The RMS Titanic (lost film recordings of British passenger ship; existence unconfirmed; 1912)

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RMS Titanic footage.JPG

The only known footage taken from the ship.

Status: Existence Uncomfirmed

The RMS Titanic was, at the time of its building, the largest passenger ship. It was met with a tragic fate when it sunk on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. Over 1,500 people perished with only 700 survivors out of its 2,200 passenger count.

While still photographs of the Titanic are quite common, actual film footage of it is extraordinarily rare. For many decades, the only known surviving footage was of the ship being docked shortly after its construction. Then, in 1997, film director James Cameron sought out extra surviving footage, particularly that of the ship departing with its passengers waving to the distance. No footage was known to exist, with many historians thinking Cameron was crazy. Then, the following year, footage was uncovered of the exact clip Cameron was looking for until historians confirmed the footage was of Titanic's older sister, the RMS Olympic departing.

According to The Titanic and Silent Cinema by Stepehen Bottomore, a few clips were known to have been taken of the boat before its demise though none of these have surfaced except one. Among them are footage of its keel being laid down, its anchor being transported, and its launch in Belfast. A reference to the third film in the Belfast Evening Telegraph on June 6th, 1911 is as follows.

"That the hold which pictures took on the general public some time ago is not on the wane was strikingly demonstrated at the above last evening when, not withstanding the weather, which invited one to stay indoors, large numbers attended and witnessed an admirable series of pictures. A feature of this week's bill is the launch of the world's largest liner, the Titanic, and those who had not the opportunity of witnessing the leviathan take the water should make a point of visiting the High Street during the week."

A second class passenger, Lawrence Beesley, recalls in his account, The Loss of the S.S. Titanic, a passenger on deck filming as the ship nearly collided with the New York as it pulled out of Southampton. The passenger he saw may have been filmmaker William Harbeck who did not survive and likely left his camera in his cabin. Any other films showing the ship, exterior or interior, if they ever existed have never been located.

Footage

1912 news reel featuring surviving footage of the Titanic, recorded prior to its departure.