By Laurie Toth
One of the first articles I wrote for Classic Chicago in 2018 was titled “The Titanic and Six Chicago Connections”. Six years later I was contacted by Mark Lach, Creative Producer of Imagine Exhibitions and Titanic: The Exhibition. He had read my article and wanted to use the stories of the six Chicagoans on the Titanic in his “Titanic: The Exhibition” at the Westfield Old Orchard. Each of the stories is on large boards with photos near the end of the experience. To say the least I was very excited and honored to have my work be included in the Exhibition.
Many of you will remember the Titanic Exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry In 2000 and again in 2002. Bringing in 860,000 people in 2000 and 450,000 in 2002. The story of hopes and dreams intertwined with the greed of speeding through dangerous icy waters to beat a record. A story that still today fascinates people of all generations.
Talking with Mark, I learned he, like so many people, has a deep fascination with the Titanic and its story. Mark has lived the dream of going down to see the Titanic in its icy grave at the bottom of the Atlantic. In September of 2000 he viewed the Titanic from the Russian Mir 1 submersible. He said the experience was a “memory of a lifetime and an honor to have seen it first-hand.” He returned to the wreck site in 2005, this time supervising the robotic recovery of artifacts from the ocean floor.
When you first enter the exhibition, you will receive a Boarding Pass with a name of a Titanic passenger. At the end you will discover the fate of that passenger. As you walk thru the rooms, there are artifacts of the first- second- and third-class China, silverware, and crystal. Many artifacts of what those who were on the Titanic saw and enjoyed.
The experience is immersive and as you walk thru the hallways you can easily imagine what it must have been like to be aboard. The magnificent grand staircase is recreated and is very awe inspiring. Walking down the first-class hallway you almost expect to see John Jacob Astor, Benjamin Guggenheim or Molly Brown emerge from one of the doors. In the 3rd class bedroom, the bunk bed style beds were a stark contrast from the first-class settings. The boiler room is fascinating to see in its reconstruction. There is a room where you can put your hand in an opening to feel how cold the Atlantic was that night; it is hard to keep your hand in for longer than a few seconds. Another awe-inspiring area is the Discovery Gallery which is dedicated to the discovery and research of the Titanic’s wreckage site. It features a raised glass floor with sand and artifacts beneath it giving you the impression of what you would see on the ocean floor.
Near the end, you will come to the gallery where you will find out the fate of the passenger whose card you were given when you entered. There are personal artifacts surrounding a tribute wall.
The last gallery has Chicago related stories including the Eastland disaster story that happened in 1915. There also are the panels with the stories of six of the passengers on the Titanic destined for Chicago 112 years ago.
The interest in the story of the Titanic is still alive and as intriguing 112 years later. In many ways, it marked the end of the Gilded Age. No one would ever again believe anything was “unsinkable.”
Titanic: The Exhibition will be at Westfield Old Orchard until July 7th, 2024. This is a not to be missed experience!
For more information on dates and tickets:
