How many people in the world have never heard the story of the Titanic? The story of the ship that struck an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic Ocean is well known, as are the fates of some of the more famous passengers on the voyage. What is less well known, perhaps, is the story of the ship’s construction and daily routine for its passengers and crew during the few days that it was afloat. Similarly, many people might know little about Leonardo Da Vinci’s accomplishments, other than the Mona Lisa. However, people in Winnipeg, Manitoba recently had the chance to learn much more.
Artifacts in the Titanic Exhibition
Filling in the gaps in people’s knowledge was part of the purpose behind two exhibits held in 2011 at the MTS Exhibition Hall in Winnipeg, Manitoba. According to the MTS Centre's website, "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" opened in Winnipeg on February 12th, 2011 following a worldwide showing of twenty-two million people. The exhibit featured 190 artifacts retrieved from the ship, including dishes, suitcases, and other items found together with the wreck, as well as recreations of first- and third-class cabins . In addition, each visitor, on entering the exhibit, received a replica boarding pass featuring the name and personal information of a real passenger on the ship. At the end of the exhibit, visitors had a chance to discover the fate of each passenger, using a list of survivors and victims on the final wall.
As the MTS website states, a unique feature of the Winnipeg exhibit was its focus on the thirteen Manitobans who sailed on the ship. Together with items from the Manitoba Museum, information and artifacts from the Titanic exhibition helped to tell the stories of the people who survived, as well as those who died, helping to engage visitors in understanding the connection to their province.
Leonardo Da Vinci's Inventions and Paintings
In contrast to the Titanic exhibition, which featured genuine artifacts retrieved from the bottom of the ocean, the following exhibition on the works of Leonardo Da Vinci relied on replicas. As the traveling exhibition’s official website states, this is partly because, although Da Vinci designed many new inventions, including various flying machines, he never actually produced many of the objects he planned. In addition, many of his existing artifacts are too delicate to travel. Instead of the originals, models of the inventions and replicas of the paintings and diaries were available in the Da Vinci exhibition, together with an indepth look at the structure and history of Da Vinci’s two most famous paintings, the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. Even without original works, the exhibition helped give visitors a sense of Leonardo Da Vinci's genius.
With information and insights into the past, the Titanic and Da Vinci exhibitions were good reasons to be in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 2011.
Sources:
MTS Centre. "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition."
Grande Exhibitions. "Da Vinci: the Genius."
Susan Huebert - My name is Susan Huebert, and I'm a writer and editor from Winnipeg, Manitoba. I've always enjoyed words, and I graduated with a Bachelor ...
