Olympic fittings auction (Haltwhistle Factory)

[Stuart Kelly]

Hi Andy,

Do you have anymore details on this house? I lived in glasgow when I was most interested in the Olympic's scrapping, I never heard of anything being so close by. It'd be ironic hearing about it now I don't live in Glasgow any more.

I don't think it's likely the panels are from Inverkeithing as Olympic was just a stripped down hulk when she was towed there from Jarrow where all her re-usable fittings had been included in the original dispersal auction in 1935.

 

[Jon Brockman]

in the list above under the heading bridge it sounds like they sold the whole bridge enclosure!:

20 The teak front enclosure, 27 ft. by 7 ft. high, fitted seven heavy plate-glass sliding windows, with chains and balance weights, the loose shutters with bolts and port glasses, and four ditto side-windows.

Does anyone know what happened to it?

 

[Paul Lee]

I imagine anything unsold was probably burnt or smashed up!

 

[Mark Chirnside]

Does anyone know what happened to it?

Jon,

Rumour has it that it is a garden shed somewhere in the UK.

Paul,

I don't remember any specific count, but I remember someone expressed the opinion that a large amount of fittings were left unsold after the Olympic auction. I have not verified that as it has been four years since I went through some of those papers.

I realise you're busy, but I did send a reply to your e-mail. I also had another 'Gigantic' source to share with you in return for your generosity.

Best wishes,

Mark.

 

[Jon Brockman]

Hi Mark,
That must be one big shed!
How much substance is there to the rumour?
surely someone would of cashed in on it by now? and sold it?

 

[Paul Lee]

If the auction house still exists, then their records might too.

Look forward to reading your information, Mark!

 

[Mark Chirnside]

Jon,

I've no idea if the rumour has any substance whatsoever. I haven't even checked whether the lot was sold. A more detailed study of the auction has been on my 'to list' for a long time but there are those researchers such as Stuart Kelly who have a more specific interest in that aspect.

I should perhaps clarify that I think the rumour related to the wooden wheelhouse, aside from the wooden bridge front proper, so I answered a slightly different question in that respect.

Paul,

I understood that the company evolved as follows:

residential, commercial, property, sale - Knight Frank | KF

Best wishes,

Mark.

 

[Jon Brockman]

Ok Mark Thanks for the Info, It would be a wonderful find if it did turn up one day,
also i have sent you a "PM" on a different matter Mark

 

[Encyclopedia Titanica]

Knight Frank claim to have no surviving records of the auction.

 

[Mark Chirnside]

Thanks for the information, Philip. It's saved time inquiring about it.

Isn't it fortunate we have other sources available...

Best wishes,

Mark.

 

[Encyclopedia Titanica]

>>>Isn't it fortunate we have other sources available...

Shhh man, you've said too much already! ;-)

 

[Mark Chirnside]

I'll drink some rum. Then I can't speak with my mouth full!

Best wishes,

Mark.

 

[Vitezslav Ivicic]

Have the Olympic fittings been sold as sought souvenirs from a famous steamer which everyone wanted to have or just as old and useless fittings from an old steamer?

Vitezslav

 

[Vitezslav Ivicic]

What happened to fittings which have not been sold? I have seen the auction catalog but there are some fittings missing. What happened to them? Where have all the 500 chairs and the panelling from the first class dining room gone and what happened to the many other items which have not been in the catalog?

Vitezslav

 

[Brian R Peterson]

Hi Vitezslav,

After the 1935 auction of the interior fittings, major components of First Class areas were later re-installed all over England and abroad.

The entire First Class Lounge and large portions of paneling and balustrades as well as the aft dome of the First Class Grand Staircase were later re-fitted into the White Swan Hotel Alnwick in Northumberland.

The paneling from the First Class Ala Carte Restaurant was purchased by the Celebrity Cruise Line in 2000 and installed as the Olympic Restaurant on their cruise ship Millennium.

There is a debated rumor that the First Class Smoke Room paneling is fitted in a private home in England, it has been listed for sale on EBay several times but technicalities such as the request that the owner NEVER be contacted for any reason about the paneling make me doubt its authenticity.

Ken Marschall also holds one of the largest collection of Olympic paneling and fittings, all found abandoned in a barn of all places.

All of the woodwork Ken Marschall owns however still shows the ugly avocado green paint that was applied to all the Grand Staircase paneling circa 1933.

I hope this helps -

Best Regards,

Brian

[Moderator's Note: This message and the one immediately above it, originally a separate thread in this subtopic, have been moved to this pre-existing thread addressing the same subject. MAB]