Titanic Memorial Lighthouse

Postcard US-2849023 to Portugal shows the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, at the entrance to the South Street Seaport in New York City, New York.

The 60-foot or 18-meter lighthouse was originally built on the roof of the old Seamen's Church Institute of New York and New Jersey at the corner of South Street and Coenties Slip in 1913, over looking the East River. The time ball on the top of the lighthouse, activated by a radio signal from the Naval Observatory in Washington D.C., would drop down the pole to signal 12:00 at noon to the ships in the harbor from 1913 to 1967.

When the Seamen's Church Institute moved to 15 State Street in July 1968, the lighthouse was donated to the South Street Seaport Museum. It was erected on the corner of Fulton and Pearl streets in May, 1976. It is one of those memorials in the U.S., Canada, England and Northern Ireland that remember the people perished on the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912.

Remembering Titanic, 102 Years Later

Courtesy National Museums Northern Ireland

Yesterday marks the 102nd anniversary of RMS Titanic's sinking in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after hitting an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, UK to New York City, USA. Postcard US-2542374 to Portugal shows that Titanic was leaving Southampton on April 10, 1912 as the last mooring line connecting Titanic to port was cast off. The postcard was obtained from the exhibition "Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titanic" at the National Postal Museum in Washington D.C. The exhibition, concluded on January 6, 2014, examined the less known heroic story of Titanic's mail clerks and featured a remarkable underwater footage of the ship's mail room.

Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titanic

Postcard US-2388538 traveled from Washington D.C. to Hawaii in 3 days. It was from another exhibition "Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titanic" at the National Postal Museum in Washington D.C., showing the airship Hindenburg.

Both Hindenburg and Titanic attempted to fill the demands for the mass travel and communication demands at the early 1900's. Both operated as the world's largest mobile post offices promising the fastest mail service in its day. Ironically, both ended in disasters. The exhibition shows rare artifacts including a mail sent from Titanic and burnt mail salvaged from Hindenburg.

The exhibition opened on March 22, 2012 and runs through January 6, 2014. For those who can't attend in person, please visit the online gallery on the web.