Since the discovery of the Titanic wreck in 1985, more than 5,000 artifacts have been recovered from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. A significant portion of these treasures are stored in a secret warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia, where there is limited access for viewing. However, the exact location is not known.
according to BBCThe collection includes a variety of personal items and relics, such as handbags, perfume vials that still contain the scent, and countless other items. In a rare and special opportunity, the BBC was granted access to the secret storage facility.
Notably, RMS Titanic Inc., an American company, has the exclusive right to salvage artifacts from the Titanic wreck site, which was granted to it by a US court in 1994. However, the company is prohibited from breaking up or dividing the recovered objects, to ensure they remain intact and preserved for their historical and cultural significance.
The treasures in the Titanic collection also include a small, exquisite crocodile-skin handbag that belonged to 63-year-old Marian Meanwell, who was travelling in third class on her way to the United States to visit her daughter, who had recently become a widow.
“It’s a really beautiful, fashionable little bag,” said Tomasina Ray, collections director at RMS Titanic Inc.
The handbag had suffered for decades in the North Atlantic waters, protecting her precious possessions. Inside the bag was a faded photograph, yellowed papers and a heart-rending, handwritten reference letter from her former landlord in London. However, the most heartbreaking discovery was her medical inspection card, which revealed she had initially booked passage on the Majestic, but when that fell through, her booking was transferred to the ill-fated Titanic.
A collection of small perfume vials was also found with second-class passenger and perfume expert Adolf Saalfeld. Miraculously, the vials remained sealed and their scents intact.
Other items recovered included a champagne bottle still sealed with a cork, metal pins used to hold the ship’s steel plates together, etc.
