DIVING INTO THE LIFE OF THE “UNSINKABLE MOLLYPAGE“UNSINKABLE • THE 4 BROWN” OF 2 OF LIFE THE INTO DIVING Diving Into the Life of the PIGEON FORGE SHOWCASES PERSONAL ARTIFACTS IN A NEW GALLERY. Story by Ann N. Yungmeyer “Unsinkable Molly Photography courtesy of the Titanic Museum Attraction “For all that has been said, shown and written about this bigger- than-life personality, nothing can compare to what our guests will experience when they see her real story come to life through personal he vibrant charac- belongings, private papers and cherished possessions,” says Titanic Brown” explorer and co-owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction, John Joslyn. ter of Molly Brown The new Molly Brown Gallery is a special tribute to her life and invites visitors to learn more about the pioneering spirit that she was. has been portrayed Along with items from the 1964 film “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”, T the exhibit features furniture, silver, Irish crys- in Hollywood film, tal stemware, artwork, family photographs, Titanic memorabilia and treasures that Molly books, opera and the acquired during her world travels. 60s-era Broadway musi- THE MOST FAMOUS WOMAN cal, The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Her PASSENGER ABOARD TITANIC inspiring life story continues to be told The story of Molly and her courageous acts is one of many told through the Titanic through a collection of her personal arti- Museum Attraction’s interactive exhibits. Molly had been traveling abroad with friends facts on display at the Titanic Museum in April 1912, and upon hearing that her grandson was ill back home, she boarded the Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The Titanic on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York. Molly new exhibit, opened January 2014, features became a heroine when the famed passenger liner struck an iceberg and she took charge of a gallery dedicated to Margaret “unsinkable Life Boat No. 6, at first helping people aboard and then keeping up the courage of survivors Molly” Tobin Brown (1867-1932) and adds with her humor and determination. Her Titanic fame grew in the aftermath of From deck chairs to dinner plates the new Gallery displays her memorobilia and personal treasures. a new dimension to her role as a heroine of the tragedy as she continued to help survivors DIVING INTO THE LIFE 1 OF OF BROWN” 4 THE • “UNSINKABLE PAGE MOLLY the Titanic. who had lost everything. However, even before the Titanic disaster, There, she met and married James Joseph “J.J.” Brown, a mine the lady who was known for her flowery hats was making a name for superintendent, and they had two children, Lawrence and Helen. It herself as a human rights activist, philanthropist and international was during her years in Leadville that she became a passionate traveler. crusader for the rights of women, children and mine workers, and started soup kitchens in the mining community. After striking it rich in mining, the Browns moved to where MOLLY MAKES HER MARK Molly was active in local fundraising efforts and an outspoken advo- First, it’s interesting to note that Margaret Brown was not actually cate for literacy, education, women’s suffrage and human rights. She called “Molly,” a nickname that was attached to her perhaps as a studied literature and the arts and tried her hand in politics, running theatrical invention for the film and musical about her life. As a child for the U.S. Senate before women even had the right to vote. Following she was called Maggie and later went by Margaret. her legal separation from J.J. in 1909, Molly continued to travel and Although Molly grew up poor in Missouri with her Irish immigrant learned five languages. She was honored for her volunteer and relief parents, Colorado became her home after she moved to Leadville at efforts in France after World War I, and in her later years she studied age 18 during the silver mining boom of the 1880s. drama in Paris and New York. continued on page 16 14 FEB/MAR 2014 FEB/MAR 2014 15 continued from page 15 GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER ing that Benziger’s mother leaned over and whispered, “And by the way, that’s your great grandmother.” MAKES COLLECTION AVAILABLE Mrs. Benziger plans to make a two-day appearance at Titanic Titanic Pigeon Forge holds the Molly Brown collection under the Pigeon Forge February 14-15 to meet museum visitors and share the direction of Molly Brown’s great granddaughter, Helen Benziger. her personal perspective on her famous ancestor. Many of the items on exhibit once graced the Browns’ homes and have been kept by Mrs. Benziger who made them available for public A LEGEND THAT LIVES CHATTANOOGA viewing. The artifact collection spans many years and features unique personal items including a tiny turquoise statue of a talisman—an The fascination with Molly Brown doesn’t begin or end with the Egyptian artifact that Molly kept in her pocket throughout the Titanic Titanic, and she herself even said, “After being brined, salted and disaster. pickled in mid ocean, I am now high and dry. If I must call a special- MAGAZINE Benziger first learned at age 13 that “unsinkable Molly” was her ist to examine my head, it’s due to the title ‘heroine’ of the Titanic.” great grandmother, when she saw the movie starring But her rags-to-riches story and subsequent rise as a socialite and and as Molly. It was during a scene in which Molly was singing and danc- social activist, as well as her Titanic experience, captured the hearts TITANIC MUSEUM COME ABOARD! ATTRACTION

Titanic Pigeon Forge offers a family learning experience and highlights the stories of heroism, loyalty, leadership and tragedy. Touted as the Summer Getaway Contest world’s largest museum attraction, it opened in 2010, following the 2006 establishment of its sister attraction in Branson, Missouri. Visitors are welcomed aboard a replica of the elaborate ship that embarked on its fateful maiden voyage April 10, 1912, from England to New York. GO TO CHATTMAG.COM Each guest receives a boarding ticket as one of the actual passengers or crewmates and will discover at the end of the tour whether he/she Answer one question survived or perished at sea. for a chance to WIN… In addition to the Margaret Brown Gallery, the museum features Titanic Hotel accommodations & Titanic attraction artifacts, some from the collection of museum co-owner John Joslyn, who has made 33 expeditions to the wreck site in a high-tech submers- tickets for 2 adults/2 children randomly ible. Interactive exhibits provide hands-on learning and allow one to feel selected each week for four weeks the ship’s list at several angles, touch the iceberg and the icy water, and beginning April 1, 2014. imagine what it might have been like to actually be on board the Titanic. Guests can see a re-created first class suite and third class cabin, walk An evening gown from the collection, co-curated by Helen Benzinger, Brown’s the grand staircase, hear barking dogs in the kennel, and see rushing great granddaughter. water in the stairwell.

A dedicated wall for passengers and crew honors the 2,228 aboard, of of many both at home and abroad. Molly which just over 700 survived. Their stories are chronicled through many used her celebrity status to advocate the many biographical exhibits. Museum staff members spent two years research- causes she cared about deeply. ing passengers and have said, “The best way to The Victorian mansion where the Browns

DIVING INTO THE LIFE 3 OF OF BROWN” 4 THE • “UNSINKABLE PAGE MOLLY respect and honor those who gave their lives is lived in the then prestigious Capitol Hill to simply tell their stories.” neighborhood of Denver became The Molly Brown House Museum, dedicated to her LOGO Six Titanic passengers had connections to pioneering efforts in Colorado and beyond. Tennessee. One was Annie Clemmer Funk, who Now, 102 years after the historic maritime Molly Brown had lived and worked in Chattanooga as a was among 700 tragedy, it seems that the Titanic, the stories missionary; another was Major , survivors of the 2,228 of its passengers, and the larger-than-life char- a military serviceman, journalist and gradu- passengers, aboard acter of Molly Brown continue to fascinate ate of Sewanee. Both perished on the Titanic. the Titanic when it generations, old and new. sank in April, 1912. Three of the other four survived and had ties to Clarksville, Memphis, Manchester and Knoxville. Visit www.titanicpigeonforge.com for more about Titanic Museum Attraction. Introducing the Margaret Brown Gallery

www.titanicpigeonforge.com

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