TITANIC Replica Anchor No2 - Photo Montage - Sunday 15th Aug 2010

Here is a selection of 40 photographs from the 462 that I had taken that day, Sunday 15th August, 2010 at the historic event which occured in Dudley, West Midlands, United Kingdom. This is a authentic cast and forged steel anchor weighing 16 tons, and a exact replica of the 1911 Hall's Patent Stockless anchor manufactured by the West Midlands company 'Noah Hingley & Sons Ltd' for the White Star liner R.M.S. TITANIC.

The anchor was made for use in a new five (5) part series called "We Built Titanic" which will air this coming Autumn in the UK on Channel 4. I was the historical advisior, technical supplier of photographs, diagrams, plans and documents to help with the building of this huge replica anchor (Jonathan Smith). I am not only proud to of helped with the making of this anchor, but being a local man from the West Midlands, proud to see that this industrial acheivement of Edwardian technology has finally come back home.

The anchor procession, or the haul, was a reversed haul similar to the one carried out in May 1911. The original TITANIC anchor went via cart pulled by horses from Netherton to Dudley Railway Station. This event which happened on 15th Aug 2010 saw the anchor on the replica cart and pulled by 20 "Clydesdale" shirehorses from the former Dudley Railway Station to Netherton. There were a few mishaps along the way. The procession was delayed due to this not being carried out in almost 100 years. The horses kept slipping on the tarmac roads and at one point the anchor slipped on the cart. The final legs of the haul was carried out for safty reasons with a tractor.

The photographs shown here are from the early stages of the set-up with the horses and scenes showing the TV company filming the procession, then going to the Netherton for the anchor unveiling cermony.

It was a fantastic day with TV companies present, news, local press, Dudley's mayor and over 2,000 West Midlanders lined the streets with cheers, flags, cheers and whistles.

Photographs - (c) Jonathan Smith 2010
Music (c) Jonathan Smith 2007 ("Run!")

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• titanic
• white
• star
• line
• noah
• hingley
• anchor
• halls
• dudley
• netherton
• west
• midlands
• black
• country
• industrial
• chains
• making
• historic
• event
• horses
• cart
• dray
• haulage
• shire
• clydsdale

[Mozpam]

As one of the 2000 watching this, (albeit in Netherton, waiting and wondering for much of the time!) - I wouldn't have missed it for the world! It was a great day, and your pics and video are a great record of this fantastic day.

Many congratulations to all involved.

[RaiseTheTitanic1980]

@Mozpam - Thank you. . . . According to St Johns Ambulance (today), intotal, some 10,000 people turned out for the occasion.

[titania240]

jonathanj where are you in the video ,you seem to appear nowhere.

[RaiseTheTitanic1980]

@philster61 - Yes, it would have been taken the same way.

[philster61]

@RaiseTheTitanic1980 I'll double check that RTT. I know its trivial but wouldn't the anchor for the Olympic have taken a similar route?

[RaiseTheTitanic1980]

@philster61 - The mistake in the book is that anchor shown is not Titanic's. It's her sister Olympic.

[philster61]

@RaiseTheTitanic1980 I have the book by Eaton and Haas which shows the real anchor being hauled through the streets of Belfast on its way to Titanic. When you turned the colour footage into sepia, its very much replicated that photo.

[RaiseTheTitanic1980]

@philster61 - May I ask why Belfast? The anchors were not made in Belfast, they were made in Netherton near Dudley.

[philster61]

Looks like it couldve been pohotgraphed in Belfast in 1911. Very very authentic

[TitanicWHV]

I wished, i could be there :) Great.