Experience the story of one of the first major advancements and tragedies of the modern world at COSI’s Titanic exhibit, open March 9 through Sept. 2.
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Titanic COSI
Impressive model of Titanic at COSI
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Titanic COSI
The Grand Staircase at COSI
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COSI Titanic
Recreation of a first-class bedroom on Titanic
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Titanic COSI
The Boiler Room on Titanic at COSI
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TItanic Artifacts COSI
Few historical events capture the attention and fascination of folks around the world as the tragedy of the Titanic does. Until the exhibit closes in September, there is no better place to get a close look at the history of Titanic than COSI.
Tomasina Ray, director of collections for Experiential Media Group – which assembles the exhibition’s artifacts, displays and historical context – says COSI is one of the few museums that can display the large volume of artifacts from their collection. One particularly striking piece, a davit arm that held one of the Titanic’s lifeboats, helps visitors conceptualize the massive size of the boat when compared to the scaled model on display.
Experiential Media Group’s affiliate RMS Titanic, Inc. has carried out eight expeditions since the late 1980s and is the only company with permission to recover artifacts from the shipwreck site, making their exhibits a time capsule of history no other collection could compare to.
Unlike the Titanic exhibit COSI hosted 14 years ago, this exhibit features a replica of the Titanic’s grand staircase, glowing with the same elegance as the one enjoyed by first-class passengers of the ship. On weekends in the grand staircase, you'll find an actor outfitted in an artifact from their collection, a dress from the early 1900s. She stands poised with the etiquette that is true to women of that time period.
Visitors start their journeys through the exhibit as first-class passengers, admiring the top-notch dining and amenities enjoyed by passengers who could afford such luxuries. The artifacts tell the story of the glamour, leisure and wealth that existed pre-WWI when all eyes were on the future. A replica of a hallway lined with doors to staterooms remarkably transports you to the interior of the ship.
Visitors can see second-class amenities as well before the third class area shows a much less pompous reality for those who could barely afford a spot in the steerage or were hired on as crew members. The stories of the class structures have implications that go past the ship's ticket prices as you see how different families lived during that time, how they were perceived, and the disparities between them.
The exhibit breaks down the hourly events that led to the tragedy, as well, including striking log quotes and huge physical models that put the tragedy into perspective.
The hundreds of artifacts unique to the exhibit are enough to draw anyone in, whether they’re a Titanic fanatic or not, but it is the totally immersive experience that visitors have come to expect from COSI that really makes this exhibit a must-see.
The experience doesn't end once you are through the exhibit however, as exclusive and limited merchandise was carefully curated for this experience.
"It's all about creating meaningful stuff," says Ozgur Ar, who has been curating Titanic Inc.'s merchandise for 14 years. "We don't make a cheap souvenir, we want to make it educational."
You can buy exact replicas of newspapers from around the world announcing the tragedy, as well as frames and globes which contain a piece of coal from the wreckage site – certificate of authenticity included. These are the only pieces of Titanic wreckage that are available for individual purchase.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
