My review of Titanic Boston

I’m long overdue in posting my thoughts on Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, which I attended in Boston in early November 2024. (It runs through June 1, 2025.)

I came away with mixed feelings. On the positive side, it communicated the immensity of the tragedy, particularly the human cost, very well. However, there were numerous errors that, for the experienced Titanic researcher such as myself, detracted from the experience.

What I liked

Titanic model. I walked around this case several times to take in the incredible detail of this 1:100 model built by Jurgen Kliewe (TitanicModell.de).

Inside a glass case a detailed model of Titanic features the ship’s four yellow and black funnels, a red and black hull, and intricate details such as windows, portholes, wood decking, and mechanical equipment. — Starboard side profile of Jurgen Kliewe’s 1:100 model of *Titanic*.

Titanic model shows three passengers in period appropriate clothing, including a woman taking a stroll and a man and young boy appearing to be engaged in a game with a ball. — Details of Jurgen Kliewe’s 1:100 model of *Titanic* include depictions of shipboard life.

Human connection. For me that’s what it’s all about. The tools, luggage, postcards, playing cards, eyeglasses, currency, bathroom faucets, and more—all touched by human hands, and some even belonging to identified passengers—truly made it personal.

Info cards in the exhibit: shaving brush and mug the anthrax infection was of concern just as just as it is today but for different reasons. Unsterilized shaving brushes made from animal bristles like this one potentially carried anthrax bacteria which worked its way into the skin. Gillette razor blade box and wrapper in 1912 many men shaved with the patented safety razor and Gillette blade. Others preferred the traditional straight razor considering it more manly. Pipe stem typical of those used by men of the era to keep the nicotine from staining their fingers. Spectacles, recovered with their leather carrying case. Leather cigarette case recovered with a selection of Turkish and Egyptian cigarettes. The info cards for a spittoon and playing cards are too blurry to make out. — Some of the personal items retrieved from the debris field included playing cards, cigarettes, shaving mug, and a spittoon.

HOT AND COLD WATER BATH VALVES
These valves filled Titanic's bathtubs with hot and cold seawater. Bathing in ocean water was considered therapeutic, and a special salt-lathering soap was provided for washing. At the end of the bath, passengers rinsed off with fresh water, probably from pitchers left at the side of the tubs. — Hot and cold water faucets and bath valves manufactured by Doulton & Co. Ltd.

Grand Staircase. My study of Titanic started with the interior design of the ship and grew to focus on the people. And this is where they came together. I actually found myself tearing up as I envisioned those I’ve come to know making their way along the stairs that inspired this full-scale recreation.

Replica of Titanic’s grand staircase includes the lobby on the lower landing with its geometric tiles and floor to ceiling wooden columns, and intricate detail of the stair railings, cherub statue, and on the upper landing the honor and glory carving. The famous glass dome is just out of range. — Full-size replica of part of *Titanic*’s grand staircase.

Background music. Good exhibits treat more than just the visual sense, and the instrumental music was wonderful and enhanced the experience. Among the tunes I heard were Glow Worm and Oh, You Beautiful Doll. (Aside: the latter was a favorite of my grandmother, who often sang it to me when I was a child.)

Boiler room. While it was not interactive like its counterparts in Pigeon Forge and Branson, the boiler room section was still exceptional. It was hot in there! And there were photos of several crew members, a watertight door shaft (from the bulkhead between Boiler Rooms 1 and 2), and a life-size depiction of a watertight door.

Bright red walls and floor in a room containing a gold shaft about 6 feet long laying in a glass case and a wall opening with a replica of a watertight door hanging above it. — The red hues of the boiler room recreation visually represent the heat felt throughout.

Could have been better

Fact-checking. Accuracy is important when putting together a historical exhibit, and RMS Titanic, Inc. (RMSTI) missed the mark several times.

First, there were repeated errors in the passenger totals. For example, the audio tour stated there were 1,523 lives lost (it’s actually 1,496), and a sign near the entry noted a total of 2,228 passengers and crew (it’s actually 2,208). Similarly, the passenger roster at the end of the exhibit contained erroneous figures. This is not nitpicky. RMSTI has a responsibility to get it right. The exact passenger count has been known and accepted for many years.

On a wall behind a salvaged bell are the words The story of Titanic has been told and retold, but never more poignantly and passionately than by the atifacts presented in this Exhibition. Respectfully recovered and painstakingly conserved, these objects, more than any word or image, tell the story of RMS Titanic and of her 2,228 passengers and crew whose lives she changed forever. — A sign upon entering the exhibit refers to 2,228 passengers and crew. The actual number is 2,208.

There were also careless errors on the passenger card I received upon arriving. (The plural of Straus is Strauses, not Straus’s, and Ida and Isidor had traveled with their granddaughter, not daughter.) Again, attention to detail is important, and thus credibility was questioned from the start.

WHITE STAR LINE TICKET #17483
Passenger Ticket per Steamship: R.M.S. Titanic, sailing from Southampton April 10 1912.
PASSENGER NAME: Mrs. Isidor Straus (Rosalie Ida Blun), age 63, from New York New York. accompanied by Isidor Straus (husband), Ellen Bird (maid) and John Farthing (manservant). First class. Traveling to New York, New York, cabin c 55 and c 57
REASON:
The Strauses (misspelled as Straus apostrophe s) had traveled Europe with their daughter (error)
Beatrice and were returning home. Beatrice did not return home with her parents (error). PASSENGER FACT: The Strauses (misspelled as Straus apostrophe s) owned Macy's Department Store in New York City. — Passenger card with information on Ida Straus, with yellow highlights added by me to show some of the errors.

One more that I noticed a was a photo labeled as Titanic that is well known in the Titanic community as her sister ship Olympic.

I think I made my point, so let’s move on.

Vastly underrepresented Second Class. This was typical of many ocean liner history exhibits, but still disappointing. Other than small items mixed in within the larger exhibit space, the Second Class section was just a small area with biography cards of 3 parties and 4 artifacts (that included a doorknob from a Third Class cabin ).

Along a wall under these words Second Class was a congenial mix of businessmen, middle-class families en route to a new life, brides-to-be, and those on holiday are bio panels of an older man, a young family, and a younger man. In the foreground is a plexiglass case containing 4 small items including a doorknob and bowl. — The small area devoted to Second Class passengers.

No souvenir booklet. Although the gift shop gets rave reviews from me for its variety, it would have been nice to purchase a book listing the artifacts on exhibit.

Tips for visitors

Once you get to the building (Castle at Park Plaza), the entrance is on the Columbus Avenue side of the building.

Banner hangs from a flagpole above an arched window and square entryway of a stone building. It reads see it today titanic the artifact exhibition website titanic Boston dot U S. — Exhibit entrance on Columbus Avenue, Boston.

It was easy to get tickets. I booked, in advance, an anytime slot for $10 more than a timed entry, which was worth it for me as I’m impatient. (Then again, I went solo, so it wasn’t a huge add-on.)

Headsets (an extra $7.50) worked well. We’re asked to leave an ID when picking them up, which was fine as I honestly would have left unknowingly with them otherwise. (This also means that they were comfortable.)

Concluding thoughts

Overall, I’d recommend the Boston Titanic Exhibition to recent or budding Titanic enthusiasts. As for more seasoned researchers, you will likely not learn anything new, although some of the artifacts and stories are very meaningful and emotional. Either way, don’t take everything as fact, but instead use it as a springboard for further learning.

Lisa stands at the entrance to the first class cabin corridor which features white walls and ceiling, a red carpet with gold trim, 3 flush mounted ceiling lights, 6 doors each flanked by a wall sconces with two lights and shades, and wood rails at hip height between the cabin doors. — The author near the recreation of a hallway in the cabin area of First Class.

All photographs (c) Lisa Plotnick and NauticalNotebook.com 2024.