Frank Browne’s uncle had given his nephew a unique present: a ticket for the first two legs of Titanic’s maiden voyage. As the world’s largest ship left her home port of Southampton to pick up passengers in Cherbourg, France and Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland, Frank (soon to be ordained as a Jesuit priest) was aboard.
Such a gift was everything the picture-taking young man could have imagined. But there was one more thing he desired: to stay aboard Titanic as the world’s largest ship completed her maiden voyage to New York. An American millionaire offered to pay his way.
Excitedly, Frank sought permission from his superior. The answer was not what the traveler wanted to hear:
Get off that ship!
Turns out, it was the best message
Frank could have received. And, because of it, his world-famous photographs still enlighten people about the doomed ship. (Follow the link to Frank Browne’s last photo of Titanic as she left Queenstown for New York.)