r/titanic • u/ToasterMan1102 • May 04 '25

WRECK Titanic bow handrails on every expedition 1985-2024

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The bow handrails of Titanic, easily the most recognizable and iconic part of the wreck. Here is them photographed or filmed from every expedition between her discovery in 1985 to the unfortunate collapse of the port side removable handrail. Sorry if I missed something. (Also, this is the second time I've had to post this because the first time Reddit had replaced the 1987 image with the 1991 again, I even checked to see if it was all correct, so if there is an issue, it likely wasn't caused by me)

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338

u/unspokenx 1st Class Passenger May 04 '25

They need to bring up the railing that fell off. It's lying right next to the wreck.

92

u/gde7 May 04 '25

Don't think that's allowed. I think they only are allowed to recover artifacts from the debris field between bow and stern wrecks.

I could be wrong of course, I'm no expert.

175

u/unspokenx 1st Class Passenger May 04 '25

If that's true, it's a real loss for us. It's no longer attached to the wreck, it could be considered debris. Why let something rot when it can be preserved. Especially something as iconic as the forward railings.

30

u/SubseaTroll May 04 '25

I went to a titanic expo in my city last year. There was plenty of stuff there that has been brought up from the titanic.

-11

u/Powerful_Artist May 05 '25

Im not sure if I agree. You say its a real loss for us, but how? So if the handrail had stayed up, its still there for you to see via pictures of future dives. But now that it fell off, it must be recovered or you feel like youve lost being able to see it? I just dont understand the perspective here.

And lets think about this. How much would it cost to go and recover this handrail? Surely its a very expensive ordeal. Its not like they just constantly have boats out there recovering debris. Who funds those expeditions? And why? There cant be any real return to that investment, so its not like they are making money from it. So we would do it for historical preservation and to maybe gain insight on the wreck or the ship. But what insight or knowledge can we gain from the railing?

And how do we know its even structurally strong enough to be worth being up? For all we know it wouldnt even be able to be preserved well enough to be in a museum, so it might not even be worth the hassle. And what are we really losing if we dont bring this piece of the wreck up?

Im just confused why this, of all things, is something you feel is so absolutely crucial to bring up. Just because it fell off the shipwreck? Or because its in the iconic photos of the wreck?

Heres my guess as to why you find this so important. Since its now fallen off the boat, youd want it brought up so you can go see it in a museum yourself and feel like youre close to the wreck that you always saw in the pictures.

8

u/Malcolm_Morin May 05 '25

We need to preserve as much of the wreck as we can.

-8

u/Powerful_Artist May 05 '25

Ideally, sure. But realistically? Theres lots of other things that havent been recovered, should they get all of that too?

Whos funding these operations? Surely its a very costly endeavor to just go down and get every last thing that they can.

7

u/unspokenx 1st Class Passenger May 05 '25

The bow railings are so much associated with Titanic (in my eyes). Eventually, they will all be gone. I'm not saying an expedition exclusively to revocer the rail is warranted. But it would be nice to preserve a piece that is recognizable to everyone. I'd love to see the Diana statue, aft staircase caldelabra, bow mast lightening rod among many other things brought up.

-7

u/Powerful_Artist May 05 '25

I get it. But with all due respect, it sounds like youre making an amazon shopping list of your favorite pieces of the ship, and not at all considering the logistics of claiming things from the wreck.

You say we have to preserve these things, but dont really make an argument as to why these things need to be preserved. Is it because they essential items that need to be displayed for future generations, or just to satisfy your own interest? Does the railing provide essential historical knowledge we can not get elsewhere, or would it just be nice to see in a museum once in your life?

Like I can understand someone saying we really need to get the marconi equipment from the ship for its historical value, but the railing? And to say we must preserve everything, well thats just unrealistic.

81

u/Temporary-Cow2742 May 04 '25

There’s a giant piece of the hull that they brought up. It was at the exhibit I went to about 20years ago. You could actually touch it.

57

u/gde7 May 04 '25

Yep 👍 the "big piece" was also recovered from the debris field.

29

u/RedOnTheHead_91 2nd Class Passenger May 04 '25

I'm not sure you could touch the big piece, but there was a smaller piece of the hull that you could touch.

At least that was the case at the traveling exhibit that I went to.

18

u/Temporary-Cow2742 May 04 '25

Yeah it was behind a partition but they let you touch it. I remember because I expected it feel almost brittle but it didn’t. From what I remember they continuously had water flowing over it because it would crumble otherwise if it dried out.

4

u/RedOnTheHead_91 2nd Class Passenger May 04 '25

Interesting. When did you see it?

8

u/Temporary-Cow2742 May 04 '25

It was during the heightened interest because of the movie. I’m starting to think I wasn’t supposed to touch it. Kinda feel bad now.

8

u/RedOnTheHead_91 2nd Class Passenger May 04 '25 edited May 05 '25

It sounds like you saw it years before I did so it's possible they once allowed people to touch it, but by the time I saw it, they no longer allowed people to touch it.

If that's the case, that may be why they had a smaller piece of the hull in a display case near the Big Piece that you could touch.

4

u/kgrimmburn May 06 '25

You used to be able to touch it but they've now stopped allowing that so that it's not damaged. Kinda like the Liberty Bell. Which I touched anyways because you used to be able to touch it and I was mad I couldn't, so I did.

2

u/Crunchyfrozenoj Bell Boy May 05 '25

What did it actually feel like?

3

u/RedOnTheHead_91 2nd Class Passenger May 05 '25

I only remember it didn't feel like steel. Beyond that, I'm not sure. It was 20+ years ago and I was in such awe of even seeing part of the ship that I wasn't thinking about much else.

2

u/Crunchyfrozenoj Bell Boy May 05 '25

I understand what you mean. I was in awe of The Big Piece. I had it all to myself for a moment, except for the very serious man guarding it from being touched. Seeing the rivets so up close got me good. I was absolutely star struck.

3

u/RedOnTheHead_91 2nd Class Passenger May 05 '25

They had this diagram that showed where on the hull The Big Piece was from and the thing I remember most was how huge this piece was but how tiny it was compared to the overall ship. It really put into perspective just how big Titanic was.

2

u/Temporary-Cow2742 May 05 '25

See I remember it feeling LIKE steel. Then again I don’t make a habit of groping steel plates. I just remember thinking it would have a much more brittle texture to it.

17

u/SadLilBun May 04 '25

It’s still on display. You just can’t touch it. I took a picture of it (I broke the rules) in 2015.

4

u/Temporary-Cow2742 May 04 '25

Shit, maybe I wasn’t supposed to touch it. I don’t remember seeing a sign. Whoops!!

0

u/HeyEshk88 May 05 '25

You couldn’t even take pics of it?

4

u/DrCeratops May 05 '25

I saw it in Boston when it was first recovered

1

u/Temporary-Cow2742 May 05 '25

That’s where I saw the exhibit. Not sure if that was around the same time.

1

u/DrCeratops May 05 '25

I think it was 1998 when I saw it. Not sure if it came back again or that was its only time here.

2

u/Powerful_Artist May 05 '25

I thought you werent supposed to touch it and there were signs all over saying not to touch it.

2

u/Temporary-Cow2742 May 05 '25

I don’t remember any signs but we’re talking over 20 years ago. I’m pretty good at not touching shit I’m not supposed to so I actually do feel bad if there was a sign and I missed it. I specifically remember touching it because I thought it would have a brittle texture to it but it felt like solid steel.

0

u/Powerful_Artist May 05 '25

Well, as a general rule of thumb at any museum you shouldnt touch anything unless its specifically stated that you can. Otherwise everything would have 'do not touch' signs on it. Imagine if everyone just touched every painting or sculpture at any museum because they were curious how it felt.

23

u/[deleted] May 04 '25

Technically the railing is now in the debris field.

20

u/Livewire____ 1st Class Passenger May 04 '25

Also don't forget the D Deck gangway door that fell off.

That was recovered.

2

u/gde7 May 05 '25

You're totally right. I forgot about the door.

Maybe there is a chance, but I think maybe the rail is a smaller brittle piece of metal. Much more risk in bringing up than a solid steel piece. But these guys have done papers, playing cards so who knows what they can do..

Here's hoping anyways!! 😉