Unsinkable: The Titanic Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Titanic the Film at 25: Fact v. Fiction, with Emily from the Titanic Museum Attraction Dec 11, 2022

Show notes

Today I'm joined by Emily Densky of the Titanic Museum Attraction to discuss the real life passengers that James Cameron brought to life in the 1997 film Titanic. Ever wonder who that man smoking a cigar and yelling that "women and machinery don't mix" is? Ever wonder if Lady Duff Gordon actually did design dirty lingerie? We cover these burning questions (!) and so much more as we unpack the movie and how our collective relationship with it informs how we view and memorialize the ship itself.
Also! Make sure to visit the museums in December or early January, if you're able, to view the film costumes currently on display. Find location and ticket info here: https://titanicpigeonforge.com

Support the show

Support Unsinkable on Patreon for as little as $1/month: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod
Or buy me a coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/labeadles
Buy Unsinkable shirts here!: https://www.bonfire.com/unsinkable-the-first-t-shirt/
Support the pod via my Bookshop Storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/unsinkablepod
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

Book Club: The Second Mrs. Astor, with Author Shana Abe Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

In this episode I venture into Astor-land for the first time, beginning with a bit of a primer on JJ Astor and his family, leading into his courtship with 17-year-old Madeleine Force, who would go on to become his second wife and board Titanic alongside him. Then I'm joined by author Shana Abe, whose novel The Second Mrs. Astor is a stunning piece of historical fiction that attempts to fill in the gaps of what we know and illuminate their love story. It's a great chat, and we fell into a wonderful rapport immediately. (*I apologize if the audio is a bit shaky, I've had some sick family members and my recording space was a bit displaced!)
We speak in the interview about one of JJ and Madeleine's descendants appearing in James Cameron's documentary Titanic 20 Years Later. That was Jacqueline Astor Drexel, who is the daughter of Jakey, their son. So she's JJ and Madeleine's granddaughter! Here's a link to the entire documentary free to stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fijSuO_oUIM
You can find Shana's website here, and make sure to check out her many other works!
https://www.shanaabe.com

Support the show

Mini-sode: Netflix's 1899 Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

I watched Netflix's new show 1899 and got some major Titanic-era-vibes from it, so I thought I'd share a few thoughts! Listen all the way through because I also need some help from YOU to figure out my 1997 25th anniversary content!

Support the show

Jeremiah Burke's Message in a Bottle + Cobh Recommendations Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

Join me as I head back to Cobh and explore the story of Titanic's only known washed up debris, a message in a bottle from a 19-year-old immigrant named Jeremiah Burke. We don't know exactly when he wrote the message or what date it says, but it seems pretty legit, and it was found in 1913 just a few miles from where his family grieved for his loss. What do you think? Is it real? What date does it say? I also give some Cobh travel recs. This is a fun little mini episode!

Support the show

Unlocked Patreon Episode: Titanic (1997) Deleted Scenes Commentary (from July 2022) Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Hi guys, here's an unlocked Patreon bonus episode! And, secondary bonus, it's related to the 1997 movie!
If you've been on the fence about joining Patreon, maybe listening to a bonus epi will give you a better sense of the bonus content. You can join Patreon at any level to unlock the bonus episodes! There are higher tiers for a shout out, access to any events in the future, and picking a bonus episode of your choice.
Find my Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/unsinkablepod

Support the show

A Look at Titanic's Veterans (Featuring Kadi from the Titanic Museum Attraction!) Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

Join me for this, my very first collaborative episode with the Titanic Museum Attraction:
For the month of November we decided to share some research and chat about a few of the 48 veterans who sailed on Titanic. I welcome back Kadi Brazil, who has appeared on the pod before and, honestly, I'd have her on every week! This is the important work, telling the stories, and looking at passengers through a lens like military service opened up so many intriguing tangents as well. A few passengers featured here: Helen Churchill Candee, Edith Pears, Archie Butt, Archibald Gracie, Father Frances Browne, and the star of the show today, truly--Gus Cohen, a third class passenger with perhaps even more than nine lives.
Find everything you need to know about visiting the museum here: https://titanicpigeonforge.com
For more on Archie Butt, see:
-George Behe, On Board RMS Titanic
-George Behe, A Death on Titanic

Support the show

The Abiding Joy of Titanic Minute (with Special Guests The Midnight Boys!) Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

This is my favorite episode I've ever recorded, and I'm not being facetious at all. Join me for a FUN conversation with podcasters The Midnight Boys--Joe, Duff, and Rob--who head down memory lane with me and back to 1997 to discuss their cult-fave podcast Titanic Minute (in which, yes, they dissected the film minute by minute).
Find Titanic Minute here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/titanic-minute/id1266673496
Find The Midnight Boys' film podcast, A Free Podcast, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-midnight-boys-present-a-free-podcast/id1434346405
And support them on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/themidnightboys

Support the show

The Baker: The Life and the Mythology of Charles Joughin Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

Join me as I take a look at the life of Charles Joughin, known in pop culture as "Titanic's Drunk Baker." It wouldn't be Unsinkable without a title myth-busting, would it? There's actually a LOT of myth-busting here. I examine his testimony about the events of the night of the sinking, recount the hardships and successes of his eventful life at sea, and question whether the alcohol in his system (which probably wasn't even that much, spoiler alert) did or didn't help him survive in the icy waters that night.
For more on the food, drink, and food WORKERS aboard Titanic, see Veronica Hinke's The Last Night on the Titanic, available here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-night-on-the-titanic-veronica-hinke/1130204164
Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablepod/

Support the show

RE-RELEASE: Titanic and the Supernatural (from October 2021) Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

This is a RE-RELEASE of a spooky season episode from last year!
An in-depth examination of paranormal phenomenon related to the ship: the omens and premonitions of passengers, accounts from fortune-tellers, and the life and writings of spiritualist and Titanic victim William Stead (whose floating, talking head so many people claim to have seen at seances just weeks after the sinking). Oh, and, of course...a few suspected hauntings. For more detail, I recommend George Behe's book Titanic: Psychic Forewarnings of a Tragedy.
Contact me:
Unsinkablepod@gmail.com
On Insta: Unsinkablepod
On Twitter: Unsinkablepod

Support the show

Spooky Season Book Club: Haunting the Deep with Author Adriana Mather Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

Join me for a special October Book Club episode! Haunting the Deep, Adriana Mather's follow-up to SMASH hit How to Hang a Witch, is about a girl who sees spirits, and this time around she's seeing them dripping with water. I wonder why!
Adriana and I have a wonderful conversation about writing, historical fiction, Titanic passengers, and even a bit about some real-life experience with spirits. She has family members who were intricately involved in the Salem Witch Trials as well as family members who survived the Titanic, so I ramble through a few questions for her there, giddy audibly, as I was just completely enamored of the stories.
Happy Spooky Season!
Adriana Mather is a New York Times-bestselling author; you can find her author page and full list of publications here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/306907/adriana-mather/

Support the show

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Unsinkable: The Titanic Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected