| 23 Jun 2010 | The Titanic of Tennessee: American town builds giant replica of iconic doomed liner |
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The 100th anniversary of her sinking is approaching fast, but the Titanic - the ill-fated cruise liner that collided with an iceberg and slipped to the bottom of the North Atlantic in 1912 - continues to exert a curious fascination. How else to explain the arrival of a giant recreation of the doomed vessel in the less-than-oceanic confines of the American South? This is the unlikely scene that greets visitors to the Tennessee town of Pigeon Forge, as a model version of the ship goes on show. Standing 100 feet tall and three decks high, this 50 per cent scale replica of the famous ship's front bow is set to attract nearly one million visitors this year. Costing £16million and taking over one year to build, the Titanic of Pigeon Forge is billed as the world's largest museum attraction. Built to include a 30-foot tall replica of the infamous iceberg off the ship's starboard bow, the 30,000 square foot museum was opened in April of this year to celebrate the 2,208 passengers and crew who died on April 15th 1912. The second such museum of its kind in the United States, the Pigeon Forge Titanic has an identical sister ship in Branson Missouri. 'This museum is not a thrill ride or Hollywood style museum,' said Mary Kellogg-Joslyn, the Titanic Museum Attractions owner. 'It is an interactive experience that brings in all elements of the famous and tragic Titanic story for families to experience.' On entering the front foyer, guests part with £13 for entry and are presented with a boarding pass that has the name of one of the deceased from the ill-fated voyage. And on entry into the main ship are confronted with an incredible £675,000 exact recreation of the White Star liners Grand Staircase. 'We have 75 employees here who are dressed as part of the period,' said Mrs Kellogg-Joslyn. 'So we have stewards and ships officers all who are in character and who are on hand for information about the ships and its sinking. 'They will even jokingly re-direct you if you try to enter our first class area if you are found to have a third class ticket.' Inside the ship are up to 400 artefacts from the original Titanic, but as Mrs Kellogg-Joslyn points out, none are recovered from the wreck which was located in 1985, two miles under the stormy mid-Atlantic. 'We have White Star cutlery and tea sets from the company that built the ship in Belfast in 1910,' said Mrs Kellogg-Joslyn. 'And we even have a tooth from a second class passenger who had it removed after she was rescued because she suffered tooth ache whilst on the ship. 'Our most impressive display is the life-jacket of Madeline Astor, the American heiress and millionaire who was rescued from the sinking vessel.' The original Titanic museum in Branson is 13,000 square feet smaller than this new version and as such, Mrs Kellogg-Joslyn expects visitor number to almost double. 'We have a replica third class cabin that has four bunks inside and shows the conditions that the majority of those who died in the sinking were living in before it hit the iceberg,' said Mrs Kellogg-Joslyn. 'There is an approximation of the bridge which we have looking out to a starry night sky, so as to help visitors appreciate visibility that night. 'And we also have installed a section where you can place your hand inside a tank of water which is at -2 (28f). The temperature the sea was when the ship sank. 'That caused the majority of the deaths as it was impossible to last more than 15 minutes in that water.' Of course, James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film of the same name is not far away. 'We have first class cabin parlour that is the same design as the one where Leonardo DiCaprio drew Kate Winslet's portrait when they were Jack and Rose,' said Mrs Kellogg-Joslyn. 'People instantly recognise that.' In addition to the interactive features are three lengths of decking which simulate the differing angles that the ship slipped to as it sunk beneath the waves. 'We hope people enjoy this attraction and remember that even though the Titanic never made it here to America it still fascinates.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1288925/The-Titanic-Tennessee-Replica-doomed-liner-opens-Pigeon-Forge.html#ixzz0rigPSqFr |
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| 02 Apr 2010 | James Cameron To Raise The Titanic In 3D |
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James Cameron has confirmed he is bringing back his hit film Titanic to cinemas - but this time it will be in 3D. The director plans to raise the 1997 Oscar-winning film in spring 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of the sailing of the ship. The movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, was the highest grossing film of all time until it was overtaken by Cameron's latest epic Avatar. Cameron is warning the effects will not be as spectacular as Avatar: "It's never going to look as good as if you shot it in 3D. But think of it as a sort of 2.8D". Not content with re-releasing Titanic, Cameron is also considering getting Avatar out for a second run as well. The film has already made billions of dollars worldwide but Cameron believes there is still more cash to be made. "It's kind of gotten stomped out (of cinemas) because of Alice in Wonderland," he said. "The word we're getting back from exhibitors is we probably left a couple of hundred million dollars on the table as a result." The director is thinking about re-releasing Avatar this autumn, possibly with new footage. Cameron, though admits audiences may not want to see a 10-month-old film. "The question is (whether) the appetite is still going to be there after the summer glut of movies," Cameron added. "We're going to assess that. We're talking about maybe adding in additional footage and doing something creative." |
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| 02 Apr 2010 | Titanic letter expected to fetch £25,000 at auction |
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A rare letter that gives an insight into the cosseted life first class passengers enjoyed on board the Titanic is expected to fetch up to £25,000 at auction. The letter, from perfumer Adolphe Saafeld to his "wifey", as he calls her, describes fine lunches, long dinners, satisfying cigars and strolls around the ill-fated liner. The letter, dated 10 April 1912, the first day of the voyage, reads: "Dear Wifey, Thanks for your wire ... The weather is calm and fine, the sky overcast. "So far the boat does not move and goes very steadily. It is not nice to travel alone and leave you behind. I think you will have to come next time. "I have quite an appetite for luncheon. Soup, fillet of plaice, a loin chop with cauliflower and fried potatoes, Apple Manhattan and Roquefort cheese, washed down with a large Spaten beer iced, so you can see I am not faring badly. "I had a long promenade and a doze for an hour up to 5 o'clock. The band played in the afternoon for tea ... anything and everything in the eating line is gratis." Saafeld also wrote of how the Titanic was nearly involved in a collision with another liner while at Southampton docks – but seemed more worried that this delayed his dinner. "Owing to our little mishap at Southampton we were all one hour late and had dinner only at 7.30 instead of 7 o'clock as usual ... I have a small table for two to myself. "I made a very good dinner and had two cigars in the smoke room and shall now go to bed as I am tired. But for a slight vibration, you would not know that you are at sea. "A kiss for you and love to all from your loving husband, Adolphe." The three-sided letter is on Titanic headed notepaper and was posted from Ireland to his wife, Gertrude, in Manchester. It is coming up for auction on 17 April at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, Wiltshire. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: "We have come across other letters and postcards that were sent from the Titanic but this is easily the best due to its content. "The vast majority of letters just give a few lines like how fine and big the boat was and 'wish you were here' and things like that. "But the Saafeld letter goes into fine detail about the life of a first class passenger on board. "The letter is straight from the horse's mouth and is giving the reader his own impressions of the ship. It is a primary historical source." Saafeld was travelling to America from Manchester to market his scented oils. When the Titanic struck an iceberg in the north Atlantic on the night of 14 April 1912, Saafeld, who was 47 at the time, was in the smoking room. He was able to scramble into lifeboat number three. His little bottles of perfume oils went down with the ship but remarkably some were salvaged 10 years ago. He returned to England and died in 1926. |
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| 06 Jan 2010 | Why Avatar will not beat Titanic |
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Here's an article from manolith.com talking about Titanic and James cameron's new movie Avatar: Let me just be clear, I liked Avatar. Okay? So please don’t take this as a hit piece or trying to tear the movie down. It’s awesometown with a capital A. But now that the movie has overcome its Smurf reputation to be a breakaway success, the inevitable conversation has begun on when it will take down Titanic as the highest grossing film of all time. As our own Mark Lorenz reported, Avatar had crossed the one billion dollar cash barrier over the weekend, and numerous stories have since emerged all but declaring Titanic finally dethroned. The problem is, none of them seemed to base their predictions off…you know, anything rational. Now, I grant you, box office results can be tricky to predict. That’s how things like Ghost Rider open to 50 million dollars. But follow me here. The best comparison to be made is with 2008’s The Dark Knight, another film everyone in the world thought would dethrone Titanic. Dark Knight opened to $158,411,483 its first weekend, with a screen count of 4,366. Set this against Avatar’s opening week of $77,025,481 in 3,452 screens. Already we’re low, but Titanic also opened low. |
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| 18 Nov 2009 | Another Titanic expedition possible in 2010 |
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The company that has exclusive rights to salvage the Titanic wants to make another expedition to the world's most famous shipwreck in 2010. RMS Titanic Inc.'s expedition would be the first by the salvor since 2004, though two other expeditions have been to the site since then, including one by "Titanic" director James Cameron. The company went before a judge on Monday to seek a salvage award for its past expeditions, and to inform the court of its plans. |
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