New Titanic Display Opens at Liverpool Cathedral

An insightful new small display exploring Liverpool’s deep connections to RMS Titanic has opened at Liverpool Cathedral.

Set within one of the city’s most historic and iconic buildings, the exhibition uncovers the strong ties between Liverpool, the White Star Line and the people whose lives were shaped by the world’s most famous ship. From the White Star Line’s Liverpool headquarters, which managed Titanic’s maiden voyage, to the lasting legacy of the Ismay family within the Cathedral itself, the display reveals a story woven into both city and building.

Liverpool’s Titanic Connections

Liverpool Cathedral is home to some of the most distinctive Titanic memorials in the UK.

Visitors can discover:

• A rare stone carving of Titanic in the North Choir Aisle, created by Cathedral craftsman James Townley Dilworth to mark Liverpool’s maritime links to the disaster.
• Stained glass commemorating Captain Edward John Smith in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, accepted in 1914. Smith, who had been based on Merseyside for 40 years, died with the ship.
• The story of Margaret Ismay’s remarkable £10,000 memorial gift, still reflected in the Cathedral’s magnificent East Window, where the Ismay family coat of arms appears alongside a sailing ship.

The exhibition also explores the Cathedral Committee’s historic decision to decline inclusion of the White Star Line emblem, offering insight into how memory and legacy were carefully shaped within the building.

Stories of People and Place

At least 90 Titanic crew members had links to Merseyside, with many senior officers living locally – including Chief Engineer Joseph Bell in Crosby and Chief Officer Henry Wilde in Walton.

Original artefacts and personal stories featured in the exhibition include an SOS telegram sent from Titanic, alongside the story of Liverpool-connected crew member Percy Ball, a plate steward believed to have survived aboard Lifeboat 13.

Visit the Exhibition

The small display is free to see and runs until Sunday 12 April. All are welcome to visit and explore this moving chapter of Liverpool’s maritime and Cathedral history.

For opening times and visitor information, please check our website before planning your visit.