HIST 1082 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: That Sinking Feeling, J. Bruce Ismay, Cunard Line
Document Summary
Major challenges in new age of large scale projects video (at&t archives: cable to the continent, a 1959 film about the second transatlantic telephone cable) Incredibly complex, technical and expensive to get all of this done. The titanic: brings all the themes together. 1,500 perished icon of modernity and symbol of the optimistic age that manmade technology could overcome everything (even nature) view that nature could be put on the backburner optimistic view of technology. Brings a sense of invincibility to europeans and americans funding these expensive projects. Imperialism invincibility of the european white class (haven"t had wwi yet) Disaster becomes a wakeup call: nature is not as forgettable as we would like her to be, contradictions of the era. Innovation yet the people inside the ship are traveling while segregated (1st, 2nd, 3rd class) Ultra-modern technology but conservative social hierarchies still dominant. Owner of titanic was white star line: symbol of cutthroat capitalist competition, main competitor = cunard line.