2005

Normandie was to some, the epitome of an ocean liner, a magnificent work of art and a representation of French culture. There is no doubt that she was a legendary ship and a subject we have not covered yet in The Commutator. The impressive recreation of the fabled French liner by THS member, Fr. Roberto Pirrone just had to be seen and we are pleased to present his sixteen-year labor of love. Nelson Arnstein and Ken Marschall spent two full days photographing the cutaway model. We have added black and white archival photos for contrast. For those who truly appreciate the graceful lines of Normandie, she is a feast for the eyes.

History is a search for the truth and when new information is discovered, Sam Halpern does with an introspective look during the night of April 14-15, 1912 in, “A Moment in Time.”

September 1, 2005 marked a milestone; twenty years have passed since Titanic’s discovery. A lot of history has occurred in the interim two decades but there was much that was not known before September 1. Ed Kamuda takes a look into the private area he was in on, but at the time was not for public consumption. A glimpse was provided at our “Titanic Launch Weekend.” A CBS-TV news broadcast with Walter Cronkite from May 1978 aired a news feature on the quest to find Titanic with THS’s Bill Tantum and WHOI’s Robert Ballard. Now you’ll know “the rest of the story.”

Everyone who attended agreed that this year’s convention, “Titanic Launch Weekend” was the best ever. Aline Roy and Griffin Schrack photographed our annual gala and their album, along with images donated by other THS members is not to be missed.

Contents in this Issue

A Moment in Time, Part One by Sam Halpern.

Making a Model of Normandie by Fr. Roberto Pirrone.

Discovering Titanic, September 1, 1985 by Edward Kamuda.

Titanic Launch Weekend by Aline Roy.

Sea Poste: Topics include: Was the music from “A Night to Remember” recorded? Could passengers have been saved if they were left on a iceberg? Where is there information about lawsuits filed from losses due to the disaster? What was Titanic’s number? A ship my mother was on claiming to pick up survivors. A bell from Titanic?.

Review: Titanic, Special Collector’s Edition.

Front cover: The spectacular illustration of Normandie was created by Jan Auvigne for a souvenir book celebrating three quarters of a century 1864 – 1939 of the Compagnie Gènèrale Transatlantic (French Line). Kamuda Collection

Back cover: The completed model of Normandie made by Fr. Roberto Pirrone had to be taken to a large parking lot to be photographed. Photo: Ken Marschall and Nelson Arnstein