You step into friendly, nostalgic 1950s “Happy Days” hometown America at 208 Main Street, Indian Orchard, home of the world-famous Titanic Historical Society Collection where you will relive authentic 1912 at the Titanic Museum, the vision of Edward S. Kamuda. Throughout the intimate landmark museum, visitors will see Titanic legends come to life. A tribute to the ill-fated liner, rare artifacts tell stories of passengers and crew. You will learn more about Titanic history and have lots of fun.
The atmosphere is very informal and enjoyable for the whole family. Personally hosted by the Kamudas, the founding family, who readily answer your questions about Titanic and the displays.
The Titanic Historical Society’s (THS) collection, one of its greatest strengths, is its collected works of rare Titanic survivor artifacts, one of the finest anywhere. Many were donated by the survivors themselves to THS’s founder and president, Edward S. Kamuda in the 1960s through the 80s, the organization’s early years.
The collection covers a broad scope of Titanic’s rich history, from original blueprints of her tank top donated by her builders, Harland & Wolff, to the 21st century where the ship has become a popular icon from movies and TV. From merchandise to movies, you will see souvenirs and sheet music produced right after the sinking to colorful film posters illustrating the drama from the 1950s to the present.
Titanic’s brave officers, crew and all the passenger classes are represented; stories of courage, adventure and even humor about other times and other places and people like our grandparents.
Titanic’s collision with an iceberg is a chronicle of “What Ifs” and you will see a very important artifact in Titanic history––the Wireless Message received by Titanic stating the location of the fatal iceberg that never made it to the bridge!
One of the most famous and the wealthiest were the John Jacob Astors. Mrs. Astor’s lifejacket is one of THS’s treasured mementos.
The original story in 1913 that became the best-selling, Polar, the Titanic Bear, by her great-grand nephew, Leighton Coleman III, written and cover sketch by first-class survivor, Daisy Corning Spedden is here.
Newly married Selena Rogers Cook, traveling second class, was coming to Connecticut. She saved the clothes she wore and the articles in her pocketbook, sent postcards and even saved a tooth that bothered her on the voyage!
The Goldsmith family booked passage in third class, left England to settle in Detroit, Michigan; nine-year-old Frankie lost his dad and his best friend in the sinking; artifacts and his personal recollections in Titanic Eyewitness My Story, published by the Titanic Historical Society, are here.
An outstanding artifact is Olympic’s bridge bell, truly the heart of a ship, the beautiful bronze bell can be seen not only as the most important legacy of the Olympic-class but also as a tribute to her two sisters, Titanic and Britannic.
The awesome view from Titanic’s crow’s nest on the night of April 14 comes to life in lookout Fred Fleet’s drawing of the iceberg.
Trimmer Ernest Allen’s Seamen’s Discharge Book notes the date Titanic sank and when his pay stopped.
The rescue ship Carpathia’s first class dinner menu portrays a serene picture on the fateful night of Sunday, April 14, a few hours before the chaos of Titanic’s collision.
A huge bronze bell engraved with a delicate Edwardian filigree from the Halifax, Nova Scotia cable vessel MacKay-Bennett is here, known as the funeral ship because she retrieved most of Titanic’s victims and is a powerful reminder of the men, women and children who lost their lives. Another poignant piece from the ill-fated ship is a bronze White Star flag, removed from a lifeboat on Carpathia’s arrival in New York.
A good starting point is the mammoth, nearly 9-foot Titanic model that dominates the entrance showing in minute detail what the largest ship in the world looked like in 1912. The rest of the White Star family can be seen in an impressive miniature model collection featuring a panorama of the White Star Line highlighting famous vessels, each with its own special story, from the late 1800s, to the grand Olympic-class and Titanic, to Georgic and Britannic of the 1930s, even the tiny tenders that brought passengers aboard!
Titanic was powered by gigantic, reciprocating engines and you’ll see a stunning three-dimensional model that actually works. Another exhibit to inspect is a model of Titanic’s rudder and three propellers made in the same scale as the engines.
Passengers in first class dined in exquisite splendor and you can examine selections of the ship’s fine English china and place settings, even a carved oak chair from the dining room; then make a comparison with the modest accommodations in third class. Second class passenger Edwina Troutt described Titanic’s luxury to her cousin, Gladys in her letter written aboard Titanic.
The Titanic Museum is committed to giving each object the best possible care. Conservation means adding new items while resting others. Some of the THS collection of original and precious Titanic artifacts may not be here when you visit and are temporarily on loan to other prestigious museums and libraries. They have been displayed at the National Geographic Society Museum in Washington, D.C.; Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California; Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri and Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Research is essential to the work of preservation and restoration of our exhibits. Unique to our museum is that awareness that you can read in The Titanic Commutator, documenting ships and survivors’ stories, published quarterly by the Titanic Historical Society since 1963 and available in our Museum Store. Join as a THS member and receive the Commutator as part of your annually renewable membership. Everyone at the Titanic Museum is extremely friendly and helpful and the Museum store offers many exclusive Titanic gifts, fine art prints, White Star Line reproductions and maritime history books. Something for everyone is in the full inventory of specialty merchandise including Barbara Kamuda’s hand-crafted jewelry. Not only are these wonderful items available in the store, but also you can order by surface mail and through our online catalog.
Whether you live just down the street, across the country, next door in Canada, across the sea in Ireland, Britain, or halfway around the world in Japan, your life has been affected by this ship in ways you might never have imagined. For those who love Titanic and the glamorous ocean liners of the past and, are eager to broaden their horizons and travel through time with Titanic’s passengers and crew, come visit and explore the Titanic Museum.
Our Collection includes:
- The ice message that never made it to the bridge
- Lookout Fred Fleet’s rendition of the fatal iceberg
- Mrs. Astor’s lifejacket
- A rivet punching from Titanic’s hull
- Titanic’s Launching luncheon and dinner menus
- A square of first-class stateroom carpet
- Titanic officers’ and passengers’ personal effects
- 3rd class passenger Einar Karlsson’s Inspection card
- Letters and postcards written onboard including Selena R Cook, Edwina Troutt, Mrs. Frank Goldsmith and George Thorne (Rosenshine)
- Titanic passenger 1st class Milton Long’s pocket watch
- Bread board from Titanic
- Lifeboat seat support from Titanic
- Bronze White Star burgee from a Titanic lifeboat
- Railing section from Titanic retrieved by Rev. Henry Cunningham on the cable ship Mackay-Bennett
- The crow’s nest bell of the Mackay-Bennett
- Wood/cane chair from Titanic recovered by the Minia
- Titanic menu (3rd class) from passenger Tom Theobald
- Titanic lookout Fred Fleet’s discharge book
- Registered letter; envelope stamped TITANIC
- Titanic blueprint presented by Harland & Wolff.
- Titanic survivor 3rd class Gus Cohen’s account of disaster handwritten on Carpathia stationery
- Autographed photograph of Carpathia’s officers.
- Carpathia medals in bronze and gold from Molly Brown
- Key from dispensary cabinet on Carpathia
- Lifeboat badge from Carpathia
- Carpathia menu 2nd class Tea 4/13/1912
- Carpathia menu 1st class Dinner, 4/14/1912
- Captain Rostron’s watch
- Olympic’s bridge bell
- Olympic 1st class dining saloon Jacobean-style chair
- Olympic: carved oak newel post from the grand staircase and a carved capitol [top of a column]; Britannic artifacts, White Star Line china and silverplate, a diary and letter signed by Joseph Bruce Ismay, original paintings, sheet music, survivor keepsakes and association pieces, other shipping line memorabilia, Titanic in popular culture displaying modern artifacts, including an Englehardt collapsible lifeboat, a 27 foot reproduction loaned by 20th Century-Fox used in the James Cameron film TITANIC
