A century ago, no cameras were on the scene when the Royal Mail Ship Titanic met its fate in the North Atlantic a century ago. Since then, the world has had to rely upon the skill of the artist to bring us closer to that event than mere words would permit.

But art, if it is divorced from fact, becomes fantasy, of limited use to those wishing assistance in envisioning an event. For nearly 30 years, marine artist Michael V. Ralph has researched Titanic and other ships, and incorporates his consummate knowledge into each of his paintings.

A co-founder and former trustee of the Titanic International Society, today based in Midland Park, New Jersey, he was a featured speaker on the 1996 Titanic Research and Recovery Expedition Cruise. He assisted my writing partner John P. Eaton and me in preparing the most accurate set of deck plans for Titanic, which appear in our acclaimed book, Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy, now in its third edition.

I have enjoyed a friendship with Mike for more than a quarter century. Over that time, I have seen his artistic skill grow and mature. Each of his paintings skillfully combines continuous attention to detail with his passion for the subject. Far from static interpretations, each is imbued with the romance and the pathos inherent in the Titanic’s tragically brief story.

The results are something that every Titanic aficionado should be proud to own.

Charles A. Haas Co-author,

Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy