Alligator handbag and still-smelling perfume: what the hidden treasures from the Titanic look like. Photo

Hidden treasures from theTitanic are stored in a secret warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. Among the 5,500 items found at the wreck site of the sunken liner is an alligator handbag and perfume that still smells.

RMS Titanic Director of Collections Thomasina Ray revealed that the exact location of their vault is kept secret to protect it from thieves. After all, according to experts, these finds are very valuable, writes BBC.

Recall that "Titanic" is the largest premium passenger ship of the British company White Star Line, which sank already during the first voyage on April 14, 1912. In this terrible disaster, 1,517 people lost their lives.

The American firm RMS Titanic Inc has the right to the sunken ship. This right was granted to it by a US court in 1994. But the company must abide by strict conditions - things must always stay together and they must be properly stored.

Over the years, RMS Titanic Inc has pulled 5,500 items from the wreck site, some of which are on display around the world.

Collection Director Thomasina Ray presented some of the precious artifacts. "This is a really beautiful, fashionable little handbag," Ray said, showing a small alligator leather ladies' accessory.

Interestingly, the stuff in the purse is also preserved. Its owner was a third-class passenger named Merian Minwell. "She was a 63-year-old modifier. And was traveling to the U.S. to visit her daughter who had recently been widowed," Thomasina says.

The purse even preserved a photo of Marian Minwell's mother. There were also documents needed for her new life in America, including a handwritten letter of recommendation from her former landlord in London. It reads, "We always found Ms. Minwell to be a good tenant who paid on time."

Still inside was the medical examination card that all third-class passengers need to prove they won't bring a disease to the U.S. But this document reveals a tragic twist in this woman's fate. For Merian Minwell had a reservation on another White Star Line ship. But it did not sail, so the card shows that this passenger was transferred to the Titanic, where she was one of more than 1,500 people who lost their lives in the shipwreck.

Tiny bottles of perfume were also pulled from the depths. They had been packed away, so their strong scent was still present. "There was a perfume seller on board and he had over 90 of these little bottles," Tomasina explained.

According to Ray, the seller's name was Adolf Saalfeld and he was a second-class passenger who managed to escape the Titanic.

Also in the collection is a bottle of champagne with the drink preserved inside and a cork on top. "A little bit of water probably got through the cork when it was compressed to equalize the pressure. And then it just sank to the bottom. There are a lot of bottles on the ocean floor, a lot of pots and pans because the Titanic actually broke in half by one of the kitchens," Tomasina explained.

Thousands of bottles of champagne were on board. After all, the ship's owner wanted the first-class passengers to experience the unrivaled luxury of a premium liner.

"It was like a floating palace. "The Titanic had to be the most luxurious liner." So having champagne, a gym, all these amenities and wonderful things for the passengers were very important to them," the collection director added.

According to the Titanic researchers, being on board the ship for representatives of different social classes was very different - right down to the cups and plates from which they drank and ate. That's why they found dishes for passengers from different classes at the wreck site.

Thomasina Ray said that the third grade white mug she found is simple and sturdy, with a scarlet White Star logo. And the second class plate has a beautiful blue floral decoration and looks a little more sophisticated. Meanwhile, the first class dinner plate is made of fine china. It has a gold border and under the light, you can see the intricate pattern.

Wealthy first-class passengers were served by waiters during their meals. "And third-class passengers probably served themselves and took the dishes - so it must certainly be much more durable than other porcelain," the director explained.

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