Lusitania Historical Society

[Matt Endacott]

Why dont so many devoted Lusitania fans get together and establish a Historical Society?
Even if there isn't a museum or office, why cant a website be established? www.lusitania.com or www.lhs.com
Those who sign up first could be free then those after say, 4 months are charged a small fee, which could go towards something.
Funding could be raised, and possibly, in the future, the society could actually own the wreck, through grants & donations.
The group could collect artifacts & items of interest from the wreck (which could be stored in a vault) and could be put on a display which could travel from city to city, New York, London, Sydney and tell the story of the ill-fated liner.
I'm sure theres people out their with Lusitania items!
And possibly a grant to collect certain items from the wreck, possibly coal, like done on the Titanic which could be sold for fundraising.
The society page should also have a devoted section to those lots & saved, a complete passenger list with small bios, a site like this, but devoted to the Lusitania!
Also, if the society could gain the rights to "own" the wreck, it would be in safe hands.
Say, only 1 trip down to collect artifacts, then it is left as a memorial. Divers could visit the grand liner but take only memories, and leave only bubbles.
Although, i understand many feel very strongly against the removal of artifacts from the wreck, i think only certain items should be taken, eg. portholes, plates, dishes, knives & forks, deckrail ect. and the left rest to remain on the sea bed forever. I think if the "society" owned the wreck & could somehow preserve it, maybe it one day will be the focuse of a craze of interest.
These are just my thoughts, as it takes more than 1 person to establish a society, but if we could make a group then maybe....

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

Matt and all,

I've been thinking about a legit historical society honoring Lusitania for some time. I have access to a printing press through my publishers who are ready to consider a deal that will involve a small subsidization to get a newsletter and journal started. I am prepared to meet the initial outlay myself. I haven't really spoken to anybody else about this but this thread is a great opportunity to put the idea out there and see what people think about it. The subject of a Lusitania association has been brought up before but I thank Matt for doing so again.

Of course, it would be essential to have involved those names who have contributed so much to Lusitania research. Without their involvement and support it would be impossible to begin a society.

I'm not a liner historian; my area of interest is in cultural and decorative arts history. But I am a professional writer and editor (though of only "junior status!") and am well acquainted with the Edwardian era which Lusitania embodies. True technical experts would naturally be needed as contributing editors and writers and advisors for any publication.

I can help with the layout and printing of a magazine/newsletter, but others better versed in the story of Lusitania and her people would need to be the actual officers and leaders of any proposed society. My own thoughts are that a Lusitania group ought to be operated as nearly along the successful lines of the British Titanic Society as possible.

A Lusitania Society is long overdue as an idea in my estimation. I am willing to help in whatever way I can in the starting up of a core group which can perhaps ultimately wield as positive and far-reaching an influence as organizations devoted to Titanic have done.

People central to the establishment of a Lusitania Society would include Geoff Whitfield, Eric Sauder, Mike Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Brian Meister, Shelley Dziedzic and all others (here on ET and elsewhere) with whom I am not personally acquainted who have a deep interest in this great lost ship and its fascinating history.

Any thoughts?

Randy

 

[Martin Owen Cahill]

Randy & Matt,

Count me in!
I don't know how helpful with hands on I can be from this part of the world although I know a couple of people who would be interested (potential members).
please keep me posted. location and access data are located in my profile if you want to contact me off the board.

cheers

Martin

 

[Matt Endacott]

I'd be keen to join also.
Keep me posted on the progress!
I think we should begin with a website with the basics, though, passenger list, crew list, photos ect.
I think this is a great idea, as the Lusitania is fading into only memories

Regards, Matt

 

[Colleen Collier]

Hi Matt. While the thought sounds REALLY good, and those sighted, (adding Bill S. to that list) are a group that would do great justice for the memory of this ship, I do not believe that part about the artifact display is possible.
Remembering ~first and foremost~ that the wreck of Lusitania has an actual owner, artifacts could quite easily become entangled in a lawsuit, and although the judge may toss it out in the end as frivolous, the hassle would be allot to contend with. Unfortunately you have the almighty power of money as a driving force behind that statement.
Most collectors are quite private with their collections, and have things that mean the world personally to them. (And no, I have not been given privy information to someone having something, though I wouldn't mind.

)
Having said all that... If there was a society, or web site, I would be interested in joining, and glad to contribute, by photographing the few graves, houses, etc. in my local area, and surrounding states. I would be interested in learning more about the ship. Seeing some interior photos, she was so detailed inside, I couldn't believe it. I don't know.... Maybe even prettier than Titanic, but both were unique in their own way.

 

[Jim Kalafus]

Hi, Colleen and others- there IS a new website for the Lusitania being started up:
The Lusitania Resource which is in "the early stages" right now. I am incrementally donating about 500 passenger bios, unpublished photos and memorabilia- Hildo Thiel has given his passenger/crew list- and hopefully it will develop into something good.

 

[Colleen Collier]

Jim. Thanks for that lead! I will take a closer look at it when it isn't so late, but again, thanks!!!

 

[Randy Bryan Bigham]

All,

Whether I'm able to help or not, I do hope an organization devoted to Lusitania can someday be formed and that it'll prove as influential to preserving the ship's memory as have been the various other groups in memorializing Titanic.

I appreciate the interest shown here as well as the honest private feedback I've had from others as to the advisability of a membership group.

On a related note, I hadn't intended my list of possible group founders or officers to be thorough as there are too many experts (of whom I know nothing) for me to attempt that. However, it does seem a glaring omission that I left out Bill Sauder. Just a dumb mistake. My apologies.

The new web site that's been plugged here is a nice surprise and I look forward to its progress.
For right now, at least, such a venue is apparently the more feasible alternative to a membership society.

I hope that the site's editor will receive the support of the liner community in making it the "Lusitania ET."

Randy

 

[Ren-Horng James Wang]

Hi all,

I joined the ET Board within the last week after being directed here by several others and now I've finally gathered the courage to post.

Thanks Jim for the site plug. Kind words from others do so much more than a shameless self promotion

. I'm far from being an "expert" in the Lusitania field, but I thought that it would be best if there were an in-depth Lusitania site somewhere. As it seems, ANY Lusi site at all is hard to find. I'm hoping to get as much put up before the end of the summer, because thing'll get *really* hectic once school starts up again. I would really appreciate any contributions anyone is willing to make to the site, and hopefully once I get some source of income I'll be able to get a real domain name instead of something under several, several file folders.

I would hope that the site becomes something like ET for the Lusitania, but then, those are just parts of my delusions of grandeur

.

Ren-Horng (James)

 

[laurent Gontier-Versailles]

Hi all ,
There is also another site : www.lusitania.net
May be a joint venture with them could be conceivable .
I have no idea though if they are willing to share something , this site looks "too static" to me anyway.
I exchanged some datas with them a while ago about the availability of the Lusitania builders' plans

I was thinking myself of creating a modelling site about my current project , a scratchbuilt RMS Lusitania at the 1/100 scale , but if there is a Lusitania ET site to be created , I would be ready to fill in with my modelling ideas & thoughts , if there is an interest...

Hoping you've been helped

Laurent

 

[William]

Has anyone to date actually set a Lusitania Society up?

 

[Michael Cundiff]

Years ago during my correspondence with Lusitania historian Eric Sauder, he made me aware of a Society/forum he had started. If it is still in operation I do not know. Perhaps via contact with Brian Hawley's web-page, Luxury Liner Row, you may gain more info. regarding Eric Sauder's page.


Michael Cundiff
NV, USA