Titanic Tuesday

The tomb of Titanic survivor Léontine Pauline Aubart - known as "Ninette" and played by Fannie Brett in the 1997 film (director: James Cameron) in Saint Vincent Cemetery, Montmartre. 

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Cabaret singer who sometimes performed at Le Lapin Agile, Ninette had accompanied billionaire Benjamin Guggenheim who kept an apartment in Paris. While she was saved by being able to get a place in a lifeboat, Guggenheim wasn't so fortunate. According to one account, realizing the end was near, he and his faithful secretary Giglio dressed in evening clothes and headed to the grand staircase and ballroom where they would "go down as gentlemen," sipping brandy.

As First-Class passengers, Ninette and Benjamin would have enjoyed lavish meals, even by French standards. Today, menus from the Titanic are quite valuable and sought after by collectors.  

"The last meal for first-class diners that fateful night was a grand affair that included starters of canapés and oysters, a second course of consommé Olga (a clear veal soup garnished with scallops), a third course of poached salmon with mousseline sauce, and a fourth course of filet mignons Lili or chicken Lyonnaise with marrow farci (stuffed vegetables). 

 The mains catered to most people’s tastes. There was lamb, duckling and beef, with buttery roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, minted peas, carrots and rice. After a rum-infused palate cleanser of punch romaine (the sixth course), guests moved on to roasted squab (pigeon) with wilted cress, asparagus salad with Champagne saffron vinaigrette and pâté de foie gras with celery. In fact, with a grand total of 11 courses, it’s hard to imagine how they fitted it all in. 

To round off that fateful meal, there was Waldorf pudding, peaches in Chartreuse jelly, chocolate and vanilla éclairs, French ice cream, assorted fresh fruit and cheeses. While some first-class diners would have eaten in one of the cafés or the à la carte restaurant, for others this would have been their last meal – a few hours later more than 120 first-class passengers died, mainly men."  - Source: Lovefood.com The Titanic’s incredible menu revealed – for every class - BPJ