Titanic Discovery collection

Collection

Identifier: AC-21

Scope and Content Note

The R.M.S. Titanic collection spans the years 1973-1997 and consists of navigational data, correspondence and public information materials, including newspaper clippings, press releases and press packets. Files relate to the discovery of the Titanic on September 1, 1985 and the return to the site in July of 1986. Materials include correspondence by Robert Ballard concerning the planning of the expedition, and his response to the correspondence that poured in from all over the world following the discovery of the Titanic.

Dates

Creation: 1973-1997

Language of Materials

The records are in English.

Access

Open/Restricted: most materials in the collection are available for research; some materials may only be viewed by the Office of Origin or with permission of the Archivist.

Use

Historical Information

The Titanic was found on September 1, 1985. The discovery was a joint effort by the Institut français de recherche pour l’exploitation de la mer (IFREMER) and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

Extent

22 boxes plus oversized material (15.25 linear feet)

Additional Description

Overview

The R.M.S. Titanic collection spans the years 1973-1997 and consists of records relating to the discovery of the Titanic on September 1, 1985 and the return to the site in July of 1986.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in six series:

Custodial History

Prior to their transfer to the Archives, Robert Ballard's Correspondence series was stored in his office; the Titanic Publications series was maintained in the Public Information Office; and the Media Relations Office series was kept in the Media Relations Office. The custodial history of the Titanic Data series is undocumented.

Acquisitions Information

The Titanic Publications material was received from the Public Information Office; the Media Relations Office series material was transferred by Shelley Lauzon, Senior News Officer; and Robert Ballard's Correspondence was transferred to the archives by C. Offinger on November 10, 1998, as accession 1998-23.

The provenance for the Titanic Data series is unknown.

Related Material

The 1986 publication, R.M.S. Titanic: A Joint French-American Discovery, published by WHOI and the Institut Français De Recherche Pour L’Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), provides a summary, photographs, and bibliography of the joint French-American discovery of the Titanic.

Additional Titanic materials can be found in the records of the Associate Director for Finance and Administration - Gary Walker (in unprocessed box 101); and in the records of the Office of the Director (AC 9), (box 93, f. 34; box 113, f. 34; box 126, f.17-“Supershow”; and box 140, f. 14).