Titanic's Hull Stripe

[JEFFREY L CHRISTLIEB]

Good question, I'm just finishing up my 1/570 scale model of Titanic and was
wondering if I should add the stripe, now I'm not so sure, check out this
site:

http://www.titanic-print.co.uk/2.jpg

--Jeff

[Ethan Jones]

IIRC, the standard trademark on White Star
liners was a gold/yellowish band on the
hull separating the black and white hull
paint scheme.

Question: did Titanic have this band/stripe
painted on her hull?

Many artists (including Ken Marschall) and
most if not all modelers protray Titanic
as having this band.

On page 233 of "Titanic Voices", a picture
of extra lifeboats being loaded on Olympic
clearly shows a "colored" band separating
the black and white hull paint.

However, the only closeup picture of Titanic's
hull I can find (the Browne picture on page
31 of Lynch/Marschall's "Titanic: An illustrated
History" is the largest example) clearly shows
the black hull paint meeting the white hull paint
with no differences in shading indicating any
sort of different color.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,

--Ethan Jones

[Ethan Jones]

In article <732o84$7vd4$1...@newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com>,
JEFFCHR...@prodigy.net says...

Thanks for the reference. Very good shot, and one I haven't seen
before. Is this another Browne picture? I haven't picked up the
book of all his shots yet.

Although farther away, and not quite as clear as the hull shot
I referenced, it does seem to confirm that there wasn't a stripe
applied. The black hull paint seems to run right up to the white
paint without shading variation.

Working with only b/w pictures sure is frustating sometimes.

--Ethan Jones

[M. Perry]

Magnificent shot! Still, I think there's a goldish stripe visible
dividing the black and white. Hard to tell for certain in monochrome,
but it appears to be there nonetheless.

Mark
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I am not young enough to know everything."
- James M. Barrie
Please remove NOSPAM from my address when replying.

[M. Perry]

That is so strange! When I look at the same photograph, the gold tone
separating line seems very clear to me.

Go figure.

[William J. Leary Jr.]

JEFFREY L CHRISTLIEB wrote

> Good question, I'm just finishing up my 1/570 scale model of Titanic and
was
> wondering if I should add the stripe, now I'm not so sure, check out this
> site:
>
> http://www.titanic-print.co.uk/2.jpg

Great picture.

I'm looking at it now. At 300% magnification I see that a line between the
white and black area shows as a lighter white on this picture. Now, that
COULD just be the light hitting the raised part of the side there, but when
I look higher up to the other raised parts (above the port holes and below
the windows) I don't see the same effect. In fact, the higher up raised
parts appear darker, as do the lower ones in the black area.

It's not conclusive, but I'd accept that their is a stripe painted between
the white and black that's of a lighter (or at least more reflective) color
than the white area.

I'd accept it as gold.

- Bill

[Ethan Jones]

In article <36550B...@postoffice.worldnet.att.net>,
mar...@postoffice.worldnet.att.net says...

>
>Magnificent shot! Still, I think there's a goldish stripe visible
>dividing the black and white. Hard to tell for certain in monochrome,
>but it appears to be there nonetheless.

In the pictures that Jeff and I referenced, there's 4 close set rows
of rivets that I believe are offering the "illusion" of a stripe. In
the loading ramp Browne picture, as this close set group of rivet rows
disappears down the side of the ship toward the far loading ramp, the
sun shining off the newly painted rivet heads makes it appear to be a
shaded stripe. However, on the hull closest to the camera, there is
no variation. When I loaded this image into Photoshop and checked for
grayscale variations, there didn't appear to be any of note.

Go figure. ;)

--Ethan Jones

[Mark Amess]

All White Star ships had a gold stripe between the black painted hull and
white superstructure. This is visible in many Marschall paintings and in
period postcards of White Star ships generally. From the Accommodations
List of Harland & Wolff it is referred to thus:

"The sheer line to be cut in and receive two coats of yellow [paint]. The
name and Port of Registry to be cut in and to receive two coats of yellow,
the letters being 18" for the name on the bow and 12" for the name and Port
of Registry on the stern."

Mark Amess.

[JEFFREY L CHRISTLIEB]

The photo was taken by Jack Odell and his story can be found here:

http://www.titanic-print.co.uk/

I'd have to go with the stripe being there, after looking at the picture I
referenced I'd have to say it's there although it's much narrower than I had
originally thought. I'd like to see more pictures though. The photo that I
referenced makes a great wallpaper at a resolution of 800X600. --Jeff

[Mark Darrah]

The stripe was absolutely there. There are many other photos of her
where you can definitely see a lighter gray band there. The photo you
refer to is useless because of the angle. The band is along the rows of
rivets right below the white. The problem is that it wasn't a shiny gold
stripe. If you look at any large gold painted surface, it looks more
mustard color than polished gold. There should be no other argument
about this. You must look at all the photos. Just because it is hard to
pick it pout in this particular photo doesn't mean that all the others
are wrong. If you want exact photos, you'll have to give me some time to
find some, but it's obvious.

Regards,
Mark

[Stuart & Janet]

Just to throw my 2d in. I concur with the stripe being there. If you look at
the Brown photo looking up from the tender ( with Capt. Smith looking from
the wing bridge) there is a definite stripe of a different shade between the
black and white and it is not a rivet line shadow etc. as the angle is quite
acute from that perspective and other rivet lines show no such shading.
StuK

Mark Darrah wrote in message <36563896...@mediaone.net>...

[MNichol]

I have a very extensive collection of White Star Line postcards. All but a few
of the original ships in the postcards (painted in an almost water color
fashion) show the stripe.

Mark Nichol