10 Somber Pictures of the Titanic’s Underwater Wreckage

The story of the Titanic is one of the 20th-century’s most tragic events. Billed as the “unsinkable” ship, the Titanic sank on her maiden voyage after leaving from Southampton, England on its way to New York City.

Over 1,500 people died as a result marking this tragedy as one of the deadliest ship incidents in modern history. After sinking, it would be decades before the hull remains were discovered. As a result, we have a small number of photos of both the hull as well as recovered artifacts. They all serve as a somber reminder of what this once beautiful ship looks like today. 

Titanic Bow

One of the best-known pictures of the Titanic wreckage is that of its bow. For many people, this is also the location where a memorable fictional moment occurred in the James Cameron movie. Unfortunately, it’s also a stark look at the shape of the wreckage today.

Captain Smith’s Bathroom

It’s hard to imagine this was once the ornate and pristine bathroom of the Titanic’s Captain. Edward Smith had joined White Star Line in 1880 and rose to the rank of Captain. Tragically, Smith went down with the ship as it sank on her maiden voyage.

Titanic Movie Scene

Well before the movie revitalized interest in the Titanic, the movie’s director James Cameron took multiple trips down to see the ship. This image looks at a submersible capturing (from another submersible) what the front of the ship looked like in 1998.

Titanic Porthole

Among the incredible finds that have been recovered from the Titanic’s wreckage is this first-class porthole. As the sign indicates, this porthole could have been used in the second-class dining room. You can see the multiple cracks that have occurred due to the pressure at the bottom of the ocean.

Titanic Hull

One of the most incredible recoveries from the Titanic wreck has been a piece of its hull. The largest physical piece recovered to date, this image shows the hull piece on display. Touring different museums, some have even allowed museum-goers to touch the hull for a brief moment.

Titanic Dishes

It’s incredible to think about how the dishes from the ship have been preserved like this for a century. As the note shows, hundreds of these dish types were preserved in wooden cabinets. There’s really something incredible about how they were recovered in such perfect rows.

Titanic Bell

Recovered from the wreck of the Titanic is the ship’s bell. It’s this bell that would have been rung to alert many crew members on deck of the impending hit with the iceberg. For the most part, the bell was well-preserved when it was brought to the surface.

Titanic Model

Multiple expeditions to the Titanic’s site have helped create 3D models of what the bow section, measuring around 470 feet long, looks like today. Hitting the bottom at a speed of around 20 knots enabled many of the still-in-tact decks to crash in on each other.

Titanic Rusticles

One of the strangest pictures of the Titanic that is available today is that of the rusticles. These bacteria and archaea have taken over the metal hull of the ship. Best described as metal icicles, these rusticles have covered the hull but have also preserved some of the interior aspects of the ship.

Titanic Watch

There’s something very somber about this pocket watch recovered from the Titanic wreckage. The timestamp of 02:28 AM is a likely indicator of the time the owner jumped or fell into the water. It’s possible the watch ran for a few more minutes but it’s unknown if the owner lived or perished.