ROYAL CROWN DERBY REPRODUCES EXCLUSIVE TITANIC CHINA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 100 YEARS. RMS Titanic is perhaps the most famous ship ever built. It is certainly the most famous ship ever to sink. Built for the White Star Line by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, it was the largest passenger steamship of its day when it set off from Southampton on 10th April 1912. 2011 sees the 100th anniversary of the launch of this ship and to commemorate this event Royal Crown Derby are reproducing the china pattern originally ordered in 1911. Titanic was built as a national showcase and was equipped with the very best of British engineering, craftsmanship and design. Royal Crown Derby were chosen to provide the china for the 1st class a’la carte restaurant. The Company Archives hold a file of correspondence relating to the Titanic order, the original pattern and a booklet advertising the Titanic. The correspondence is between Royal Crown Derby and the ships chandler’s Stonier & Co of Liverpool. Stonier was a glass and china retailer used by the White Star Line as agents to find and purchase suitable pieces for their ships. The earliest mention of Stonier & Co is a hand written list of samples dated 1st November 1910. The list of 7 different patterns includes pattern number 8288, the one chosen for the Olympic and Titanic. On 31st January 1911 the order for Titanic was confirmed. White Star asked for the older style OSNC (Ocean Steam Navigation Company) monogram in green within a wreath rather than the flag that appears on much of the other tableware. The reason appears to be simply that it ‘is more to their liking’. The order included 600 Dinner Plates 150 Soup “ 150 Breakfast “ 100 Salad “ 150 Breakfast Cups & Saucers 100 Teacups & Saucers 36 Creams 25 Slop Basins Orders were later received for replacements egg cups, Hors d’oeuvres trays and salad bowls. Throughout the letters there is much discussion about advertising. The impetuous for this came from the White Star Line. They ask the company to produce a marketing booklet, at their own cost, advertising the sailing of the ship. Only 1000 of them were produced so they are very rare today. To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the launch of the Titanic, we are reproducing the tableware pattern for the first time. The pattern will be unique as the Company is still producing on the same site in Derby, where they made the originals 100 years ago. The pattern is been reproduced as a tableware pattern without the monogram in the centre and also a range of commemorative time limited items, which will feature the original Ocean Steam Navigation Company monogram, presented in a gift box with accompanying reproduction literature from the time of the original order including the little marketing booklet mentioned previously. The range is available to view at the Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre where you can also see the Titanic china being made on one of the popular factory tours.(Booking essential). The range can be purchased from the Visitor Centre, via mail order service on 01332 712833 or via the website http://www.royalcrownderby.co.uk/giftware/titanic-boxed-gift-items http://www.royalcrownderby.co.uk/tableware/titanic.html During 2011 to commemorate the launching of the ship, Royal Crown Derby will be holding a number of events including an exhibition of items from the archive as well as items from the Titianic and Olympic. If you would like further information on events please email abushell@royalcrownderby.co.uk or call 01332 712850. ENDS// Additional Information Commemorative Time limited Gift Boxed Items. Featuring Titanic Pattern and original Ocean Steam Navigation Company logo. Supplied Gift boxed with reproduction paperwork & certificate. Available only till the end of 2012. For images and details please visit http://www.royalcrownderby.co.uk/giftware/titanic-boxed-gift-items TITIME00004 – Beaker TITIME09649 - 5 Petal Tray TITIME07443 - Coffee Cup & Saucer TITIME09943 - Tea Cup & Saucer TITIME00096 - Plate 8” TITIME00100 – Plate 10” RRP £80 £65 £105 £105 £70 £90 Tableware range featuring Titanic Border pattern. For images and details please visit http://www.royalcrownderby.co.uk/tableware/titanic.html TTANIC00100 TTANIC00096 TTANIC00103 TTANIC00112 TTANIC00130/0131 TTANIC00161 TTANIC00134 TTANIC00145 Plate 10” Plate 8” Plate 6” Rim Soup Teacup and Saucer Covered Sugar Cream Jug Teapot RRP £80.00 £60.00 £50.00 £80.00 £95.00 £180.00 £110.00 £360.00 TTANIC00406 TTANIC00109 TTANIC00110/0111 TTANIC00135/0137 TTANIC00166 TTANIC00167 TTANIC00468 TTANIC00068 TTANIC00176 Covered Veg Dish Small Oval Dish Sauce Boat & Stand Coffee Cup & Saucer Round Chop Dish Open Veg Dish Soup Tureen & cover Soup Tureen Stand Salad Bowl £450.00 £265.00 £280.00 £95.00 £345.00 £208.00 £850.00 £345.00 £324.00 Tableware range is also available with original Ocean Steam Navigation Company Logo please replace code TTANIC with TTALOG. Prices are the same. Royal Crown Derby Contact Information For further information or images please contact Amanda Bushell Marketing Manager 01332 712850 or email abushell@royalcrownderby.co.uk. Background Information Royal Crown Derby are one of the few remaining producers of English Fine Bone China who still exclusively manufacture in the UK. Porcelain was first produced in Derby around 1748. The quality of these early pieces was very high and soon gained the recognition of Royalty. The title “Royal” came in 1890 from Queen Victoria, giving the company the unique title of “Royal Crown Derby”. More recently, in 1965, HM The Queen Mother commissioned the company to produce a dinner service based on an 18th Century Derby plate she had in her own private collection. In 1971, on visiting the factory she commissioned a new tableware shape named in her honour. Following these commissions, Her Majesty granted the Royal Warrant in 1978. Much of the early production dating back to the early 1750’s consisted of figurines popular as table decorations. The range of tableware was soon to expand and many of today’s patterns have their origins in early designs. “Derby Japan” is the oldest tableware pattern still in production today and can be seen on items dating from the early 19th Century. Pattern number 1128, or “Old Imari”, was first recorded around 1882. 1128 is the original pattern number recorded in the pattern books held in our Museum archives. Royal Crown Derby continue to develop beautiful and highly desirable tableware patterns including the recently introduced Fine Dining tableware Heritage and Rich Gold. For further information on tableware visit www.royalcrownderby.co.uk/tableware. An interesting historical point is that Royal Crown Derby was used in the first class dining room of the infamous liner “The Titanic”, and the original order from the ship’s company is kept in the Museum here at Derby. In 2010 to commemorate 100 years since the order was placed and Titanic tableware was made, Royal Crown Derby will be reproducing the complete range for the first time ever. This will be available to purchase from October 2010. Royal Crown Derby specialises in the manufacture bone china, which was perfected towards the end of the 18th Century. Bone china is a special type of soft porcelain made from bone ash instead of the glass or “frit” of continental soft porcelain. The high percentage of calcified bone gives it it’s much admired whiteness and translucency. A significant event for the company in 1981 was the launch of the Paperweight Collection. A range of highly collectable, small animal sculptures which have led the company into the collectables market. The first paperweights were filled with sand to literally weigh them down, but this was removed due to transport costs and Health & Safety regulations. In the year 2000, Chief Executive Hugh Gibson led a buyout from the Royal Doulton group, from which it had been a member since the early 1970’s. Royal Crown Derby is now an independent company with a proud heritage and an exciting future ahead.