Inside the Suitcase of One Titanic Passenger
Forget Jack
and Rose's love story. When "Titanic" in 3D opens tomorrow, my eyes will instantly go to the elaborate costumes and jewels worn by the first class passengers. It hooked me the first time around. (What can I say? I love opulence.)
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This got me thinking … movies are great and all, but what did a real first class passenger pack for that infamous voyage in 1912? After some digging, I found an insurance claim filed by silent film star and model Dorothy Gibson, a major celeb for the time, and survivor of the tragedy. While her claim was fairly modest ($2,382.75) compared to the other first class passengers, Dorothy still had a lot of expensive stuff.
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How much? Here are just a few of the highlights:
(Keep in mind this was the cost in 1912, which would obviously be much higher now.)
- three evening dresses ($100 - $150 each)
- five afternoon dresses ($40 - $75 each)
- three suits ($75 - $100 each)
- six "waists," aka decorate shirts ($15 - $30 each)
- three kimonos ($3 - $18 each)
- 18 silk stockings ($25 total)
- one pair of "high" shoes ($8), two pairs of pumps ($12), two pairs of satin slippers ($14 total)
- four hats ($82 total)
- 18 pairs of long gloves ($54 total)
- 36 pairs of short gloves ($40 total)
- 60 handkerchiefs ($35)
- one diamond necklace with 13 stones ( $150)
- one gold watch ($45)
… and a bunch of other things, like a muff, an umbrella, barrettes, lace collars, purses, and underwear. As you can see, these items are a lot different than the bikinis, club wear, denim shorts, and tank tops that we pack for a cruises today. What a difference 100 years make.
For Dorothy Gibson's complete packing list, click here.
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