The History of Building the Titanic

There is a certain irony in the fact that these two fierce competitors, White Star and Cunard, ended up merging together to form one company in the economic downturn of the 1930’s.  The transatlantic route was an extremely lucrative one so it was important to White Star to have the lion’s share of the business. The technical innovations of the time in terms of engine design, vision and construction technique meant that shipbuilding could take giant leaps forward from the old timber and iron ships which had previously carried passengers.  The Victorian industrial revolution led to a greater demand for modernisation.  Everything had to be bigger, faster, more efficient and better in order to compete in this new capitalist world.  By the early 1900’s there was a hunger for new innovation, new inventions.

In stark contrast to the ship they were building, many of Titanic’s workers lived in homes with only basic facilities.  While Titanic used electricity to power everything from lights to lifts, shipyard men lit their kitchen houses by candlelight and later with town gas.  From this vision of progress and innovation, Olympic and Titanic were born.