Taking a step back in time now offers more than ever before at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

Remember seeing the panel from Titanic's grand staircase for the first time, reading the wireless messages from the sinking ship, or imagining yourself sitting in one of the only intact Titanic deckchairs in the world? Now consider peering through a porthole and getting a sense of what first, second and third class sleeping quarters and dining menus consisted of, having a seat in an AV theatre to learn more about Halifax's role in the disaster recovery, or exploring Titanic's ties to underwater archaeology. Well, as of June 24 you're able to experience all of this and more.

The launch of the newly expanded exhibit "Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax" was held on June 24, 1998 with the unveiling of many new additions to the Titanic display. The official launch not only provided an opportunity to share Titanic's story, but also introduced a new initiative called Voyages Remembered - a partnership between the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax Regional Municipality and the Province of Nova Scotia.

Projects under this program include the preservation and upgrading of Titanic sites, including Fairview Lawn Cemetery, informative displays and audiovisual presentations at the International Visitor Information Centre, improved interpretation at other Titanic sites throughout Nova Scotia, literature and guides for visitors, as well as improvements to sites connected to the Halifax Explosion.

In April, work commenced under the program on the expansion of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic's Titanic exhibit. The new exhibit is now approximately three times the size it was just one month ago, allowing for the display of more Titanic artifacts than ever before.

"The Museum is very gratified that the people of Nova Scotia responded to the announcement of the expansion by offering to lend Titanic-related pieces we didn't even know existed," says Gerry Lunn, Curator of Visitor Services at the Museum. "This not only reflects on the generous spirit of Nova Scotians, but also on their tremendous interest in this province's marine heritage."

Some of the more than 40 new pieces include a bench which has been in the possession of a Nova Scotia family since approximately 1919. Just under eight feet long, the bench is presumed to be one that would have sat on the first class deck. With it's ornate bronze sides, it is an exact match to the benches aboard Titanic. The bench was pulled up in a fishing net aboard a French fishing dragger near the site of the Titanic wreck. As the family's oral history reports, their great-grandfather, an agent for the vessel, was given the bench as a gift. It sat in front of the family home until recently making its way into the new exhibit.

The new wreckwood display contains many new pieces, including a particularly impressive addition. A beautifully carved table leg, recovered by the Third Officer on the cable ship Mackay-Bennett, closely matches photographs of tables in the first class lounge. The saving of mementoes from shipwrecks, as the Third Officer's family did, is part of Nova Scotia's rich marine tradition.

Another new addition allows visitors to place themselves in the time following the disaster, putting the tragedy in perspective. A post card mailed from Halifax to Owen Sound, Ontario on May 1, 1912 recounts the writer's emotion as he watched the arrival of the victims' bodies on Mackay-Bennett that very day.

All initiatives under Voyages Remembered will help to interpret the real stories which make up the province's marine heritage, including the Halifax Explosion. Sensitivity and authenticity will be paramount throughout all stages.