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| Titanic survivor Edith Russell shows her musical pig to actress Theresa Thorne - who played her in the 1958 movie A Night To Remember. (from NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM) |
Edith Rosenbaum (later Russell) was a 32-year-old first-class passenger who boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg with 19 pieces of luggage. Her musical pig had been a good luck gift from her mother the year before after Edith had survived a car accident that killed her fiance' in the crash. The pig was made of wood and papier mache' and covered in real pigskin.
When Titanic hit the iceberg, Edith was in her cabin. She said she saw the iceberg through her porthole. When the ship sounded the muster signal, she and other passengers made their way up on deck to the lifeboat stations. However, she realized that she forgot the musical pig, so she went back to get it, then rejoined passengers at the lifeboats.
She initially refused to get into a lifeboat because she didn't think Titanic would sink. After all, it was advertised as unsinkable. However, a sailor abruptly grabbed the pig from her, obviously mistaking it for a real one, and threw it into Lifeboat 11. He told her that if she didn't want to be saved, "then I'll save your baby." She later recounted for the newspaper reporters that when that sailor threw the pig, she got a feeling that her mother was calling to her to get into the lifeboat with the children of Titanic passengers.
While waiting with the children for a rescue ship, they were surrounded by people in the throes of dying who were floating in the frigid water around them. To block their cries, Edith wound up the musical pig and played the song over and over. Seven hours later, the Carpathia rescued Titanic's passengers.
Edith Rosenbaum filed one of the two largest insurance claims against White Star Line. They settled with her to cover the loss of her belongings and for personal injury.
After the pig was given to London's National Maritime Museum to put on display with the Titanic Collection, the curators didn't understand how the music operated. So they took X-rays and the handle was discovered inside. They used a brass rod to make the song play, although it misses a few notes. The tail was pulled out and re-attached, then the pig was put on display.
When Titanic hit the iceberg, Edith was in her cabin. She said she saw the iceberg through her porthole. When the ship sounded the muster signal, she and other passengers made their way up on deck to the lifeboat stations. However, she realized that she forgot the musical pig, so she went back to get it, then rejoined passengers at the lifeboats.
She initially refused to get into a lifeboat because she didn't think Titanic would sink. After all, it was advertised as unsinkable. However, a sailor abruptly grabbed the pig from her, obviously mistaking it for a real one, and threw it into Lifeboat 11. He told her that if she didn't want to be saved, "then I'll save your baby." She later recounted for the newspaper reporters that when that sailor threw the pig, she got a feeling that her mother was calling to her to get into the lifeboat with the children of Titanic passengers.
While waiting with the children for a rescue ship, they were surrounded by people in the throes of dying who were floating in the frigid water around them. To block their cries, Edith wound up the musical pig and played the song over and over. Seven hours later, the Carpathia rescued Titanic's passengers.
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| The Musical Pig was presented to the Smithsonian |
Edith Rosenbaum filed one of the two largest insurance claims against White Star Line. They settled with her to cover the loss of her belongings and for personal injury.
Edith had moved to London, England and made her home at Embassy House. Six years later in 1918, she became one of the first female war correspondents traveling with soldiers during World War One.
As adults, the child survivors from the lifeboat recalled the musical pig that played a song that sounded like a tango. But by then, the pig and its owner (who had a new last name) had faded into obscurity.
Forty years later, in 1958 Edith Russell was located by a movie producer in Hollywood, California because they were making a movie about the Titanic called "A Night To Remember." The producer wanted her to serve as a technical advisor and to appear in a small part with her musical pig. Later, she went on promotional junkets to promote the movie, then quietly retired in London.
Edith Russell died in 1975 in London England.
In 2003, the musical pig became part of a collection owned by Walter Lord, author of the movie script, and by William MacQuitty, the movie's producer. When the pig came into their possession, the wind-up handle on the tail was broken off. Upon checking the promotional pictures for the 1958 movie, it seems that the tail had already been gone, so they guessed that it must have happened between 1918 and 1958.
As adults, the child survivors from the lifeboat recalled the musical pig that played a song that sounded like a tango. But by then, the pig and its owner (who had a new last name) had faded into obscurity.
Forty years later, in 1958 Edith Russell was located by a movie producer in Hollywood, California because they were making a movie about the Titanic called "A Night To Remember." The producer wanted her to serve as a technical advisor and to appear in a small part with her musical pig. Later, she went on promotional junkets to promote the movie, then quietly retired in London.
Edith Russell died in 1975 in London England.
In 2003, the musical pig became part of a collection owned by Walter Lord, author of the movie script, and by William MacQuitty, the movie's producer. When the pig came into their possession, the wind-up handle on the tail was broken off. Upon checking the promotional pictures for the 1958 movie, it seems that the tail had already been gone, so they guessed that it must have happened between 1918 and 1958.
After the pig was given to London's National Maritime Museum to put on display with the Titanic Collection, the curators didn't understand how the music operated. So they took X-rays and the handle was discovered inside. They used a brass rod to make the song play, although it misses a few notes. The tail was pulled out and re-attached, then the pig was put on display.
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