Web posted on: Friday, October 09, 1998 2:49:41 PMEDT

ATLANTA (CNN) -- It's the story that won't go away, and not because James Cameron made a blockbuster movie about it.

Ever since the Titanic crashed into an iceberg on April 14, 1912 and slipped to the bottom of the Atlantic, killing over 1,500 people, the world has been entranced with the irony of the unsinkable ship that sank, and humanity's frailty and ignorance.

Countless articles, several books and movies, and an endless stream of documentaries have managed to keep the tragedy of the Titanic afloat in the nation's consciousness, 86 years later. From analyzing the way the ship sank, to analyzing the way the ship was supposed to be raised, from the souvenirs that made it to shore, to the stories of the people who didn't, every angle has been crossed.

And on store shelves this fall, there is no shortage of "new" Titanic material.

Sift some through some memorabilia in "The Titanic Collection" (requires JavaScript)

'The Titanic Collection'

Perhaps the most original new entry into the Titanic library is a boxed collection of "mementos" from the downed liner, reproduced for those fascinated by the tragedy.

Among the artifacts found inside "The Titanic Collection": the first-class passenger list carried on the liner, and a first-class ticket; postcards boasting of the Titanic and its sister ship Olympic as the "world's greatest steamers"; a list of the White Star Line music selections played in Titanic; a menu of "the last dinner," an 11-course meal which included filet mignon, lamb in mint sauce, and roast duckling; carbon copies of an ice warning sent four hours before Titanic hit an iceberg, and a distress message sent from Titanic to another White Star Line, Baltic.

The collection, culled from the archives of the Titanic Historical Society and published by Chronicle Books, comes with a guide that offers a story behind each memento, along with facts concerning the development of the tragedy. The publication date is November.

'The last word in luxury'

The hardcover "Titanic: Fortune and Fate" runs in a similar vein as "The Titanic Collection," offering on its pages a startling collection of photographs, mementos and personal effects from those who sailed the Titanic. In this large selection, the stories of the passengers come to life with quotes pulled from letters and postcards sent from the ship and after the sinking. Each quote from before the sinking drips with irony. The material, a catalogue from the Mariner's Museum Exhibition, was published in September by Simon & Schuster.

From a letter by Mrs. Walter Douglas, who was saved, but lost her husband:

"We dined the last night in the Ritz restaurant. It was the last word in luxury. The tables were gay with pink roses and white daisies, the women in their beautiful shimmering gowns, the men immaculate ..."

One portrait of a woman named Dorothy Gibson is highlighted with the kind of backstory of which movies are made. Gibson was a 22-year-old model and minor movie star traveling with her mother in first class. While on Titanic, she received a wireless message from her secret lover. She was later saved when the ship went down.

Also included in the book: a complete list of passengers, with notations as to whether or not they were "saved" or "lost".

Cameron's inspiration

Ken Marschall has long been praised for his artistic renderings of Titanic. His paintings are found in the hardcover, "Ken Marchall's Art of Titanic." From the chapter "The Voyage Begins," Marschall takes the viewer from the spirited launch to its icy grave at the bottom of the Atlantic.

If many of the dramatic interpretations seem familiar to viewers, it might have something to do with the fact that Marschall was the visual consultant for James Cameron's "Titanic." In fact, Cameron has penned an introduction for the book, claiming Marschall's paintings were an inspiration for his movie.

Included in the book, published this year by Hyperion, are early photos of Marschall that reveal him as a person who has been obsessed with Titanic since he was a young man, and felt the need to recreate it in his artistic visions.

From birth to death

The simply titled "Titanic" by Leo Marriot is an encompassing view of the ship from birth to death, with plenty of pictures, letters and other written historical items.

The book starts its story at the building of the great ship. Early construction photos are accompanied by text that tells of setbacks that delayed Titanic's launch. Marriot's book then investigates the anatomy of the ship on all of its ten levels, setting the stage for the maiden voyage that ended so tragically.

The book, from Smithmark Publishers, also investigates beyond the sinking of the ship, taking into consideration the aftermath of the lives lost or saved. One letter opens the debate into why more first and second class passengers were saved than those in third class.

While all books and collections on the market overlap one another, there are so many Titanic stories that historians must be relieved they are being captured now, before fading into history. The astounding coverage of the tragedy assures that the Titanic, and its lessons of life, will remain alive for generations to come.

Related stories:

• Attending the church of 'Titanic'
• Titanic's distress signals sell for $123,500
• Diehard buffs gather to enjoy Titanic victims' last meal

Related sites:
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• RMS Titanic, Inc. Online
• 'Titanic' -- The Movie
• Chronicle Books Website

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