“Ding ding, ding ding, on board!”
People start boarding with the captain’s call on to the legendary cruise at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at Lipont Art Place in Richmond.
Light-hearted 20-century-style music and dimed lights transport people to the night of April 15 in 1912, when the world renowned tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic happened.
“This exhibition has traveled to more than 100 countries and has had 24 million visitors. It is the first time it has come to Vancouver. I hope everyone will enjoy it,” said Daoping Bao, CEO of Premier Exhibitions and a Richmond resident.
The journey starts with tourists being issued a “boarding pass” with a real passenger's name and information on the back. For example, one mock pass belongs to 22-year-old actress Miss Dorothy Winifred Gibson who was in a first class cabin with her mom travelling from New York.
“It’s a walk-through Titanic that takes you back to 1912, and allows you to experience what it’s like to be a passenger on board,” said Katherine Seymour, vice president of communications for Premier Exhibitions.
“You know your passenger’s name, class of service and who you are travelling with. The one thing you don’t know is whether you will survive the sinking or not.”
Visitors are then taken on a chronological voyage, which moves through the ship’s construction showing life on board, the ill-fated sinking and finally the artifact rescue efforts.
More than 120 authentic artifacts recovered from the Titanic wreck site by the RMS Titanic company are on display, including parts from the ship and passengers’ belongings, such as an 18k gold hair clip, postcards with European scenery, a well-preserved working shirt and Canadian banknotes.
“It really gives you an idea of what people travelled with at the time and the belongings that were personal,” said Seymour.
Different authentic cutlery used by people from different classes and menus are displayed on the wall, and recreations of third and first-class cabins show the two opposite lifestyles on the cruise.
On the other side of the exhibition, a recreation of the coal room shows red lights and ice reports on the wall, which replicates the place where staff tried to attempt their last recovery efforts.
People are also invited to place their palm on to a mini iceberg and experience the coldness of the arctic environment, which the passengers faced that fateful night.
“The music in that area is more somber and really allows you to realize that this was in fact a tragedy and that many of the lives on board were in fact lost,” said Seymour, adding that this part of the exhibition contrasts with the more joyful music visitors hear at the beginning.
Throughout the exhibition are also pictures and stories about people who passed away and also information recalled by survivors.
RMS Titanic company has recovered 5,500 artifacts from the wreck site of the Titanic during eight expeditions, with the first expedition taking place in 1987. However, there has been a debate over whether the Titanic should be left to rest or whether the recovery of artifacts should continue.
Seymour said they believe artifact recovery is important because all the pieces presented "in a way allows people to further understand what happened that evening on the Titanic."
“We really want everyone who comes to Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition to to walk away with a special piece of history by placing themselves onboard that ship, so that they can remember the stories of the Titanic through this exhibition and preserve the legacy," said Seymour.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is showing daily at Lipont Art Place, 4211 No 3 Rd, from Jun. 23, 2018 to Jan. 11, 2019. Tickets are $17.95 with discounts applying to seniors, students and youth. For more information, check TitanicVancouver.com/.
