An immersive exhibition on the Titanic opened its doors to the public in Paris on Tuesday with a very particular attention to the memory of Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Photo EFE
An immersive exhibition on the Titanic opened its doors to the public in Paris on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, paying very particular attention to the memory of Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of the greatest experts on this ocean liner, who died in mid-June in the mission of the Titan to sight the remains of the ship.
He died at the age of 77 aboard the Titan bathyscaphe, which imploded in mid-June with five occupants, who are reported missing, after submerging to sight the wreckage. In fact, Nargeolet should have been the master of ceremonies for this exhibition.
“I want to thank all the messages of support and condolences that my family and I have received,” Sidonie Nargeolet, daughter of the explorer, who should have been the master of ceremonies at the inauguration, told the press.
The expert’s daughter, who died at the age of 77, stated that “having all these objects is like having a part of my father with me and I am proud of what he has done.”
“We will continue the work of PH (in reference to Paul-Henri Nargeolet), collecting and preserving the legacy of the Titanic and now also that of PH,” stressed Jessica Sanders, president of the RMS Titanic company, which is in charge of maintaining memory about this ship.
The exhibition, which has been set up in the Porte de Versailles fairgrounds in Paris, shows up to 260 relics of the British liner that sank during the night of April 14-15, 1912, as a result of colliding with an iceberg. , during its maiden voyage.
In that accident, more than 1,500 people lost their lives and there were around 700 survivors.
In the more than 2,000 square meters of the exhibition you can see combs, mirrors, coins, letters, clothes, suitcases and even original perfume bottles. In addition, for the first time the great staircase of the Titanic is recreated in real size.
You can also see some of the cabins that were on the ocean liner, which departed from Southampton (United Kingdom) and was destined for New York (United States).
On this immersive journey, the stories of those who boarded the Titanic before it sank forever are remembered. This is the case of the captain, Edward J. Smith, who should never have embarked, since formally he should have already retired before making the famous journey.
Likewise, the memory of the Beckers family is recovered, made up of two adults and three minors who traveled second class. After the shipwreck, only two of the little ones could save their lives.
“We have to continue to inspire the new generations, so that they think about history and where we came from,” said Rory Golden, an explorer who participated in the opening of the exhibition and who has made three expeditions to the Titanic, the first of which was in 1988. .
On the first day of opening, long queues of the public formed to enter and enjoy a journey in which even touch is one of the senses that can be used, since there is a large ice sheet that simulates the iceberg that broke the structure. of the ocean liner more than 100 years ago. The exhibition will be open until September 10. EFE