Titanic Interest - R.M.S Carpathia / Titanic bronze medal, the verso reads, 'Presented to the Captain, Officers & Crew of the RMS Carpathia, in recognition of the gallant and heroic services from the survivors of the S.S. Titanic April 15th 1912, Dieges & Clust N.Y.' (Jewellers), framed with newspaper cutting of Captain A H Rostrom, Commander of the Carpathia, which rescued the survivors of the Titanic
Background: As the R.M.S. Carpathia steamed its way back to New York after rescuing those who had survived the disastrous sinking of the Titanic, several prominent First Class passengers - led by the redoubtable Mrs. J. J. “Molly” Brown formed themselves into the Titanic Survivors’ Committee. Apart from its desire to aid those made destitute by the disaster, the Committee also wished to reward Captain Rostron, his officers, and crew for their steadfast efforts, saving so many lives.
When the R.M.S. Carpathia docked in New York on the evening of April 18th, the members of the Committee initially dispersed to their homes and families but soon reconvened to discuss the options for suitably rewarding those to whom they owed their lives. In due course, it was decided that Captain Rostron should be presented with a handsome silver loving cup bearing an appropriate inscription whilst every man aboard Carpathia, including Captain Rostron himself, was to receive a specially commissioned medal in the name of the “Titanic” Survivors’ Committee as a tangible gesture of thanks from those who had been saved.
The medal was manufactured by Dieges & Clust of New York but since a number of the extant examples are to be found in Tiffany boxes, it may be assumed that the order was placed through that firm which may also have prepared the designs. There is certainly no record of any reputation for design by Dieges & Clust whereas the great house of Tiffany was eminently well placed for such a prestigious commission. Given the social hierarchy of the time, it was natural that the medal would be struck in three different metals, gold, silver and bronze...
What has vexed researchers ever since, however, is the precise number of each type which were produced. The award ceremony took place on May 29th 1912. The first occasion that Carpathia had returned to New York after resuming her normal schedule, and a contemporary report states that gold medals were presented to Carpathia’s Commander (Captain Rostron) as well as to her Purser, Surgeon, Chief Steward, Chief Engineer and Second Engineer. The report then continues, “the junior officers received the medal in silver, while the members of the crew had bronze.”
