Titanic exhibit shows tragedy’s human side

“That’s my grandfather. That’s him,” says a white-haired gentleman, tapping his finger on the name of August Wennerstrom, third-class passenger aboard the Titanic, the luxury ocean liner that sank to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean in April 1912.

Glenn Wennerstrom, 74, stands at a memorial wall inside “Titanic: Treasures From the Deep.” It’s a mobile museum that’s visiting the Valley for two weekends, and its final gallery contains a dimly lit wall that lists the ship’s 2,228 passengers, grouping them by class or crew, by whether they survived the accident or were lost to the icy sea.

“To see his name on the wall — he’s not just a story. He was there,” says Wennerstrom, a Scottsdale resident. His grandfather was one of just 178 steerage passengers to live through the ordeal; the 27-year-old was pulled into a lifeboat after sliding down the sinking ship’s sloping deck and into the frigid water. More than 1,500 others perished.

Some of their stories are told in the museum, via placards on walls, boarding passes handed out to visitors, and artifacts meticulously restored and preserved behind protective glass.

There’s a porthole with no glass, the ornate end of a first-class deck bench, a few of the steel rivets that held the ship together.

Then there are the personal items: a hand mirror, cuff links, the wrapper from a Gillette razor, an addressed envelope, a calling card.

“The things that were in people’s pockets or suitcases, they make an impact,” says Kate McNeive, 52, of Scottsdale.

“I know there’s controversy over bringing stuff up, about (the wreckage of Titanic) being a grave site, but look at this,” she says pointing to a white cotton bath towel and pair of dark wool socks. “It’s doing so much more good up here. It would just disintegrate down there.”

The museum is a mobile offshoot of the blockbuster exhibition “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” seen by more than 20 million people worldwide. Both are curated by RMS Titanic Inc., the only entity permitted by U.S. law to recover objects from the wreck of the ship.

Since 1987, the company has recovered more than 5,500 items, from an unopened bottle of champagne to a 17-ton section of the hull.

Country Financial sponsors the tour, providing free admission and photos against a backdrop of the ship’s grand staircase.

Visitors can retrieve their photos online for free.

Lowell Lytle, who plays the part of Titanic Capt. E.J. Smith for RMS Titanic Inc., says everyday objects are usually the most moving. He’s traveled to the shipwreck two-and-a-half miles below the surface of the ocean.

“It’s just all about the people. When you get down there to the bottom of the ocean and look at it all, you can see that 1,500 people had plans. They were going on to New York to do great things. But they were snuffed short,” Lytle says.

Titanic: Treasures From the Deep

What: A mobile museum featuring authentic artifacts and the personal stories of passengers aboard the sunken ocean liner.

When/where: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through April 12 at Scottsdale Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 16-18, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 19, at Chandler Fashion Center, 3111 W. Chandler Blvd. Actor and historian Lowell Lytle will portray white-bearded Titanic Capt. E.J. Smith during exhibit hours on April 16 and 17.

Cost: Free

Information: www.countrytitanic.com