by It was with high hopes we entered the Titanic Museum in Indian Orchard, MA, and with mixed feelings that we exited it. Jennifer thought it left a bit to be desired, and Doug thought it was quirky fun.
The museum is run by the Titanic Historical Society; it’s quite small (located in the back of Henry’s Jewelry), and (Jennifer felt) contained many items only tangentially related to the Titanic, such as items from the Olympic (a sister-ship to the Titanic) and dishes used by the White Star Line (the company that built the Titanic) but which were not actually from the Titanic. There were a few artifacts donated from survivors, such as the life jacket worn by Mrs. Jacob Astor and some ticket stubs. Some of its collection is on display at the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN.
The Titanic Historical Society was founded by Edward S. Kamuda in 1963, and is dedicated to preserving the history of the RMS Titanic, which sank in 1912. The Society produces a quarterly online magazine, hosts an annual convention, and provides consultation and oversight to media productions, such as for James Cameron’s film Titanic (in which Kamuda and his wife appeared as extras). The Society provided funding for the first undersea explorations that ultimately discovered the site of the wreckage.
Pictures were not allowed in the museum itself, but the 9-foot model of the ship in the front store was fair game. The model was built over 4 years by Tim Thompson, a school teacher from Michigan. It was built from scratch and it actually floats!
