This year - 2012 - we witness the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the titanic while on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York.
This terrible tragedy occurred on April 15, 1912, and resulted in the deaths of 1,517 people. The shipwreck was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.
However, incredible photographic evidence from Father Frank Browne has helped to bring this disaster to life and so the world is able to learn the story of the Titanic from his personal perspective.
A student of theology who later was to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest, Father Browne had been sent a ticket for the first leg of the maiden voyage of the Titanic, which went from Southampton to Cherbourg, France, to Queenstown, Ireland.During this leg of the voyage, an American millionaire offered to pay for Father Browne's passage for the rest of the trip to New York! Luckily for him, upon being apprised of this offer, Browne's Jesuit superior cabled Queenstown saying - succinctly, "Get off that ship -- Provincial."
Browne's great collection of photographic negatives of the Titanic - and other subjects - lay forgotten for 25 years after his death. In 1986, the Rev. E.E. O'Donnell, another Jesuit, accidentally discovered it in a large metal trunk. He brought the negatives to the attention of the features editor of the London Sunday Times who called them:
"the photographic equivalent to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls."
For related articles click onto the following links:
Father Frank Browne's Photographs
GUY FAWKES AND THE GUNPOWDER PLOT
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC
TITANIC SURVIVORS
TITANIC: The last radio transmissions
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