The French explorer who perished on the Titan submarine worked for decades with a controversial company that has recovered thousands of Titanic relics.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who earned the nickname ‘Mr Titanic’ as a leading expert on the wreck, led several expeditions for RMS Titanic Inc, which holds sole salvage rights.
The company says it is “committed to preserving the ship’s legacy, wreck site and all of her passengers,” but its work has proved controversial. Critics have accused it of trying to take advantage of a ship involved in a tragedy that claimed the lives of around 1,500 by “stealing and looting” it.
Nargeolot, who said his goal has always been “education and conservation,” had already taken part in dozens of dives to the site before boarding the experimental submarine Titan.
The other victims were British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, 58, Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince’s Trust charity, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61.
PH Nargeolet, 71, was an expert on the Titanic wreck and worked with a company that recovered thousands of artifacts from the site
A bronze cherub that would have graced a stairwell on the Titanic. The grand staircase of the nave was decorated with many such gilded ornaments
A porcelain teacup used by a first class passenger and the pocket watch of Titanic’s postal worker Oscar Woody
A platinum, 18 carat gold and diamond ring (left) that most likely belonged to one of the Titanic’s first class passengers accompanies a sapphire and diamond piece
RMS recovered artifacts from the shipwreck during expeditions in 1987, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004.
Large numbers of jewels were also recovered from the wreck.
They include an 18 carat gold and diamond ring, dazzling necklaces and earrings.
In 2020, a British politician likened RMS Titanic Inc to seafaring bandits, saying the work amounted to “theft and loot” the wreck.
Gavin Robinson, DUP MP for Belfast East, where the Titanic was built, criticized a plan by the US company RMS Titanic Inc to salvage and display artifacts from the Titanic in Las Vegas.
RMS Titanic has always maintained that it wanted to preserve the relics on the wreck before they are lost forever. It contacted relatives of the souls who perished on board and received blessings for the recovery missions.
The ship’s bell has been recovered from the wreckage of the Titanic since its discovery in 1985. Above: the bell seen in 2010
When the Titanic hit an iceberg and it became clear that the ship would sink, crew member Samuel Hemming was instructed by Captain Edward Smith to ensure that all 15 lifeboats had oil lamps lit. In 2012, the keys Hemming used to open the door where the lanterns were kept sold for £20,000. Significantly, they bear a tag with the ship’s name. In 2016, the keys came up for sale again
In 2012, the menu for the last meal served to first-class passengers on board the Titanic sold for £76,000. The menu had been recovered by a survivor of the disaster
Nargeolet recovered 5,000 artifacts from the ship during his career and even lifted a 20-ton piece of the ship’s hull for analysis.
The items recovered from the ship have long captured the imagination of historians and hobbyists interested in the tragedy.
There are also many separate collections of items worn by ship survivors and sold privately, including a menu of the last meal served to first-class passengers and items carried by the ship’s crew.
Nargeolet was the director of underwater research for RMS Titanic Inc and has appeared in numerous films and documentaries on the ship.
The company’s mission is to ‘explore the Titanic wreck and surrounding ocean areas; obtaining oceanographic material and scientific data; and using the data and retrieved artifacts for historical verification, science education, and public awareness’.
PH, as he is known to friends, was born in Chamonix, in the French Alps, but spent his early years in Africa with his parents.
Nargeolet spent more than 20 years in the French Navy and became a commander.
He then specialized in deep submersibles and in 1987 led the first Titanic recovery expedition.
Nargeolet was married to American newscaster Michelle Marsh until her death in 2017 at the age of 63. He lived in Connecticut and his children live in Cork, Ireland.
Built by Belfast-based shipbuilders Harland and Wolff between 1909 and 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest afloat ship of her time. In the photo, the Titanic undergoes sea trials
Built by Belfast-based shipbuilders Harland and Wolff between 1909 and 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest floating ship of her time
Titan, controlled by OceanGate, was on its way to the wreckage of the Titanic when it imploded
Titan was a tourist submarine that imploded while traveling to the wreckage of the Titanic 12,500 feet below the Atlantic Ocean
In 2016, RMS Titanic Inc and its parent company, Premier Exhibitions Inc, filed for bankruptcy and came close to auctioning off the relics they held.
Some campaigners, including Titanic director James Cameron, led an unsuccessful campaign to have the collection owned by a consortium of museums. The auction never took place.
Nargeolet said in 2012: ‘I remember being with [a Titanic victim’s relative]a woman who told me, “I don’t like what you’re doing because my father died on the ship,”
‘I’m okay with it. But I’ve met other survivors who like what we do. They believe it helps keep the ship and its legacy alive.”
He added, “I believe it’s good to capture the artifacts, it’s good for education and conservation. That’s the goal.’