Rare photograph of 'Captain Smith' to be auctioned

[Encyclopedia Titanica]

Titanic Captain Edward John Smith pictured at a ship launch in c.1909...

Photograph possibly of Captain Smith at a ship launch

A rare picture which may depict Titanic Captain Edward John Smith at a ship launch in c.1909.

www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

 

[Dan Parkes]

It is quite clearly NOT Captain Smith, not by a long stretch.

Compare with actual photographs of the man: Titanic's Officers - RMS Titanic - Captain E.J. Smith

 

[Cam Houseman]

It is quite clearly NOT Captain Smith, not by a long stretch.

Compare with actual photographs of the man: Titanic's Officers - RMS Titanic - Captain E.J. Smith

hmmm, we have a mystery man on our hands! Who is he?

 

[IcySofter]

I guess I have to look closer at the other pictures of Smith. At first glance it looked like him to me. I feel bad for the winner of the auction if it's not him. I had a "captain" at my Titanic party who had the gray hair and beard. He loved playing Captain. When we got to the end of the evening right before dessert I pulled a head of lettuce from my fridge and yelled to him as I tossed him the lettuce, "Captain, Iceberg straight ahead." He and I had planned it before the party, but know one else knew and everyone found it hilarious, laughing for minutes afterward and still talking about it four years later.

hmmm, we have a mystery man on our hands! Who is he?

 

[Cam Houseman]

I had a "captain" at my Titanic party who had the gray hair and beard. He loved playing Captain. When we got to the end of the evening right before dessert I pulled a head of lettuce from my fridge and yelled to him as I tossed him the lettuce, "Captain, Iceberg straight ahead." He and I had planned it before the party, but know one else knew and everyone found it hilarious, laughing for minutes afterward and still talking about it four years later.

Lol!!!

 

[IcySofter]

And my husband and I have both been looking at the photos and unless you are comparing the man in the top hat to Captain Smith the facial features look like it's Captain Smith to me.

 

[Cam Houseman]

And my husband and I have both been looking at the photos and unless you are comparing the man in the top hat to Captain Smith the facial features look like it's Captain Smith to me.

I think he does too, but we'll just have to see what happens

 

[Steven Christian]

One would hope the auction house has done their job verifing it. Either way it is a cool looking photo.

 

[Dan Parkes]

One would hope the auction house has done their job verifing it. Either way it is a cool looking photo.

The actual auction listing reads "believed to be showing Titanic's Captain Edward J. Smith at the launch of an unknown liner" (emphasis mine). Which already shows there is doubt. Other captions, for example for a portrait of Harold Lowe, do not use such speculative language.

Nonetheless, on close examination, the man in the photograph does not match the facial features of Captain Edward Smith (especially the eyes and ears). So it is not him.

 

[IcySofter]

I understand too that there would be doubt if he is not wearing his White Star Line Uniform. I may need a magnifying glass. The nose looks the same. Either way, very entertaining!

 

[IcySofter]

I looked again comparing the photos of Smith that were listed by Dan Parkes and I still thought the picture for auction was Smith as I looked at the photo titled Captain Smith in an undated image, I still thought it could be him as the upper part of his ears showed a similar curve. But as I looked closer at his ears in the rest of the photos his ears are very rounded in each photo, unlike the auction picture. And I don't see on the auction picture the close set eyes that have a definite downward slant. Interesting. See, people can change their mind. BUT--- the lady to the Captain's left is for sure my friend Eileen.

 

[Steven Christian]

The actual auction listing reads "believed to be showing Titanic's Captain Edward J. Smith at the launch of an unknown liner" (emphasis mine). Which already shows there is doubt. Other captions, for example for a portrait of Harold Lowe, do not use such speculative language.

Nonetheless, on close examination, the man in the photograph does not match the facial features of Captain Edward Smith (especially the eyes and ears). So it is not him.

Hmmm...I guess one would need to be a gambler to bid on that then. My first impression when I saw it was he looked liked George C. Scott a little, not Captain Smith. By the way...I "believe" I have some moon rocks...for sale of course...

 

[Arun Vajpey]

Old b/w photos of middle aged full-whiskered men can be confusing in terms of identification. IMO, the bearded gentleman on the left in that picture does NOT look anything like Captain Edward Smith. Smith had a more rounded face and not as tall as the man in the picture.

I have seen a b/w photo of the late Richard Attenborough on the sets of the 1993 film Jurassic Park that can be very easily passed off as that of Captain Smith.

 

[Steven Christian]

Old b/w photos of middle aged full-whiskered men can be confusing in terms of identification. IMO, the bearded gentleman on the left in that picture does NOT look anything like Captain Edward Smith. Smith had a more rounded face and not as tall as the man in the picture.

I have seen a b/w photo of the late Richard Attenborough on the sets of the 1993 film Jurassic Park that can be very easily passed off as that of Captain Smith.

Common in those days until Mr. Gillette came along with his disposable blades. But I wonder if anybody has run that photo thru a facial recognition program. Might provide some answers. The more I look at that pic I don't think its him.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

The more I look at that pic I don't think its him.

No it isn't. Look at that uniform coat; I have never seen Smith in a dark uniform coat with light coloured shoulder epaulettes and no quadruple Captain's stripes at the wrist. His darker uniform jackets had those stripes but no epaulettes. The white naval uniform on the other hand, had dark coloured shoulder epaulettes with the stripes.

Of course, by 1909 Smith had already attained the seniority that he had when he took over the Titanic.