The Titanic Exhibit at the Sask. Science Centre

Intriguing.  Heart-breaking.  Fascinating.  Moving.

These words all describe the "Titanic: The Artifacts Exhibit" now on at the Saskatchewan Science Centre.  I had the privilege of going with the Museums Association of Saskatchewan (MAS) group through this new exhibit today, and it is breath-taking. 

Before you enter, you are given a White Star Line boarding pass with the information about one of the actual Titanic passengers.  This becomes who you are as you pass through the exhibit.  I was a well-to-do American, Mrs. Ryerson, whose family was traveling first class on their way back to the States to attend their son's funeral.  (SOOO tragic!)  The staff also snap a photo of you before you start through the exhibit.

Although this exhibit is only a third of the full touring exhibit (the other two thirds of which are currently in Edmonton) there is still a fascinating array of artifacts that were pulled up from the bottom of the ocean - plates from all classes (the first-class plates were NICE), cutlery, various metal objects like sink pieces and window fastenings, glass bottles, even towels, postcards, bank notes and assorted personal effects that were protected from the water by whatever they happened to be packed in. 

My impressions:

- light levels were excellent and were adjusted accordingly depending on the artifacts on display

- the text panels were gorgeously designed and easy to read; the background photo on each tied in perfectly to the large-scale photos that were scattered on the various walls

- the information makes everything very personal - lots of anecdotes about particular passengers; who survived and who didn't; a lot of detailed information about the ship itself

- the area leading up to the video display that shows an animation of the sinking Titanic is sufficiently eerie, with the iceberg warning cables from other ships written on the walls (and the sound effects are the creaking sounds of a ship in icy water)  Brrrrrr...

I've been fascinated with the Titanic tragedy ever since I was little, and this exhibit really brought everything home.  I definitely teared up a few times, especially at the end when you see the list of all the passengers divided up by who survived and who didn't.  (By the way, Mrs. Ryerson and her three children survived, but her husband did not.)

If I get a chance to go back through the exhibit, I'm definitely taking it.  And since it's on until March 2012, if you're in the area you should consider checking it out as well.  Totally worth the visit!!

This is what they do with your photo at the end, complete with a ghostly captain.  Creeeeeepy!