

It was not just the skilled manufacturing of Birmingham and the Black Country that was lost in the Pacific Ocean that night.

Erdington resident William Henry had boarded the Titanic as a third class passenger looking to start a new life in New York while living with his uncle in the Big Apple. His body was never recovered.

There was William Edward Hipkiss, the managing director of a firm responsible for supplying a weighing machine for the ship’s Turkish bath. As a first class passenger in the C-39 cabin, his ticket cost what today would be around £7,000.

Like William Henry, his body, if recovered, has never been identified.

The magic of this exhibition is the narrative journey it takes you on, from the scale of the Titanic’s construction by the shipping company to the difference in class that awaited passengers departing on the ship’s maiden voyage.

Artifacts plucked from the sea and indeed the wreckage await as haunting reminders of the night the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic slipped beneath the waves under a starry black sky.

There are fascinating video presentations at various points throughout the exhibition, sharing images of life on board, accounts from survivors and eerie video footage of the wreck as it stands today.

You learn the history of the crew, passengers, controversies and consequences of the historic disaster. You can even sit in the crow’s nest and see if you could spot the iceberg lurking menacingly on the horizon.

I was shocked to read that the crew on duty in the crow’s nest didn’t have access to the binoculars they needed because they didn’t have access to the locker they were in. Instead, they relied on the naked eye against a dangerously black night sky. .

Almost as shocking as learning that the reason there aren’t enough lifeboats was more of an aesthetic choice due to not wanting too many small boats to spoil the look of the ship.

The exhibition is very evocative and has a great capacity to help you understand the importance and splendor of the Titanic, but also to put yourself in the shoes of the passengers.

The horrors and reality of the choices people had and really didn’t have, as well as the despair that surrounded their present and future, hit hard as you read each display.

It is a brilliant event that people should experience and understand and appreciate what will always be a devastating event in history.

The collection of artefacts from the event has been brought back to Britain for the first time since the ship sank in 1912. Acquired by UK-based White Star Heritage, the collection includes what is believed to be the largest known surviving piece of the grand aft staircase, several fragments of chaise longue and a distinct sliding wooden door, most likely from the ship’s galley.

All of these items were recovered by the SS Minia, a ship sent to salvage the remains of the Titanic that floated to the surface following the tragic disaster. Some of the items were exhibited in Nova Scotia, Canada before later entering a private collection.

They are in much better condition than many artifacts because they were recovered from the surface rather than the seabed.

Director of White Star Heritage, Tom Rudderham, commented: “It is so exciting to be able to bring these truly extraordinary relics into the public eye, particularly to the UK public who may never have seen these items before.

“Since most of the ship’s remains lie on the seabed, it is truly a privilege to have such well-preserved glimpses into the past.”

The exhibition runs at the NEC until 24 August 2024, more information here