We checked out the compelling Titanic. The Exhibition experience in Manhattan and learned a lot about the ship and the people on it during the visit. There were even personal items from passengers and pieces of the ship on display, it was a truly moving experience.
As much as we love the Titanic film, we also noticed some of the facts in the exhibit that differed from aspects of the movie. Here are a few things we learned from the exhibit that differs from certain parts of the film:
1. William Murdoch was a hero.
In Titanic. The Exhibition, we learned about William Murdoch, British sailor and first officer of the ship. He locked massive watertight doors in attempts to delay the inevitable water flooding into the interior of the ship. While most spots went to women and children on the lifeboats, some were not filled to capacity. His efficiency of getting people into lifeboats was responsible for the 80% of the men saved in the tragedy. Unfortunately in the Titanic film, Murdoch was portrayed as a villain which is the complete opposite of his history on the ship.
2. There were no tiny boats with family members near the Titanic when it set sail.
In the beginning of the film, the Titanic was surrounded by small boats of friends and family waving as it set sail. This didn’t happen, due to the sheer size of the vessel. The Titanic was 882.5 feet long, about 92.5 feet at its widest point and weighed over 52,000 tons. However, when the Titanic left Southampton it almost crashed with another boat, the SS New York, according to the Encyclopedia Titanica official site. The ship narrowly missed this collision right at the beginning of its journey.
3. Main characters Rose DeWitt Bukater and Jack Dawson would not have dined together.
The dinner party scene in the film might have been a memorable one but third-class passengers were not allowed in first-class sections. Classes were not even allowed to mingle onboard. First and third-class passengers’ living and dining quarters were also separated and quite opposite. Not only would Rose and Jack not have had dinner together, they wouldn’t have been able to really even see or spend time with each other.
4. Third class passengers were not forcibly confined below deck.
In the film, there is a dramatic and heartbreaking scene of third-class passengers being held back from boarding lifeboats. While this did not actually happen, the majority of those who perished aboard were third-class passengers. This was due to the lack of evacuation drills and being in a location further away from the lifeboats.
5. There probably would have been a record of Jack Dawson (if he was a real person on the Titanic).
Towards the end of the film the character of Lewis Bodine says “We never found anything on Jack Dawson. There’s no record of him at all.” Rose replies, “No, there wouldn’t be, would there? And I’ve never spoken of him until now.” One of the most saddening and powerful parts of Titanic. The Exhibit was seeing the hundreds of names of the people, families and crew who perished, including the many in the third-class. Throughout the exhibit there were indeed records of passengers across all classes.
The exhibit takes place 526 6th Avenue for a limited time and tickets are currently available. Check out this truly moving experience to hear more stories about the legacy of the Titanic and the people who were on it.