Memorializing the Titanic
Other postcards were specifically produced in response to the tragedy. Some of the most notable include postcards produced by Bamforth and Company Ltd, which produced a set of six highly stylized and dramatic postcards illustrating the Titanic’s sinking. These memorial postcards, published just weeks after the disaster, feature a saintly woman in a flowing white gown with the ship sinking in the background. The set has come to be called the "Nearer My God to Thee" collection because of the use of the hymn. Daniel Piazzo states, "Many survivors remembered that Titanic’s eight musicians played “Nearer My God to Thee” immediately before the ship sank. The hymn became a popular theme of Titanic memorial postcards." Other memorial postcards feature the hymn or other Bible verses.
For many viewers today, these postcards seem eerie and in poor taste; however, at the time, remembrance cards were not uncommon. The postcard served as a way of commemorating the fateful event, and remember those whose lives were lost. Additionally, Finnegan explains that we should attend to circulation of images, that is, the way they fit into "broader social , political, and institutional discourses" (208). The reproduction of the images, then, is tied to the larger religious contexts in which these postcards circulate. By arranging this text with these images, viewers of the postcards are invited to view the tragedy through a religious lens. To a Christian audience, such a card was likely perceived as comforting. It serves as a reminder that death is not the end, and that those who perished are in a better place closer to God.
One of six highly stylized and dramatic postcards illustrating the Titanic’s sinking produced by Bamforth and Company Ltd. These postcards place the image of the sinking ship in conjunction with heavenly bodies, religious symbols, and hymn verses.
One of six highly stylized and dramatic postcards illustrating the Titanic’s sinking produced by Bamforth and Company Ltd. This card includes the music to "Nearer my God to Thee," purportedly the last song played by the Titanic's band before sinking.
This very dark postcard bears a highly inaccurate picture of Titanic sinking into rough seas with the New York City skyline just barely visible in the distance. The caption reads “S.S. Titanic foundered April 15th, 1912. Their promised land fades from view.” (Online Titanic Museum)
One of six highly stylized and dramatic postcards illustrating the Titanic’s sinking produced by Bamforth and Company Ltd. These postcards place the image of the sinking ship in conjunction with heavenly bodies, religious symbols, and hymn verses.