Unsinkable Stories: 100 Years Later

Photo courtesy of Brucemore

On April 11, 1912, the RMS Titanic set out on her maiden voyage carrying more than 2,000 passengers. She sunk just four days later. Two members of Brucemore's Douglas family and former Cedar Rapids' residents Walter and Mahala Douglas were among at least 36 passengers aboard the Titanic with connections to Iowa. Personal accounts, documents from the Douglas family archives, and excerpts from local newspapers are currently on display in the Unsinkable Stories: 100 Year Later exhibit at the Brucemore Visitor Center in Cedar Rapids.

Mahala Douglas
(Photo courtesy of Brucemore)

“Many exhibits examine the national and international impact of the tragedy,” said April Kamp-Whittaker, Director of Learning and Museum Projects. “Few focus on the human experience. Unsinkable Stories provides a regional and individual perspective, connecting Iowans to the personal accounts of the historical event and international tragedy.”

The exhibition is open during Visitor Center hours, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Brucemore, Iowa’s only National Trust Historic Site, is located on a 26-acre park-like estate in the heart of Cedar Rapids. The Queen Anne style mansion was built between 1884 and 1886.

Information supplied by Tara Richards, Brucemore