Fitting Gallery

Titanic and Olympic - Harland & Wolff, Belfast

Fascinating photograph taken on 6th March 1912, showing The RMS Titanic (left) and The RMS Olympic (right), the brand new ships of the White Star Line at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland. The caption on the reverse of the print reads as follows:
"Olympic on right alongside floating crane and wharf after having floated out of dry dock - Titanic on left having floated into dry dock - All being done on one tide on 6th March 1912"
Titanic closely resembled her older sister Olympic. Although she enclosed more space and therefore had a larger gross register tonnage, the hull was the same length as Olympic's. One of the most noticeable differences from Olympic was that half of Titanic's forward promenade A-Deck (below the boat deck) was enclosed against outside weather.
1912

© Mary Evans Picture Library/The Herdman Archives Collection

Evening and day wear 1913

Women models wearing fashionable clothing for evening and day wear. White heavy eveing gown in charmeuse with a short train; over beaded white tulle is diagonally draped. The tulle is gracefully arranged over the satin bodice and bands od beaded trimming finish the sleeves. Loose fitting cape style evening coat in silk and velvet in pink, hangs quite simply over the shoulds, bottom half with fine embroidered pattern. Date: 1913

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

VAD Hospital stores, Quex House

The Billiard Room of Quex House was used as the Hospital Stores during the War. Two VAD nurses are seated either side of a table. One is sewing, the other is writing. The Billiard Table can be seen in the foreground, also part of the light fitting hanging above it. Boxes piled up on the right include one with the instruction 'Do not drop or contents will be broken'. The side of another box is being used as a noticeboard. By the window can be seen an army pack with a label. Patients handed in all their kit on admission, except their regimental cap and personal items they needed. The uniform was cleaned and repaired and returned on the patient's discharge. Patients were issued with 'hospital blues' a uniform of blue serge jacket and trousers, white shirt and red tie. There was a lot of paperwork in a VAD hospital - returns, reports, records, orders, payments were all required. The bureaucracy increased after 1917 when food rationing came in. The Quex Park VAD Hospital opened on 15 October 1914 and closed on 31 January 1919. The hospital was run by Kent/178, the Birchington Detachment. The Commandant was Hannah Powell-Cotton (1881-1964), wife of Major Percy HG Powell-Cotton (1866-1940) of Quex Park, founder of the Powell-Cotton Museum. Major Powell-Cotton was the VAD Transport Officer for the Isle of Thanet area, responsible for organising the transport of patients from the stations to the local hospitals. Date: circa 1916

© The Powell-Cotton Museum Collection / Mary Evans Picture Library