Cup awarded to captain who rescued Titanic survivors goes on display in Belfast

A cup awarded to the captain of a ship which rescued hundreds of Titanic survivors is set to go on display in Belfast.

The Carpathia Loving Cup was presented to Sir Arthur Rostron, captain of the RMS Carpathia, by Titanic survivor Molly Brown in recognition of his and his crew’s heroic efforts on the fateful night of the sinking in April 1912.

The Carpathia received a distress call from Titanic as it journeyed towards Europe, and changed course to assist.

It took the liner an estimated three-and-a-half hours to reach the site of the tragedy, where it found the Titanic already beneath the waves and surviving passengers in lifeboats.

In total, the Carpathia rescued 713 passengers, including Mrs Brown, a character brought to the big screen in the 1997 James Cameron film, and delivered them to New York.

Sir Arthur was also awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress, and was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his efforts.

He went on to become the Commodore of the Cunard fleet before retiring in 1931.

The cup has been described as one of the most valuable pieces of Titanic memorabilia still in private possession and will go on display at Titanic Belfast next week.

Sir Arthur’s great-granddaughter, the Reverend Janet Campbell Barnett, visited Titanic Belfast on Monday ahead of the artefact going on display.

She said: “It is a very proud moment for my family to know that the Carpathia Loving Cup, which was presented to my great-grandfather in recognition of his bravery and the important role he played in rescuing the survivors of the Titanic, is now on display for people around the world to view at Titanic Belfast.

“Our connection to Titanic is of such importance to my family and it has been wonderful to visit the experience to find out more about the story, parts of which we didn’t know until today, and view the other fascinating artefacts on display.”

Titanic Belfast chief executive Judith Owens said: “We are delighted to welcome Janet to Titanic Belfast, to find out more about the heroic efforts of Captain Rostron and show her where this truly special artefact will go on display. 

“At Titanic Belfast, we are incredibly proud to be able to be custodians of a stunning collection of historically significant artefacts, each one telling a unique story about RMS Titanic and enabling visitors from around the world to connect emotionally with the stories of the passengers and crew on board.”

The cup will be available to view free in the atrium of Titanic Belfast from Monday for two weeks before it moves to its permanent home within the Titanic Experience.

It joins a host of rare artefacts already within the Titanic Experience, including one of only 12 remaining Titanic lifejackets in the world, the original keys for the binocular box on RMS Titanic, and the violin that belonged to the ship’s musician, Wallace Hartley.