Oceanic II Panelling

Inger Sheil

Inger Sheil

Member
Is anyone in the UK watching the Antiques Roadshow at the moment? They're filming up in the Shetlands, and someone just produced a beautiful piece of gilt covered, ornately carved Oceanic II panelling (wrecked up there, of course, in WWI).

After describing it as a lovely piece, the assessor valued it at less than £500 - although suggesting it was probably worth 'much more' to the elderly man who owns it.

Crikey! If it went up for £500 on ebay I'd be bidding for it! Hope someone watching tells this bloke it's worth more than that.
 
I watched that too - not a word about the Oceanic being a White Star liner and arguably the pinnacle of 19th century shipbuilding, just a load of stuff about the ship being an important part of the Shetland Island's history. Not a thing about Lightoller, Blair and the circumstances of her sinking.
Five hundred quid seems cheap to have that gorgeous piece of panelling hanging up in your house!

Regards

Sam
 
Hi, Inger:

What size was the piece of paneling? I wonder if he has any more. If you've got his address, I'll write right now and offer £600! ;-)

I always find it amusing that the assessors on these shows usually way undervalue shipping items. (Except, of course, that fake Titanic menu that was on the show a while ago!)

Eric Sauder
 
Here in the states, an episode of Antiques Roadshow featured an Irish woman who had a Great Grandfather whom installed the electrical fittings aboard TITANIC. So the story goes...upon her representation of the *swivel* type (an exact match was recovered from the wreck in '94) electric light mount, it was said it was a faulty light, therefore her GG removed the fixture and took it home with him.

Without proper provenance the appraiser must have picked a value from his hat...far removed from an *actual* fair representation of an historic memento from the great liner.

I feel the provenance lies with the family. And this is exactly what I mean when I refer to *research* into the men who..." built her and shoved her in".

Michael A. Cundiff
USA
 
G'day Eric - it was a few feet square, I'd say. Unfortunately I wasn't really watching the show (just white noise in the background) until they'd already discussed how this chap had come into possession of the piece (Mark or Sam - did you happen to catch that bit?). Nice chunk, it was - looked to be in good nick, gilt covered, ornately carved cluster of fruit etc. I'd like to find something like that in Cobwebs for £500!

Only piece of good advice I seem to have heard dished out by antique evaluation crowds for free was that given to Ted Dowding when he took his Aunt Clear's letters to be appraised at a local antiques show. As I recall it, he was advised very strongly to take them home and keep them under lock and key!

~ Ing
 
I was on a diving trip in Orkney a few years ago, one of the leaders took off half way through the trip to dive on the Oceanic, he said they were always bringing up odd items, of crockery and cutlery etc. I bet there is quite a bit of the Oceanic knocking around Shetland and hanging off divers' walls.

he was advised very strongly to take them home and keep them under lock and key!

Hmm, but didn't he then go and sell them! I was talking to an antiques dealer who knew one of the AR assessors. He told me after an encouraging appraisal "they always sell".
 
I've got a strong ambition to dive the Oceanic - what's left of her! (Not bloody much). Lights himself started the salvage process when he went aboard her a few days after she grounded and made off with the bridge clock - speaking of which, does anyone know whether it's still on the Sundowner? Was nice to see her bell in Liverpool.

Ted didn't auction the letters until after he'd very generously made them available via 'Clear to American by Titanic and Beyond'. It was his hope that the auction would draw more publicity to his search for information about his aunt.

Given the assessment the poor chap on the AR episode that aired last received, I imagine this piece might be safe for years yet!
 
Hi Phil,

**I bet there is quite a bit of the Oceanic knocking around Shetland and hanging off divers' walls**

Possibly maybe, but something as ornate (and wooden) I doubt!


**I think I remember seeing a prop blade from the Oceanic outside the maritime part of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.**

Yep, it's still there, and it's still great to have lunch on the grass nearby and think about all that history....

Hi Ing

**Unfortunately I wasn't really watching the show (just white noise in the background) until they'd already discussed how this chap had come into possession of the piece (Mark or Sam - did you happen to catch that bit?)**

Sorry, but like the rest of the world I was having a cup of tea and waiting for the bit when the old boy was told how much his table/pottery/painting was worth, so I missed the first five seconds which merely showed a piece of lovely (yet, if I'm honest about my first reaction) "ordinary" carpentry.

I still choked on my jaffa cake when I heard where it was from though....

Sam
 
Here's a photo of the Oceanic propeller blade (and me!) at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. The picture was taken in 1992 during the first THS Heritage Tour.

Eric Sauder
14390.jpg
 
Swish mo, Eric! But what is this fatal attraction for props and blades? (Better than the great number of headstones I seem to get photographed with). Great photo, though. Wish I had either scanner or ability to put up a photo of the Oceanic's bell.

I recently took a copy of a letter written by one of the Oceanic's officers in late 1911, describing a very rough passage she'd had (everyone seasick, as opposed to only the steerage who were always - so he said - seasick).
 
Hi, Inger! I do seem to be photographed around a lot of propellers, don't I? I wonder what deep psychological meaning that has....

Sorry, Sam. I don't know how or when they got the blade.

Eric Sauder
 

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