The Only REAL Footage of Titanic: An Analysis

In February 1912, RMS Titanic was just 2 months away from completion - and disaster. Fortunately some smart cookie had the idea of filming Titanic as the new ship crossed a milestone in her construction. After Titanic was lost in April this film was circulated as footage taken just before her final departure from Southampton, but it's not the case! This piece of film gives us remarkable insight into the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast where Titanic was built. Today we'll draw clues and inferences from the film to determine when it was actually shot and what it can tell us about Titanic's construction.

Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels | from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!

#ships #sinking #disaster #titanic #wrecks #exploration #history #adventure #design #engineering #mairitime #safety #vessels #sailing #documentary #story #oceanlinerdesigns

[OceanlinerDesigns]

Like this comment for my Mr Rogers' sweater!

In my cold-addled state I conflated two different events; in September 1911 Olympic collided with Hawke but the photo taken in March 1912 is after Olympic threw a propeller blade and needed to be drydocked for the replacement to be fitted. Apologies for this!

Feel free to ask any other questions below :)

[FrzeBurn]

How does one guy make so many videos about one ship and still remain interesting, must-see viewing every time?

[TaijanDean]

This film has always fascinated me. Not only because it shows in Titanic in an incomplete state and the fact that it's shown completely naturally, too. No flare, no nonsense or "early photoshop" tricks, what you see is what you get, but the most fascinating thing for me is despite her short life, the fact we have any surviving footage of her at all is nothing short of a miracle. If only more people had filmed her departure from Southampton or any of the other ports she left on the way to New York, but she simply wasn't famous enough until she sank and by that time, it was too late.

[BlitztheDragon]

Something I love most about this latest video is that in addition to the context provided to this film footage, it also brings the human aspect of her story back to the forefront, particularly prior to the sinking. It's easy to let the stories of the survivors and those who are lost carry the human side of the disaster, and the ship herself gets the lion's share of attention being the main character of this story. But it's easy to forget that people in Belfast designed and worked on this ship. Just mentioning the last minute design changes, pointing out the workmen's toilets and the support arms of the B-deck scaffolding, and describing the warping techniques seen in the film really drive home that there's people on board her in this very moment leaving their own mark on what will become a story that captures the world's imagination.

A fantastic contribution as always, Mr. Brady. I've followed Titanic stuff since I was in grade school, and even now at age 34 you're still teaching me new things about her.

[siphillis]

Mike's like "Whatever, I can probably talk about Titanic unscripted for 20 minutes."

[billbright]

There is a Hotel near my home that was built in late 1880’s.
It was loaded with fabulous furnishings and accoutrements for luxury much as Titanic.
A gorgeous architectural design and surroundings that was magical.

Unfortunately was not appreciated and torn down in 1974. I remember it well from my childhood years.
Now only the bar and billiards section remain at site. Grounds still intact with 140 years old trees.
Parts were auctioned off and scattered to homes etc.
It was as close to walking the decks of Titanic as anything I know of.

I’m a retired crane operator and metal fabricator( 50 years experience) so all those photos of ships construction mean a great deal to me.

[NonsensicalNauticalRambings]

This video is one I hold very close to my heart, being able to see Titanic, albeit unfinished, but still in her glory. It also shows the shipbuilding process, as you see that many bits of her are missing, and there’s that toilet that they built off the side of her starboard bows. Most notably, the A-Deck promenade is still open. Thanks for this video, it’s always nice to have an analysis of anything Titanic related.

[BugOperator]

So wait - if this is the only footage of Titanic that exists, does that mean the famous footage of Titanic departing on its maiden voyage in front of a huge crowd and the woman in the white dress and hat leaning over the side and waving was actually footage of Olympic’s maiden voyage?!

[thestonedabbot]

3:13 Small thing: There actually was a film recorded of Titanics departure. 2nd Class passenger William Harbeck had his camera set up on deck and filmed leaving as well as the near-collision with SS City of New York. He might have been employed by White Star to film the first voyage. Sadly he and his reels were lost in the sinking, so we'll never know for sure

[mikedicenso]

Dr. Paul Lee on his Titanic website has an excellent article on the missing film footage known to have been shot of Titanic, most particularly of the launch footage from May 31, 1911, which along with others was lost. Here's a list of lost and found footage:

1. Laying the keel of the Titanic (31 March 1909), Animated Weekly. - Lost.
2. Transport of Titanic's Largest Anchor in the World (c.1911). 400ft. - Lost.
3. Launching the Titanic (31 May 1911). Films Limited of Belfast, Included in the Animated Weekly and Gaumont newsreel. - Lost.
4.Titanic leaving Belfast Loch for Southampton (2 April 1912). [sic - the Titanic entering the Graving Dock, 3rd February 1912] Gaumont. - Survives
5. The Titanic: at Southampton, prior to her maiden voyage (10 April 1912). Filmed by Topical Budget. - Found. *

* Number 5 turns out to just be cobbled together footage of Olympic.

[RCarpeDiem]

I’ve wondered about the whited-out tug boat sterns for years! Thanks for explaining that odd visual artifact in the “Titanic” reel I’ve seen so many times.

[jimadamson]

How dare you turn up with that hair, those glasses, that cardigan, and a shirt & tie: the most wholesome man on the internet!

And then drop 20 minutes of intellligent analysis about a fascinating subject!

You're making the rest of us look bad!

[cmc]

For being sick you did an amazing job. Once you got going I forgot you were sick. Thank you Mike. This one has been one of my favorites so far. So much information from so little footage. Maybe I missed it, how long was the original film?

[gotchagee]

I have officially grossed out my coworkers. I took a screen shot of this video and zoomed in the potties on the side of the deck. No one guessed correctly or even close on what they were. It's the weird details like this I love. I wonder if the elevators were working yet in this video. If not I sure would hate to be not feeling well and working several floors under the deck. Also, every time I watch your videos and it is about the Titanic I can't help but feel like you are one of the engineers of this ship. Your voice, use of language and your demeanor is exactly how I would assume how those engineers would have been. Great video!

[adrianjanssens]

You have devised a method of retaining background music during your dialogue and it actually adds to the overall effectiveness. Not everyone is successful in achieving this. Thank you and cheers from Canada.

[TGNiceShotNub]

Hey Mike, don't expect you to have known this but one of the background tracks you chose (Pachelbel's Canon in D) is kind of infamous in the music world, because every Orchestra or Band student has to learn it at some point. Further, it's been credited as one of the origin points of the "4 Chords" phenomena, which surmises that many of the history's most popular songs actually all use the same "4 Chords" progression. As a music nerd, it makes it hard to focus on your narration and the story you're trying to tell because I am distracted by the song hahaha.

[donsimon]

Two small things that I noticed:

1. At 11:20 we really see how different concepts of worker safety were in those days - there's no life rail present at the outboard edge of the Boat Deck! It would be a very long drop to the water (if you're lucky) or onto something solid such as a camel or barge (if you're not lucky).

2. In the footage of Titanic she appears to have a slight list to port. This may be due to off center loading or a condition called "lolling", where a lightly loaded ship may actually have a negative metacentric height (GM) about zero degrees roll, maybe a degree or two. Any disturbing heeling moment - wind, mooring line tension - can caue the ship to develop a list. Outside of this range she develops a positive GM, and the list stops once the positive GM can counteract the heeling moment.

[sebforce]

That "Blimey" at the beginning was great, and ho-ly did I never think I'd ever see footage of Titanic until now, it had _never_ occurred to me fully that no-one seemed to film the bloody thing, except it seems, whoever this person was. Shipbuilding must've been a hell of a thing to see back then, if not a bit nerve-racking for, reasons. Fun video :)

[bretthickman]

I love, no LOVE all your videos. They're so informative and explained so eloquently. Thank you Mike, love it all. Keep up the GREAT work

[AmIinhellWhoknows]

Something about this particular video is just so cozy and nice. At the start I answered "hi Mike!" And then I actually went and made myself a coffee. Sat down and watched the video. This had my full attention, which honestly is pretty rare these days. Really enjoyed this video.