Titanic Original 1912 Photograph of Collapsible Lifeboat D in the North Atlantic Taken by Louis M. Ogden, a Passenger Aboard "Carpathia"

Photograph, 13.75" x 10.75", black and white. Taken by Louis M. Ogden, a Carpathia passenger. Depicting Collapsible Lifeboat D, one of the Titanic's four collapsible Engelhardt lifeboats (wooden bottom, collapsible canvas sides, identified as A to D). It was the ninth and last boat to be lowered from the port side.

Titanic survivor Col. Archibald Gracie was in Lifeboat 12. In September 1912, he had written Louis M. Ogden about his forthcoming book, "I want your assistance in the matter of illustrations. What have you done with the films of the pictures you took? I would like to have them that I might put them into the hands of some expert to be enlarged for the purpose, if possible, of identifying some of the passengers in each boat." Photocopy of this letter is included. At the time of his death on December 4, 1912, Col. Gracie had not finished his book. He had planned a final chapter to deal with the causes and the lessons taught. Col. Gracie mentions Ogden in his book, The Truth About the Titanic (New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1913): "I am particularly grateful to a number of kind people on the Carpathia who helped replenish my wardrobe, but especially to Mr. Louis M. Ogden, a family connection and old friend." He also reproduced photographs taken by Ogden from the Carpathia, including this one.

About 30 survivors in Collapsible Lifeboat D included about 10 received from Lifeboat 14 earlier in the night and Frederick Hoyt, who had escorted his wife Jane to the boat and then calculated where the boat would row and thought that if he jumped and swam in that direction, they would pick him up. He was right. They did pick him up. He was the only person rescued from the water by the last boat which rowed away from the ship. Also aboard was Chief Second Class Steward John Hardy who had roused the stewardesses after Titanic hit the iceberg and assisted unaccompanied women on D, E, and F Decks in putting on their lifebelts. Hardy climbed into Collapsible Lifeboat D once it was on the water.

Pictured In the bow are First Class passengers Mauritz Hokan Björnström-Steffansson and Hugh Woolner. After assisting other passengers into the boats until all were gone, they ran down and climbed into Collapsible Lifeboat D as it was being lowered past A Deck.

Also in Collapsible Lifeboat D are 3-year-old Michel Navratil, Jr. and his 2-year-old brother Edmond Navratali. Michel Sr. was granted visitation rights with his sons during Easter weekend in 1912, but failed to return them to their mother Marcelle; they were legally separated. They boarded as Louis Hoffman and his sons Lolo and Momon. Their father died aboard Titanic. Since they were toddlers and did not understand English, they could not identify themselves and were soon referred to as the "Titanic Orphans." Their mother saw their photograph in a newspaper, sailed to America, and returned with them to France.

Louis M. Ogden (1867-1946) was a Columbia graduate and lawyer. Later, he became Vice President and Director of the Ogden Lumber Co. and Director of the East River Mill & Lumber Co. On a clear, April morning in 1912, aboard the RMS Carpathia, Ogden rushed to his quarters to retrieve his new camera. On the horizon, several lifeboats appeared carrying Titanic survivors.

Probably the largest size of contemporary photos related to the disaster extant, descended directly from the Family of Louis M. Ogden, the photographer.

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