Brothers, Friends, Survivors -The Titanic - Scraps Of Darkness and Once Upon a Sketch

Brothers, Friends, Survivors -The Titanic

This layout was created in conjunction with Once Upon A Sketch.  I used the sketch provided by the talented Nadia Cannizzo as my inspiration. ( update - 8-8-12 as this was featured at OUAS)

Journaling is a requirement for this challenge.  This month's journal topic is "Friends".

When I saw this photo, felt it was a perfect fit for the topic.  These boys in the photo shared a special bond as brothers, friends and survivors.

I added my journaling as a backdrop to the photo.  I printed out the story of these boys onto cardstock, embossed it, inked it and set it as the background. You can see what is written if you continue down my blog.

I used the Dusty Attic Vintage Keys DA0392 and covered them in Stampendous Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel.  

Below, I indicated the date the ship struck the deadly iceberg.  This monet sealed their fate.  The ship actually sank on April 15. 

Loius & Lola - Library of Congress by Bain News Publishing

Here is what is written on the page:

Michel Marcel Navratil, Jr. (June 12, 1908 – January 30, 2001) was one of the last survivors of the sinking of RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. Michel, along with his brother, Edmond Navratil (1910–1953), were known as the "Titanic Orphans", having been the only children rescued without a parent or guardian. He was the last male survivor of the Titanic.

Michel Marcel Navratil was born on June 12, 1908 in Nice, France to Michel Navratil, a tailor and Slovak immigrant to France, and Marcelle Caretto, an Italian, who had married in London. Michel had a younger brother, Edmond Roger Navratil, who was born on March 5, 1910.

The marriage was troubled, and in early 1912, Michel and Marcelle separated. Marcelle was awarded full custody of their two children. Marcelle allowed her sons to stay with their father over the Easter weekend; however, when she went to collect them, they had disappeared. Michel had decided to emigrate to the United States and to take his children with him. After a brief stay in Monte Carlo, the three traveled to England where they boarded RMS Titanic.

Michel, his brother, and his father boarded RMS Titanic at Southampton, England on April 10, 1912, as second-class passengers. For the journey, the elder Navratil assumed the alias 'Louis M. Hoffman', and the boys were booked as 'Loto' and 'Louis'. On board the ship, Navratil led passengers to believe that he was a widower. 

After Titanic’s collision with an iceberg, at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912, M. Navratil placed Michel and his brother in Collapsible D, the last lifeboat successfully launched from the ship.  The elder Navratil died during the sinking, and his body was recovered by the rescue ship, CS Mackay-Bennett. In his pocket was a revolver. 

While in Collapsible D, the boys were fed biscuits by first-class passenger Hugh Woolner.^[3] When the rescue ship RMS Carpathia arrived at the scene, Michel and his brother were hoisted to its deck in burlap sacks. Since the two children were toddlers and spoke no English, they could not identify themselves and were soon referred to as the Titanic Orphans. French-speaking first-class passenger Margaret Hays cared for the boys at her home until their mother could be located, which occurred as a result of newspaper articles which included their pictures. Marcelle sailed to New York City, New York and was reunited with her sons on May 16, 1912. She took her children back to France aboard the RMS Oceanic.

Michel lived the remainder of his life in Montpellier, France. He died on January 30, 2001, at the age of 92.  Michel's brother, Edmond, worked as an interior decorator and then became an architect and builder. He joined the French Army during World War II and became a prisoner-of-war. Although he escaped, his health had deteriorated, and he died in 1953 at the age of 43

Wikipedia link here

This is a photo of the boys as they reunite with their mother on May 16, 1912.

Titanic Survivors

Thanks for spending the time looking and reading.  I appreciate this a great deal. 

Please check out  Scraps of Darkness and the art created by the rest of the wildly talented design team.