R.M.S. TITANIC/OLYMPIC - ORIGINAL WHITE STAR LINE OLYMPIC & ...

Hammer

£9,500

R.M.S. TITANIC/OLYMPIC - ORIGINAL WHITE STAR LINE OLYMPIC & TITANIC BROCHURE OF ACCOMMODATIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS: One of the finest examples known of the rarest Titanic brochure. Printed over 72 pages with a striking red cover with "Olympic and Titanic 45,000 Tons Each" in bold block white, and black lettering and an image of the vessel underway, printed by Liverpool Printing and Stationery Co Ltd. Published May 1911, likely to coincide with Titanic's launch. Proudly displayed below the ship's name on the title page is, "Designed, Built and Engineered by Harland & Wolff, Ltd., Belfast".
The brochure begins with the achievements the two sisters represent and how they were built side by side at Harland & Wolff. The vessels are then described, beginning with the hull, then the decorations and, finally the machinery. The information contained in these sections is more than informative, from technical data on the watertight doors to the mechanics of the engines and just about everything in between.
Accommodations for each class are described in detail. Descriptions of various amenities of the ship are also included.
For example, on page 39 a portion of the Grand Staircase is described as follows: "Above all a great dome of iron and glass throws a flood of light down the stairway, and on the landing beneath a great carved panel gives its note of richness to the otherwise plain and massive construction of the wall." The symbolism of the staircase's renowned clock is also discussed.
The text is complemented by 49 illustrations and photographs, some of which may not easily be found elsewhere. The Grand staircase (referred to as the Main Staircase), Dining areas, Turkish Bath, Smoking Room, Pool (referred to as the Swimming Bath), each class of cabin, stages of building …… and machinery are all beautifully depicted throughout the brochure.