Rare Before And After Photos Of The Titanic Have Been Discovered

Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, you’ve probably heard of RMS Titanic. Since the demise of the so-called “unsinkable ship,” historians and archeologists have immersed themselves in discovering what exactly happened to the ship as it collided with the iceberg. For obvious reasons, few people have had the privilege of seeing what the Titanic looked like before and after the wreck. Check out some of the footage of the remains of the ship and the shocking location in which they were found. Its construction and interiors prior to sinking are a fascinating sight and certainly prove a picture is worth a thousand words.

Argo

RMS Titanic was a luxury passenger liner that was built in Belfast, Ireland. Construction of the ship began in 1909 and was officially completed by 1912, which is when the Titanic took its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City.

Just a few days after the Titanic embarked on its journey, though, the ship sank upon striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. By 1995, thanks to a deep-sea remote control submersible called Argo, the first remnants of the ship were discovered by underwater archaeologist Robert Ballard, southeast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The Docks of Southampton

In this photo stands a crowd of people lining the docks of Southampton, England as the Titanic prepares to take off on its voyage on April 10th, 1912. Accommodation for a first-class parlour costed $100,000, while a berth in the first-class cabin costed $3,500.

If you wanted a bed in the second class cabin, you’d have to pay $1,375, and in the third class cabin, $350-$900. Family members and friends waved goodbye to their loved ones here, not knowing that for many, this would be the last time they would see each other.

The Great Gantry

Built alongside her massive sister ship, The Titanic and Olympic were to be the largest pair of ships to ever exist and there were no slipways at the time which could accommodate their hefty construction. In order to get things moving, contractors built their own slipway, which they called The Great Gantry.

The giant slipway cost $150,000 and took over 15,000 workers to complete. Throughout its construction, eight employees lost their lives, however, that was only the beginning of the calamities to come…

A Costly Ship

The infamous Titanic cost about $7,500,000 (currently, equivalent to one hundred million dollars) to build, and was not only the largest ship in the world but also the most expensive.

Twenty horses were needed just to transport the ship’s anchor to the harbor. It was the largest moveable man-made object of its day, stretching 882 feet long and 175 feet high. There were 840 staterooms in all, 416 in first class, 162 in second class, and 262 in third class. The vessel weighed 900 tons and its top speed measured at 23 knots.