Titanic Centenary - Arthur Price Cutlery, Tableware and Gifts

Titanic and Arthur Price  
In April 1912, A. Price & Co. Ltd, as the company was then known, was based in a small factory at Conybere Street, Birmingham. Arthur Price and his employees were celebrating the business’ 10th anniversary with a recent commission to supply their premium quality cutlery for use on board the world's newest and most opulent ocean liner, RMS Titanic. 
 
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Titanic's fateful maiden voyage, Arthur Price of England has recreated the Panel Reed cutlery that was used in the First Class accommodation.
Panel Reed Collection  
The stylish, silver plated Panel Reed cutlery collection comprises of 14 elegant pieces. This includes beautifully gift boxed hostess pieces such as a letter opener, as well as, pie and cheese knives which make fantastic keepsakes. Each knife featuring the ship owner, White Star Line's famous logo on its blade just as they were originally. 
 
Similarly, Royal Crown Derby has also recreated the porcelain tableware that was also used onboard this ship. Created in the style of Louis XVI their Titanic design features delicate gold and green painted ornaments.
Our ongoing fascination Over the years, the interest and intrigue that surrounds the Titanic has not diminished. As the largest passenger liner of its day, there remains an eternal fascination around the tragic story; in part fuelled by the long awaited discovery of the ship's wreck which was finally located on 1st September 1985.
 
The subsequent expeditions to recover artefacts from 2.5 miles below the surface of the ocean fueled our interest and the release of James Cameron's multi-award winning epic 'Titanic' in 1997  has further established the legend in our collective consciousness. 2012 marks the centenary of the ships launch and the release of the movie in 3D... Titani-mania is sure to reach its climax this April.
The Lichfield Connection Simon Price explains the ongoing connection between himself and the ship: “The tale of the Titanic has remained in my family for generations. It’s an honour for me to be able to commemorate this historic anniversary. My Great Grandfather built this company on his belief in fine British craftsmanship and uncompromising quality, something we still stand by today. Our business is based in the city of Lichfield and Beacon Park is the site of the memorial errected to the memory of locally born Commander Edward John Smith, the Captain of Titanic. There is a frequent reminder of our connection to the events of 100 years ago." 
 
The lifesize bronze statue shown right was unveiled by the Captain's daughter in 1914. The plaque reads: 'Bequeathing to his countrymen the memory and example of a great heart, a brave life and a heroic death.' 
 
The items in the Panel Reed centenary collection are all supplied with a certificate of authentication,personally signed by Simon. It was Arthur Price’s resolve to produce only the very best that guaranteed the selection of his cutlery for use on the finest areas onboard the ship including the Captain's table. The collection of 14 commemorative pieces are essential items for all Titanic collectors, they are also built for use everyday and to stand the test of time.
Titanic Facts and Figures•  Owned by the White Star Line
•  268 meters long- 46,328 gross tonnage 
•  Passengers and crew onboard: 2,228 
•  Survivors: 705 
•  Perished: 1,523
•  First Class ticket cost about £500 (approx. £35,000 today)
•  Used 825 tons of coal per day to fuel the ship
•  14,000 gallons of fresh water were consumed each day 
•  Top speed of 23 knots
•  Titanic took 3 years to build
•  3 million rivets used in the hull
•  57,600 items of crockery
•  29,000 pieces of glassware
•  44,000 pieces of cutlery, weighing more than 4,000lbs
•  The youngest passenger was Millvina Dean aged just 2 months 
•  Millvina was the last remaining survivor until her death on 31/05/09
 
What was happening in 1912?January 1st: Republic of China established.
February 2nd: Millvina Dean the youngest Titanic surviour born, she died in 2009      
March 7th: Henri Seimet makes the first non-stop flight from Paris to London in 3 hrs.
March 16th: Lawrence Oates of Scott's South Pole expedition leaves the tent saying; “I'm just going outside and may be some time.”                                                                    
April 10th: The 'unsinkable' passenger liner RMS Titanic departs from Southampton.
April 14th: Titanic collides with an iceberg at 23.40, in little under three hours she sinks. 
April 17th: A Solar eclipse seen across Europe.
May 5th: The Summer Olympics open in Stockholm, Sweden.                                       
May 15th: The American inquiry into the Titanic disaster concludes, placing the bulk of the blame upon the White Star Line, J. Bruce Ismay and Captain Edward Smith. 
June 5th: US Marines land in Cuba. 
July 14th: Woody Gutherie, American folk singer born.
July 15th: The National Insurance Act comes into force introducing NI payments in the UK. 
July 30th: Emperor Meiji of Japan dies.
October 14th: Theodore Roosevelt is shot in Milwaukee. With the bullet still in him, Roosevelt delivers his scheduled speech. Later in hospital it is deduced that the speech in his breast pocket probably saved his life.                                                                
November 12th: The bodies of Captain Scott and his team found in the Antarctic.
December 18th: The Piltdown Man, thought to be the fossilized remains of an early human, is presented to the Geological Society in London. It is revealed to be a hoax in 1953.
2012 Centenary 
Throughout 2012 Arthur Price will be working with a number of promotional partners to commemorate the centenary of Titanic's launch. In February ITV Central News visited Arthur Price's stand at the NEC to see their reproduction Titanic cutlery click here to watch. In April Simon Price was interviewed on BBC West Midlands in a feature about the company's connection with the great ship, listen here. 
Events include an sealed bid online auction of limited edition canteens that will 'Return to the Wreck' with Deep Ocean Expeditions over the summer. Details of this unusual auction were picked by ITV's This Morning team which featured the cutlery in their modern collectibles section of the programme which can be seen here.
 
 
 Online AuctionThe online auction will feature Titanic related memorabilia including an original Daily Sketch newspaper and a selection of silver antiques all hallmarked in the year 1912. 
 The site also features 15 limited edition 'Return to the Wreck' 8" Titanic dinner plates as well as 3 of Arthur Price's Panel Reed 44 Piece Canteens and 2 Dubarry Canteens which was the pattern supplied to James Cameron's multi Oscar winning movie.
A donation from the auction of these highly collectable items of silverware and tableware will be made to charity. Details of the auction and other events can be found online at www.titaniccentenaryuk.com.
 