A Superb Set of Four Mid 20thC Facsimile Harland & Wolff Working Plans for the RMS Titanic

Origin: British
Period: Mid Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: 1940-60
The Largest: Height: 31.25 inches, Width: 81.25 inches
The Smallest: Height: 18 inches, Width: 32.5 inches
Condition: B- to B

The group of four framed and glazed plans varying in size from smaller to huge, all on off white drafting paper each showing the original working plans for the rigging and deck plans of the vessel, representing dimensionally correct blueprints of the Titanic showing everything from the complex divisions of the vessel's hull to the many decks of the ship.

Originally prepared for the shipyard riggers the largest of the four plans is the Belfast shipyard rigging plan reading ‘TITANIC No.401 Rigging Plan Scale 1/12"=1ft’ depicting the full starboard side elevation of the ship to include the ports, doors & hatches, funnels and superstructure, plating lines and internal bulkheads also containing dimensioned details of masts, shrouds, jackstays, cargo jibs, boarding ladder, flag pole, docking plates, timber rubbing strakes and ship's lifeboats. Shown to the waterline, the waterline marked-off with numbered drafting stations from midships fore and aft.

The plans are in good condition with only light creasing, some discoloration commensurate with age. There are two or three old tears and repairs to these tears and some light handling creases and marginal fraying. The plans have all been recently framed and glazed and the largest had to have custom hand cut glass made bespoke for it.

The Harland & Wolff Drawing Office Plan Store building was recently demolished and drawings and plans like these then surfaced. The original marine architect's drawing was drawn on linen cloth with indian ink. The Harland and Wolff stamp to each of these four plans is by no means early twentieth century but it is certainly not later than mid twentieth either making these more interesting than recent copies.

Owned by the White Star Line, RMS Titanic was the largest passenger steamship in the world when she set off on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, U.S.A., on 10 April 1912. Four days into the crossing, at 23:40 on 14 April 1912, she struck an iceberg and foundered at 2:20 the following morning, resulting in the deaths of 1,517 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Three thousand men labored for 2 years to complete the largest man made moving object in the world. Each of Titanic's engines were the size of a three story house. She weighed 66,000 tons and was equivalent in length to four city blocks. The agreement between the White Star Line and Harland and Wolff stated "she will be built barring no expense." With the recent centenary anniversary of the sinking, interest in RMS Titanic interest in her promises to continue to rise.

Although facsimiles of Titanic’s plans have been reproduced for a long period these are not mere contemporary reproductions and as such are more desirable as far as Titanic related ephemera is concerned, and in decorative terms would look simply superb in an office, covering a large, or rather titanic, amount of wall space.