Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and with so much love in the air, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at Luxor invites guests to celebrate the most romantic day of the year with true love stories from RMS Titanic passengers.
To Stay or Say Goodbye: Isidor and Ida Straus
Isidor Straus was living a successful, happy life as co-owner of Macy’s and U.S. Representative for New York. Following a trip to Germany, Isidor and his beloved wife Ida booked a first-class passage back to America on Titanic. The night of the sinking, Isidor and several other passengers desperately tried to convince Ida to board Lifeboat 8 with 23 other first-class passengers and three crewmen. Passionately in love, Ida refused to leave her husband, saying “Where you go, I go.” Sadly, both Isidor and Ida died in each other’s arms that night. Isidor’s body was eventually recovered; however, Ida’s was never found and so the couple was eventually separated by Titanic’s sinking.
A Story of Love and Survival: Karl Behr and Helen Newsom
Like all mothers, Sallie Beckwith, a member of one of the wealthiest families in Columbus, Ohio, wanted a good life for her two children. When her daughter, Helen, attracted the attention of Karl Behr, a world-champion tennis player, she did not approve. In the hopes of distracting Helen from Karl’s advances, Sallie swept her daughter away for a grand tour of Europe; however, Karl was deeply in love and travelled to Europe at the same time to keep in contact with Helen. When Karl learned that Sallie and Helen were returning to America as first-class passengers on Titanic, he quickly booked a ticket as well. Following Titanic’s collision with the iceberg, Karl led Helen and Sallie to the Boat Deck. As the young lovers prepared to say their final goodbyes, White Star Line President Bruce Ismay urged Karl to enter Lifeboat 5 along with Sallie, her husband Richard and Helen. Newspapers later reported that Karl proposed to Helen during their long night of darkness in the North Atlantic. In March 1913, just short of a year after the disaster, Helen and Karl married in New York City, where the couple settled and had three sons and a daughter.
A Dream Turned Nightmare: Edvard and Elin Gerda Lindell
In search of the American dream, Edvard Lindell decided to leave his job at a shoe factory and travel with his wife Elin Gerda as third class passengers on Titanic to New York. As Titanic began to sink, the couple suddenly found themselves sliding uncontrollably down the steep deck and plunging into the icy Atlantic near one of the collapsible lifeboats. Edvard was able to scramble aboard, but his lovely wife Elin Gerda perished in the disaster. The cold and the tragedy proved too much for Edvard and he died later that night still clutching his wife’s wedding band, which had come off when the couple was thrown into the ocean. Neither Edvard’s nor Elin Gerda’s body were ever recovered. A month after the disaster another White Star Line ship, Oceanic, came upon a lifeboat floating at sea. In it were three bodies—all of which were buried at sea—as well as a coat, a can, and a ring. The ring, a wedding band, bore the inscription: “Edvard and Gerda.”
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition tickets are on sale now and ready for purchase. Tickets are valid for 7 days after the show date. Audio tours are available for $6 per audio wand and are available in English, Spanish, French and European Spanish.
Call 800-557-7428 or 702-262-4400.
Call 800-557-7428 or 702-262-4400.
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