The public is invited to an in-person presentation entitled “Titanic and Her Sisters” on Monday, May 1 at 2:00 pm in the Community Room of the Avon Free Public Library. This event, sponsored by the Avon Historical Society, will feature historian Philip Vitiello who will open a two-month exhibit, by the same name, in the History Corner of the Library. After the presentation, he will provide details at the exhibit for those interested in learning more about the three ships.

Almost everyone knows the tragic story of the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage to New York City on the night of April 14, 1912, hitting an iceberg and sinking with the loss of 1,496 passengers and crew. Few people may realize that the Titanic was the second of three ships built of the ‘Olympic Class’ for the White Star Line to compete for the Atlantic crossing passenger trade.

The stories of Titanic’s older sister ship Olympic and younger sister ship, Britannic are compelling stories of their own. As planned by their owners, when each of the ships was launched, they could claim to be the largest ship in the world. While the Olympic would have an exciting and long career, the youngest sister Britannic, would have a short and tragic end.

This presentation tells the amazing stories of these ships. It covers who built them and why, and what happened to them. Also included are passengers from Connecticut and the amazing life of Violet Constance Jessop, the daughter of Irish immigrants, who would sail on all three ships as a stewardess and as a nurse during WWI, who would survive the sinking of two of them. These Olympic Class Ships had never been seen before, and the likes of them have never been seen since.

A lifelong resident of New Haven, CT, Vitiello attended the University of New Haven and is employed as Director of Marketing for Northeast Food Marketing in Stamford, CT. For over 25 years, he has been a member of the original Titanic Historical Society of Indian Orchard, MA. He is also a Civil War historian, and re-enactor, for 40-plus years studying and visiting civil war eastern theater battlefields. He is Vice President of the Civil War Round Table of South Central Connecticut and Charter Member of “Friends of the Hunley,” the first submarine in world history to sink a ship in combat. Since 1998 he is a charter member of “TIGHAR” The International Group for Historical Aircraft Recovery.

The event is open to the public, free of charge. No RSVP is required. Masks are encouraged, but optional.

PHOTOS ATTACHED ARE PROVIDED BY PHILIP VITIELLO.