Titanic - Out of Stores Exhibition

Unearthing and displaying a collection of artefacts kept in trust by Titanic Foundation was the motivation behind Out of Stores.

This temporary exhibition for August 2019 brings 'out
of stores’ some of the objects donated by the public and salvaged through conservation and restoration projects the charity has been involved in. 

With shipyard-related objects ranging from a 1912 penny to wooden panelling from the largest Titanic artefact in the world - its tender ship SS Nomadic - the display had to cater for a multitude of materials and sizes. 

Inspired by a ‘storeroom aesthetic’, our design approach focused on bold typography, simple joinery and utilitarian materials.

We designed recessed trestle tables to showcase tools and paper ephemera too delicate for open display. Other objects like a diving suit and model diesel engines are seen in public for the first time, kindly provided on loan from Belfast Harbour Commissioners and National Museums Northern Ireland. 

Succinct and engaging interpretive copy across panels and labels related the objects to the stories of the people who worked at the Harland & Wolff shipyard. The exhibition was enhanced by large-scale photographic reproductions and an AV projection blending historic and contemporary images of the yard’s operations. 

Out of Stores was on display at Titanic Belfast for the month of August 2019. It may be reinstalled in future.

The exhibition presented the ideal opportunity to promote Titanic Foundation’s community outreach work, with the added benefit of encouraging future donations and engagement with the hardworking community rooted in the east Belfast shipyard of Harland & Wolff.