A very rare divot (the plugs that are pressed out of a hull plate to make the holes that rivets are pounded into) from a Titanic hull plate. When the Titanic foundered on April 15, 1912, it was a very personal loss for the workers at the Harland and Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, Ireland. These hard working men had poured mountains of sweat into her creation and for them the sinking of the Titanic was akin to losing a child. To mark her passing a number of workers at the shipyard took home Titanic divots like this example, made from actual remnants of the ship’s hull, and turned them into unique works of folk art. This stellar specimen features hand-engraved shamrocks around its edge and the words,” S.S. TITANIC LOST APR 15TH 1912,” hand-inscribed into the head within a border that surrounds a hand- carved star, the symbol for The White Star Line. While the known small handful of rare Titanic hull divots in international museum collections usually feature only the name of the ship and the date of her loss, this remarkable example is far more intricately inscribed, is nickel plated circa 1912, and has been hollowed out at the base. It was likely the intention of the person who hand worked this Titanic hull divot to turn it into the head for a walking stick or cane. This is a very rare opportunity to acquire and own an actual piece of Titanic’s hull.
