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33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

33 rare titanic sinking photos taken just before and after it happened
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Rare photos of the Titanic found on an old camera reveal all the glory and devastation that followed once the ship hit the iceberg.

When someone mentions the Titanic sinking, there is no doubt that the first picture our mind creates is the Titanic movie with Leo and Kate.

Isn't this one of the best movies ever? A story of a true forbidden love intertwined with some history. But this has nothing to do with love and heartbreak.

The Titanic sinking was as real as this heatwave we're dealing with now. And after all these years, its story is still an attraction.

However, this unfortunate event offers many great stories of how people fought for their lives. Nobody wanted to die - who would have given up on their life without a strong battle game?

In the end, they all struggled to get out of the sinking ship and get back to their families and loved ones.

But since there are millions of Titanic sinking photos on the Internet, let's explore some of the facts to see what really happened during Titanic's first and last sail in 1912.

#1 The Titanic Crash: A Thrilling Story About The Most Famous British Steamship

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Titanic was a luxurious passenger ship. And at the time it was built, this legendary steamship was one of the largest and fastest that humankind has ever known.

From stern to bow, the ship was 833 feet long. Moreover, it was divided into 16 smaller parts inside. The amusing thing about this ship was that these smaller sections were counted as watertight. Each of them had doors that could be closed from the bridge and prevent flood, and everything about this ship sounded too good to be true.

At some point, it was considered unsinkable because four of its smaller sections could be filled with water without causing any significant damage to the ship itself.

The sleek design of the ship and its colossal scale were all part of William Pirrie's work.

If only the Irish shipbuilders knew the unfortunate destiny of this ship.

But it is what it is, and its story had taught us that there are some things we cannot predict nor prevent.

#2 Titanic's Real Journey Before The Sinking

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Everything began on April 10, 1912. The ship took off from Southampton, England, and its final destination was New York City.

The Millionaire's Captain, Edward J. Smith, had everything under control. And that's how it was - a smooth ride through the salty waters around England.

Titanic had 2,240 people on board, and nearly 1,300 of them were passengers. They all enjoyed the entertainment sections the ship had offered them - restaurants serving delicious food, cozy cafes, common rooms where they could chat or play games. Everyone could find something to satisfy their taste.

But this fairytale didn't have a happy ending.

#3 Details Of The Titanic Sinking, And Reasons Why The Photos Still Fascinate Us

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

On the fourth day of the ship's journey, something strange came up.

There were several reports of an iceberg, but since the Titanic was sailing under a sky full of stars, the crew took this warning for granted.

The coast was clear, and there was no need to disturb the passengers with some false alarms. And so, the ship continued its elegant dance through the icy Atlantic waters.

Not only was this not some false alarm, but it also made the whole journey escalate to another level of terror, cries for help, and a battle to stay alive.

The iceberg was real, and the ship was approaching it faster than lightning.

At first, the captain and his crew were trying to stay calm and come up with a strategy. The plan was to avoid it by circling around it. But little did they know that the iceberg was massive underwater. Their chances were close to zero.

When the damage was done, the iceberg tore a part of the Titanic's hull. Then, it became crystal clear that they were living on borrowed time.

#4 Nobody Ever Said That Titanic Was Unsinkable

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

The damage from the iceberg was too serious.

Five compartments of the ship got filled with water almost instantly. There was no escape. Moreover, the signal was too weak to ask for some help.

Suddenly, it seemed like all odds were against the Titanic.

Although it was said before that Titanic's sections had doors that could be closed from the bridge to prevent flooding, it turned out that this wasn't as good and real as it sounded.

The safety of the ships got compromised when shipbuilders started a competition between themselves. Each one of them tried to build the biggest or fastest ship.

Some experts in this area believed that the goal to aim for when building a ship is not to make it as big and as fast as you could. They thought that these things would take their toll at some point.

And just look how it turned out true for the Titanic.

#5 Young Bernice Palmer Took Some Of The Legendary Titanic Photos

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Not long after the ship sank, a Cunard liner named Carpathia arrived to collect the passengers in the lifeboats.

Back then, Bernice Palmer was just a little girl who, at that time, was enjoying the time with her mom on their cruise with Carpathia.

Moreover, she had that new Brownie camera from Kodak, and she was eager to learn a trick or two in photography.

When the Carpathia made it to the place where the Titanic sank, all of Bernice's wishes regarding photography came true. The young girl took a lot of pictures of the iceberg that destroyed the famous steamship.

She also took photos of some of the lucky ones who survived the ship's crash.

And thanks to this young photography enthusiast, we now can

#6 Rare Titanic Photos That Somebody Found On An Old Camera

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

People in 1912 didn't have much choice when it comes to technology. They could dream of taking pictures with high-quality cameras like ours.

Thanks to people like young Bernice, we have the chance to take a look back in time and see what it looked like to be on the Titanic while it was sinking. Or to be on the other side and ask yourself whether your loved ones, your kids, or your family are still alive.

#7 There Are Dozens Of Photos Taken On Board, Moments Before the Titanic Started Sinking

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Although the suspense was thrilling to all those poor people on deck, some of them didn't forget to take pictures.

Who knew what made them get their cameras and take pictures - maybe they needed a distraction from all the mess, or they wanted to bring some proof of the horrors they faced while the boat was sinking.

#8 The Titanic Was Known For Tragedies From Its Beginning

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Maybe the Titanic wasn't built under a lucky star.

Regarding some unfortunate events that happened in the early stages of the construction of the Titanic, this might not be far from the truth.

There is proof that eight men died during that time, and many people are convinced that the whole ship situation was "bad juju" from its start.

#9 The Glamour Inside Titanic Through Pictures

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

There are not many photos that offer a look inside of the Titanic, but even the rare ones count.

And everything inside the Titanic screams of glamour, class, beauty.

Dropped ceilings, pergolas, a cozy fireplace - everything you could ask for your finest pleasure was there.

#10 The Splendid Atmosphere Inside: Real Photos Of Titanic's Interior

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Every part of the interior was carefully chosen. Keep in mind that this was a luxurious boat, and it needed to offer another level of elegance and glamour.

At the same time, it needed to be suitable for upper-class people, so the goal was to create some eye-catching corners that could offer them comfort and joy during their stay.

#11 Pictures Taken Of Titanic, Hours Before It Sunk Underwater

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Fancy a dish?

Your wish would be a command if you were a first-class passenger on this ship. An interesting detail about Titanic - it was one of the first ships that separated the fancy restaurant from the main dining hall.

Of course, this restaurant's target audience was the high-class society, so it had to tune in with their preferences.

A ratatouille, you say? Coming right up!

#12 More Raw Photos Of The Titanic Before Sinking

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

When the Titanic sunk underwater, it took each and every single item with it: people and their possessions, animals, trinkets, everything.

And even after all these years, the pictures are still breathtaking.

#13 All Photos Of the Titanic Are Real

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

It's hard to believe that someone could be able to take such thriving photos in the heart of an accident.

Some of the photographs were taken during the better and happier parts of the voyage. But one thing is sure: all those galleries full of Titanic sinking photos you scroll through are real.

#14 The Paradox With The Lifeboats

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

As we know, the Titanic carried 2,240 passengers and crew members.

For such a large number of people on deck, it needed to have 64 lifeboats. But the boat was designed to carry only 32. And somehow, in the end, the ship ended up taking only 20 lifeboats.

Was there any particular reason for it?

For instance, some people responsible for the lifeboats cared more about the deck aesthetic than the safety.

All lifeboats were placed on the top deck. And these people thought that maybe it would look better if they don't pile it up with that many lifeboats.

And who would have thought that a catastrophe like that was approaching their way?

#15 Actual Photos Of People Who Survived The Titanic Sinking

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Moreover, an intriguing detail is that the survival rate was pretty low for such a modern steamship that seemed ahead of its time at first glance.

In the end, only 30% of the passengers remained alive. The others, unfortunately, suffered the bitter end.

But, there are many issues with the lifeboats Titanic had available for such incidents.

After the dust from the sinking Titanic settled down for a bit, some investigations revealed that the lifeboats weren't used properly.

These lifeboats passed a test session before Titanic started its journey on water, and it was confirmed they could carry seventy men. Yet somehow, many Titanic survivors shared that the lifeboats weren't filled with that many people.

If a single lifeboat was designed to be filled with 65 people, they would pick around 40 instead and start filling another one. These things surely had an impact on the number of people that were saved from the catastrophe.

#16 How Many People Died When The Titanic Sank?

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Back then, in 1912, when the Titanic sank, people didn't have the same tracking abilities we have now. But that wasn't the main issue in this case.

We will never know how many people died in this accident. The exact number of victims will remain unknown.

Some experts who worked on this case believe that nearly 1,500 people were gone. Titanic had 2,240 people on board, including the passengers and the crew members.

#17 Were Rose And Jack Based On Real People's Story?

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Even though the character of Rose was portrayed after Beatrice Wood, the American artist, every other part of the legendary movie is pure fiction.

Beatrice Wood has no connection with Titanic at all. However, the director thought that she would give a nice touch to the whole scenario.

#18 Everything About The Legendary Orchestra On The Ship Was Real

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

On the other hand, if you watched the movie, you surely remember that heroic move of the orchestra on the boat.

We saw how the members of the band never gave up playing their music. And that was another real fact.

While Titanic was slowly sinking, they were doing what they knew best: playing their musical instruments for the last time in their lives.

#19 People Fighting For Their Lives

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

When the Titanic started sinking, and the crew couldn't hide the news from the passengers anymore, the whole atmosphere went chaotic within minutes.

Suddenly, it was not important whether you're rich, poor, an employee, a noblewoman, or a poor young girl.

The survival instincts of the people were out and about in an instant. And the most important thing was to stay alive at any cost.

#20 More Real Photos Of Titanic Sinking That Will Give You The Goosebumps

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Imagine being there - it surely wouldn't be easy to walk in the shoes of all those people who were stuck on the Titanic while it was sinking.

Especially not if it's kids we're talking about. These poor little kids were among the lucky ones who survived the accident. But unfortunately, their father died in an attempt to save his kids.

Luckily, this story had a happy ending, and the kids were brought back to their mom shortly after the shipwreck.

#21 Animals Suffered Too

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Unfortunately, not all animals that were on board could be saved.

Some of the witnesses who survived shared a heartbreaking story about a woman named Ann Elizabeth Isham and her Great Dane.

When Ann figured out that she can't rescue her dog and that her best furry friend would suffer the worst type of death, she couldn't get over it. Then the woman jumped off of the lifeboat she was in.

There are many rumors of how people saw a dead woman hugging a dog, both floating in the water, frozen to death. But nobody can confirm if that was the same woman here.

#22 Many Famous Actors Were On Board

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

There were many people on board. And among them, you could see the variety of classes that fluctuated during the short voyage of the Titanic.

The high-class folks and middle-class people. Loners, animals, celebrities, and many more.

Of course, there were some celebrities on board. Titanic was a ship that had room for everyone.

A famous silent film actress named Dorothy Gibson was one of the witnesses who saw everything that happened on the Titanic firsthand. Moreover, she was among those lucky passengers who survived the Titanic sinking.

#23 Alcohol Saved Some People's Lives

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

There is a fascinating story about a passenger that was part of the Titanic's crew.

One of the cooks working on the ship could survive much longer in water than some other unfortunate souls who didn't make it. The reason why he remained alive in the ice-cold water for at least two hours was alcohol. Loads of whiskey, to be clearer.

He drank a large amount of it before going into the water. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for surviving.

As it turns out, alcohol sometimes could help to warm you up. Just be a responsible human and don't go overboard with it.

#24 Titanic Survivors Telling Their Stories

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

But other real people who survived the sinking of the Titanic exist. And nearly all of them shared their stories.

Violet Jessop was a nurse and a stewardess. She was only 25 when she got on this ship, and luckily, she was one of the lucky women who survived the sinking of the Titanic.

#25 But Most Importantly, People Were Doing Their Thing Even Back Then

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened
33 rare titanic sinking photos taken just before and after it happened

Some people who survived the sinking of the Titanic told fascinating stories.

And just think for a moment, to see that not many things have changed since then.

Eyewitnesses claim they saw many men dressing up as women to get a place on the lifeboats. In the end, everybody was fighting for their life as best as they knew.

#26 Are Some Of The People Who Survived Titanic Sinking Still Alive?

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

The two lovely Navratil brothers were one of the Titanic survivors too.

Sadly, none of the people who survived this tragic accident is alive anymore.

The last Titanic survivor died in 2009. It was Millvina Dean, and she passed away at 97.

Ms. Millvina was the youngest passenger that Titanic had. She was only two months old when they put her in a lifeboat along with her mother and older brother.

#27 Inside Of The Titanic: Writing The History

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

There is no doubt that the survivors cherished all those Titanic sinking photos in their memories for the rest of their lives.

The chances to survive such tragedy were close to impossible.

Maybe the crew could have saved more passengers if there were 64 lifeboats. Maybe the ship could avoid the iceberg if the captain and his assistants started making backup plans earlier.

Indeed, there is no point in asking those boring "what if" questions. We all should know that no matter what we do, some things in life can't be changed. But on the other side, there are small details that can and will change the outcome of a certain situation.

And if Titanic succeeded in something besides changing history, it was teaching us a valuable life lesson. To be cautious and to believe the red flags someone is pointing at.

#28 More Captivating Photos Of The Iceberg That Caused The Sinking Of Titanic

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Some people claim that if the winter in 1911 had been a bit colder, maybe Titanic would have avoided its undoing. Or at least, the iceberg.

If the "why" question crossed your mind, let us remind you that higher temperatures during winters can cause severe driftings of icebergs.

In fact, that was the main reason why that colossal iceberg detached and started floating across the waters of the North Atlantic.

#29 Other Titanic Movies And Shows You Could Watch

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Are you a fan of old-school movies in black and white?

If so, you could find the short movie with the famous actress Dorothy Gibson, one of the most famous Titanic survivors. It's called Saved From The Titanic (1912).

However, you'll have plenty of fun with some of these other Titanic-related movies:

S.O.S. Titanic (1979)

Titanic (1953)

Raise The Titanic (1980)

Saving The Titanic (2012)

A Night To Remember (1958)

And if you're a fan of series, then here are some mini-series that could entertain you:

Titanic: Blood And Steel (2012)

Titanic (2012)

Grab the popcorn, and let the Titanic marathon begin!

#30 Some Bestselling Authors Still Use The Titanic Story In Their Books

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

There is no doubt that the unfortunate destiny of Titanic was an inspiration to many authors.

Even after all this time, it's still intriguing to read about the sinking Titanic from someone else's point of view.

If you're one of the bookworms who always crave something new from the historical fiction section, then feel free to check out this list of books:

No Greater Love by Danielle Steel

Women & Children First by Gill Paul

Promise Me This by Cathy Gohlke

The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor

The Dance Of Love by Angela Young

Luck Of The Titanic by Stacey Lee

And who knows, maybe you'll find your next favorite read inside this small Titanic-themed pile of books.

#31 Nature Doing Her Vanishing Acts

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

And many experts estimate that the wreckage of the Titanic is slowly disappearing. At some point, nature will do her thing, and the ship will vanish.

Of course, it would need many years for such a thing to happen. But the decomposition is a natural process, and it is something our future generations will face.

#32 Titanic Today - Were There Any New Titanic Photos Released In 2020?

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

Nothing could beat the authenticity of the vintage photos found on old cameras left on board.

Those pictures are pure history. A valuable treasure that speaks of an unfortunate event that the survivors never forgot.

However, there are regular expeditions that follow the situation of the wreck of the Titanic. And last year, researchers had a goal to start working on a project that would help them recover as many parts as they can from the Marconi room and the ship's communication equipment.

#33 More Interesting Facts About The Sinking Titanic

33 Rare Titanic Sinking Photos Taken Just Before And After It Happened

There are many interesting facts about the Titanic regarding its history, how it was built, its one and only voyage, and the sinking.

Titanic's maximum capacity was 3,547 people.

Only two lucky dogs survived the shipwreck.

Before its undoing, there were six warnings that the ship is approaching a dangerous iceberg.

The ship had around 2 hours and 40 minutes before it completely sinks underwater.

706 people survived this fatal shipwreck.

There are around 6,000 artifacts that were discovered and recovered after the ship sunk.

The remains of Titanic lie 12,600 feet deep underwater.

Although the Titanic sinking took the lives of many innocent souls, these stories always make history sound like the most interesting thing in the world. Even for those who are not that fond of it.

And isn't that fantastic?

Now let's focus on that list of movies and books - feel free to dive in deep and explore the story of this amazing steamship to the tiniest detail!