PerÂhaps, this past ValenÂtine’s Day, you caught a screenÂing of James Cameron’s TitanÂic, that nineÂteen-nineties blockÂbuster havÂing been re-released for its 25th anniverÂsary. You may have even found yourÂself feelÂing a renewed appreÂciÂaÂtion for the film’s preÂciÂsion-engiÂneered mixÂture of HolÂlyÂwood romance and techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly robust hisÂtorÂiÂcal re-creÂation. As Cameron himÂself tells it, he and his colÂlabÂoÂraÂtors were galÂvaÂnized to reach such heights by makÂing a series of underÂwaÂter expeÂdiÂtions to see the wreckÂage of the RMS TitanÂic itself firstÂhand in 1995 — less than a decade after that most notoÂriÂous of all ocean linÂers was redisÂcovÂered.
The TitanÂic vanÂished beneath the waves of the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912. For nearÂly 75 years thereÂafter, nobody saw it again, or indeed had a clear idea of where it even was. It wasÂn’t until 1985 that its locaÂtion was deterÂmined, thanks to a joint expeÂdiÂtion by Jean-Louis Michel of French nationÂal oceanoÂgraphÂic agency IFREMER and Robert BalÂlard of the Woods Hole OceanoÂgraphÂic InstiÂtuÂtion. The job necesÂsiÂtatÂed the use of IFREÂMER’s new high-resÂoÂluÂtion sonar as well as the WHOI’s remoteÂly conÂtrolled deep-sea vehiÂcle Argo and its comÂpanÂion robot Jason, designed to take picÂtures and gathÂer objects from the sea floor.
When BalÂlard and his crew returned to the TitanÂic the folÂlowÂing year, they brought a new cast of machines with them: the deep-divÂing subÂmersible DSV Alvin, the Jason’s descenÂdant Jason Jr., and the camÂera sysÂtem ANGUS (AcoustiÂcalÂly NavÂiÂgatÂed GeoÂlogÂiÂcal UnderÂwaÂter SurÂvey). You can see more than 80 minÂutes of the footage they colÂlectÂed in the video at the top of the post, newÂly uploaded to the WHOI’s Youtube chanÂnel. This expeÂdiÂtion marked “the first time humans set eyes on the ill-fatÂed ship since 1912,” and most of the footage shot on it has nevÂer before been released to the pubÂlic.
The video offers close-up views of the TitanÂic’s “rust-caked bow, intact railÂings, a chief offiÂcer’s cabÂin and a promÂeÂnade winÂdow,” as NPR’s EmiÂly Olson writes. “At one point, the camÂera zeroes in on a chanÂdeÂlier, still hangÂing, swayÂing against the curÂrent in a hauntÂing state of eleÂgant decay.” What’s more, “the WHOI’s newÂly released footage shows the shipÂwreck in the most comÂplete state we’ll ever see.” Over the past 37 years, the handÂiÂwork of the world of underÂsea organÂisms have takÂen their toll on the TitanÂic, whose remains could vanÂish almost entireÂly in a manÂner of decades — but whose powÂer to inspire works of art will sureÂly go on and on.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
See the First 8K Footage of the TitanÂic, the HighÂest-QualÂiÂty Video of the ShipÂwreck Yet
Watch the TitanÂic Sink in This Real-Time 3D AniÂmaÂtion
TitanÂic SurÂvivor InterÂviews: What It Was Like to Flee the SinkÂing LuxÂuÂry LinÂer
The TitanÂic: Rare Footage of the Ship Before DisÂasÂter Strikes (1911–1912)
How the TitanÂic Sank: James Cameron’s New CGI AniÂmaÂtion
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
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