The Titanic under construction. Library of Congress
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The Titanic unfinished at Belfast on May 31, 1911.Wikimedia Commons
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Under construction.Wikimedia Commons
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The Titanic, ready to be launched. Library of Congress
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Titanic leaving Belfast for sea trials on April 2, 1912.Wikimedia Commons
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Men stand with the giant chain links that were forged for the ship's Hingley anchor, 1910.Instagram
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The Olympic, the Titanic's sister ship, docked in New York City on the same day that the Titanic left Southampton, England.Library of Congress
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The first-class gymnasium.Wikimedia Commons
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The ship's reading and writing room.Wikimedia Commons
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A stateroom abord the Titanic.Wikimedia Commons
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Another of the ship's many staterooms.Wikimedia Commons
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The ship's Café Parisien.Wikimedia Commons
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The iceberg suspected of having sunk the RMS Titanic. This iceberg was photographed by the chief steward of the liner Prinz Adalbert on the morning of April 15, 1912, just a few miles south of where the Titanic went down.Wikimedia Commons
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The last lifeboat off the Titanic.Wikimedia Commons
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This composite of five mounted photographs shows the wireless operator on board receiving a distress call; life boats bringing the Titanic's survivors to the Carpathia, and Capt. Smith of the Titanic.Library of Congress
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The Titanic's life boats on their way to the Carpathia.Library of Congress
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A tugboat on its way to meet the Carpathia. Library of Congress
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Survivors of the Titanic safely aboard the Carpathia.Library of Congress
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A crowd gathers to await the arrival of the Titanic's survivors.Library of Congress
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Another shot of the growing and anxious crowd.Library of Congress
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Mrs. Charlotte Collyer with her daughter Marjorie, both of whom survived the disaster. Library of Congress
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These French boys, brothers Michel (age four) and Edmond Navratil (age two) boarded the ship with their father, who assumed the name Louis Hoffman. Hoffman did not survive. This photo was taken before the orphans were properly identified. Library of Congress
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A young family of survivors.Library of Congress
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Mrs. J.J. Brown ("The Unsinkable Molly Brown") presenting a trophy cup award to Carpathia Captain Arthur Henry Roston for his service in the rescue of the Titanic.Library of Congress
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Over 14,000 people attended a Yankees vs. Giants baseball game to raise funds for the RMS Titanic survivors.Library of Congress
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Entertainer George M. Cohan (left) selling special Sunday copies of the New York American newspaper to benefit survivors and their families. Library of Congress
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Outside the White Star Line office after the disaster. Library of Congress
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Captain Arthur Henry Rostron next to the silver loving cup that Titanic survivors presented to him in May 1912.Library of Congress
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Mrs. J.J. Brown as she leaves the Carpathia. Library of Congress
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Portrait of Captain Arthur Henry Rostron.Library of Congress
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Stuart Collett, survivor of the Titanic.Library of Congress
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Oscar Solomon Straus (United States Secretary of Commerce and Labor) with his wife Sarah at the 1915 dedication of Straus Memorial Park in New York City. This marked the third anniversary of the death of his brother Isidore Straus and his wife Ida on the Titanic.Library of Congress
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Straus Memorial Park in New York City. The city had it built to commemorate those who died on board the Titanic.Library of Congress
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Funeral services in memory of the Titanic at Seamen's Church Institute, New York City. Library of Congress
33 Rare Titanic Photos From Before And After The Sinking
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It's been more than a century since the Titanic -- nicknamed the unsinkable ship -- made its fatal descent into the depths of the North Atlantic. At the time, the ship was the largest passenger ship on the seas and the largest man-made moving object on Earth, measuring 882-feet in length. At its maximum capacity, the ship could carry 3,547 people on board in both passengers and crew.
However, only 16 wooden lifeboats were brought aboard the ship. That was only enough to carry one-third of the ship's capacity. When the ship hit a 100-foot-tall glacier, more than 1,500 souls went down with the luxury liner in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912.
From pets to one of the world's richest men in John Jacob Astor IV, very few survived the unforgiving coldness of the Atlantic. Even the ship's captain met his end, with his famous last words being:
"Well boys, you've done your duty and done it well. I ask no more of you. I release you. You know the rule of the sea. It's every man for himself now, and God bless you."
However, thanks to the RMS Carpathia's rescue efforts, some survived. Sadly, only 306 bodies were found after the sinking.
News of the rescue reached the public later that day, and crowds descended upon the docks to greet them. When the survivors hit land in New York's Pier 54 on April 18, the press scurried to interview and photograph them, some of whom you can see in the Titanic photos above, images that portray the full story of the doomed ship.
An All That's Interesting writer since 2013, Erin Kelly focuses on historic places, natural wonders, environmental issues, and the world of science. Her work has also been featured in Smithsonian and she's designed several book covers as a graphic artist.
Jaclyn is the senior managing editor at All That's Interesting. She holds a Master's degree in journalism from the City University of New York and a Bachelor's degree in English writing and history (double major) from DePauw University. She is interested in American history, true crime, modern history, pop culture, and science.
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Kelly, Erin. "33 Rare Titanic Photos From Before And After The Sinking." AllThatsInteresting.com, November 20, 2016, https://allthatsinteresting.com/titanic-photos. Accessed February 12, 2025.
