Titanic Barber Shop Souvenirs

[Ben Lemmon]

It sounds like you were great friends with Marshall Drew. I don't think I would have been as lucky. I live in the middle of nowhere. Anything exciting rarely happens here. Having things that he made for others must seem like having an imprint of his soul still with you. I know, dramatic, but that would be how I would remember it.

I read that he went on the Olympic, but didn't pay much attention to it. The person who wrote about it must not have thought it of much importance, though if it was important to him, I guess she should have put more emphasis on that fact. It would create more for the general public to remember him by. I just wish I would have been able to see him. However, I am a believer in life after death and Christianity, so you never know. But again, I digress.

I enjoy hearing from you, Shelley. You have provided a lot of information that people lack when they report on him. Perhaps you should write a biography on Marshall Drew. In any case, thanks for the information you have already provided.

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

Anybody who ever met him would want to be good friends, for sure. I have been rattling along here for 8 years prattling about the handful of survivors it was my good fortune to come to know,and it is all here in the archived threads, so lately I just keep quiet. But yes, it was a privilege indeed, great good luck of location and opportunity- and those were grand days when the number of survivors was still in double digits. How we thought they would be immortal, and how empty and sad it seemed when they were gone. Now the past rests with Miss Dean and Audrey Pearl, the last two of Titanic and Lusitania.

 

[Ben Lemmon]

Sorry for not responding quickly, Shelley. My mind has been on other things.

. . . lately I just keep quiet

This might just be me, but I would rather you didn't keep quiet. You are full of interesting stories, and a new generation of Titanic researchers are at hand. I'm sure they would love to hear your stories. Your stories that are hidden in archives should be resurfaced in these new threads, as many (including myself) have no idea where these old threads actually are.

Besides, who doesn't like hearing a good story more than once?

 

[Trevor Powell]

There are at least three souvenir spoons from the Titanic in existence. One is displayed at the Southampton Maritime Museum, the other was sold through Christies, South Kensington in 2003, and the final one was auctioned through Bonhams in March, 2005. The consignors expected it to reach between £3,000 to £4,000, but it failed to sell. All three examples are identical, with the name "Titanic" spelled out, forming the handle. The bowl of the spoon has an engraved depiction of the ship.
A brass and enamel pin in the form of a ship's wheel was sold through an Aldridge sale in April 2005. It was purchased onboard by a crewman from the Olympic.
A star-shaped brooch was given to Roberta Maoini by an admiring steward onboard, who purchased it from the barber's shop. That was also sold in an Aldridge auction. The pin, included with a photograph of Maoini and her handwritten account of the sinking, were expected to reach at least £10,000 in 1999.
There are a couple of souvenir ivory bookmarks in existence. The pieces display an illustrated profile of the liner, while the reverse reads "R.M.S. Titanic". Apparently, a few examples were discovered in Southampton after the sinking. One can speculate that they were destined for the Titanic's barber shop, but were never brought aboard.
A souvenir silver card case reputed to have been acquired by a crewman who, at last moment, was transferred from the Titanic to the Olympic, exists. That too was sold through Aldridge. In 2004, I believe.
A circular brass badge depicting the Union Jack and Old Glory flags was auctioned by Guernseys in June, 2004. It was estimated to sell between $8,000 and $10,000.
Included in that same sale were two souvenir miniature liferings, possibly manufactured from ivory. Framed within the center of the lifebuoys are illustrations of the Titanic, with the ship's name at the bases.
There are numerous postcards that were purchased onboard and posted at Queenstown. At least two novelty "footlong" examples survive, along with
a limited number of woven-in-silk types, and various standard-sized postcards.

 

[Georgia Rinker]

Forgive me if there's already a thread related to this and it's in the wrong place(I did a search to try to see if I was redundant and couldn't find anything) so feel free to move me if that's the case!

A Titanic Store! Anybody know anything about it? I mean, not any of the countless souvineer stores but the actual stores on the ship- I studied the blueprints and for a while I thought that it the "stores" from B deck to G deck may have been actual storage space, but if I recall correctly, that was what the fourth stack was used for? Maybe it was for food supplies, so I could be wrong.

In the "Titanic" Script (yes the J. Cameron movie script) there was a note where originally Rose was to purchase Jack formalwear for the dinner scene at a small mens store on board, but was obviously scrapped. But...seriously. If there were stores around, what do you think they would sell in them? Supplies like soaps, stationary, cigars and maybe little White Star Line mementos? Anybody know any information on it? Thanks!

[Moderator's note: This post, originally posted as a separate thread in another sub-topic, has been moved to the pre-existing one, discussing the same subject. JDT]

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>A Titanic Store! Anybody know anything about it? <<

There's really nothing here to know about in the context you may be thinking of. "Stores" referred to storage spaces for assorted supplies, equipment, victuals and the like. Contrary to some movie portrayals, there was no storefront where merchendise was sold to passengers such as what you find in the vast on-board malls on modern cruise ships.

It was possible to buy some sundries, trinkets, and souveniers, but they were sold in the Barber Shop.

There is some question as to what the space below the forth stack was used for. On the original plans, it's shown as being intended for keeping deck chairs, however, there is some speculation that it may have been informally conveverted to serve as the kennel. Unfortunately, there is no primary source which has been found to support this.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Items such as postcards and writing materials could be obtained at the purser's counter, and 3rd Class passengers could buy fruit, sweets, soft drinks and tobacco (as well as beer) from the bar. Along with the barber shop trade in souvenirs and personal items like combs and razors that was the limit of official retailing on board. In addition in 3rd Class it was quite common for stewards to engage in illicit trading of items purloined from the ship's stores - especially fruit.

 

[Mark Baber]

MAB note: Here's one explanation for why barbers sold stuff in their shops. As always, I only vouch for the fact that this article was published, not for the truth of what it says.

The North Platte Semi-Weekly Tribune, North Platte, Nebraska, 19 March 1912
Original article digitized by the University of Nebraska
Retrieved from the Library of Congress' Chronicling America web site,
chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

Times Are Bad for Steamship Barbers
---
NEW YORK---Barbers on Atlantic liners are now complaining about safety
razors, which have reduced their profits to such an extent that they have
been compelled to eke out a living by selling all kinds of notions, from
Bibles to chewing gum. In the palmy days barbers were inclined to regard
with scorn and to keep waiting the passenger who shaved himself and only
came to the shop for a hair cut. On the White Star line the dally rush for
shaves among first cabin passengers was recognized by the company, and one
of its rules, 403, section 8, read:

"Barbers of the White Star steamships are not allowed to cut passengers'
hair before noon."

All morning the barbers were kept busy, and in the afternoon from 4 o'clock
until dinner time, scraping the chins of passengers who would not take a
chance of cutting themselves with the old-fashioned razors as the ship
pitched up and down or rolled from side to side.

Now many passengers shave themselves, whether it is rough or smooth, and
never patronize the barber's shop unless the ship is over toward her beam
ends, which is the time the barber doesn't want to shave any one.

Owing to this decline of business the steamship companies have had to reduce
the rents charged for the barbers' shops on their liners, and in some cases
they have had to pay as much as $40 a month to get the professors of the
tonsorial art to go to sea. Rene de Sans Souci, one of the most dignified
sea-going barbers, said:

"Yees, it ees verre sad, triste, eh, for ze artiste of ze cheveux to the sea
in big sheeps for many days without making the razor on face to go. I am
desole because for the rent and my expenses."

Sam Skeggs, another roving barber, well known from the Hudson to the Yukon,
said that the barber business on board ship since the advent of the safety
razor gave him the fantods. "All I can do today," said he, "is to cut hair
and trim whiskers of pious travelers who do not know how to spend money or
give tips."

-30-

 

[Mike Johnson]

The hatband was carried around in Aunt Lou's pocketbook,forgotten- and found after the sinking when they were in New York. It was black with dull gold lettering and had the Union Jack and American flag woven in the black silk. Once I was given a belt buckle with Bon Voyage Titanic on it-sort of art-nouveau looking. It was, I was told, a copy made from the die mold of the original buckle which was supposedly sold in the barber shop. I am not sure if this was true, or if the ship really had these in the barber shop for sale. In any event, mine was stolen at a lecture at Electric Boat in Groton when Marjorie Robb and Frank Aks spoke to a packed banquet hall. I wonder if the thief still has it or has tried to sell it as a valuable relict of the disaster.

Shelley, was this the sort of belt buckle you had? Half of a buckle was just sold on eBay.

 

[TITANIC &amp; OLYMPIC]

It appears that this topic is an older one, but I think it should be noted that since some mention of the famous "Olympic" barbershop has taken place readers may be reminded that the photo was taken in the 1920s or early 1930s I think.

 

[tonysanso05]

here is a phot of a souvenir life ring sold at the barbershop.

 

[Danny Sheridan]

I believe the 1st class barber shop (perhaps the 2nd as well, I am not 100 percent sure) sold banners with the name of the ship on it plus a picture of the ship as well.

 

[Heather Lee]

So if third class passengers wanted to buy a souvenir, would they be allowed to purchase it from the second class barbershop?

 

[Bob Godfrey]

No, there was strict segregation of the three passenger Classes. I would think there was very little demand for purchased souvenirs in 3rd Class, where spare cash would have been in short supply. The typical 3ed Class souvenir would have been a free or very cheap paper item like a menu or picture postcard.