WATCH: Tintanic that visited Benoni heading to retirement in Belfast

Remember the Tintanic that visited Benoni in 2018? It was on display at The Manger Care Centre in Brentwood Park.

Its creator, Gino Hart, now has his sights set on the Titanic Quarter Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where his pride-and-joy tin model will become an added landmark attraction and retire from travelling exhibits permanently.

What is Tintanic?

The Tintanic is the largest Titanic replica in Africa. Hart made it of tin and it is an 8.7m (27 ft) model of the ill-fated ‘unsinkable’ Titanic that collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean in April 1912. It sank with a significant loss of life.

In South Africa, Hart faithfully created this personalised massive version of the lost liner over three years, not only the exterior but also more than 4 000 plus interior spaces within the hull on nine different deck levels.

In 2014, the Tintanic-concept was brought to the attention of various potential sponsors.
Stalcor, a supplier of steel and aluminium products in South Africa, contributed 38 sheets of high-grade aluminium to get the Tintanic artwork started.

Connect.co sponsored 55 000 real pop rivets which were all inserted by hand into the hull, H&S Timbers sponsored 160m² of waterproof plywood for interior decks, Amt Composites sponsored silicones and resins for the creation of 20 resin cast lifeboats, Strong Bond Adhesives sponsored 100 litres of glue for the internal structures and Laser Creations recreated more than 1 000 historically accurate window frames and other fittings.

In 2015/2016, the Tintanic project was halfway through the construction of the 4.2m forward section of the hull, when the world-famous Titanic, The Artefact Exhibition, visited South Africa.

Presented by Premier Exhibitions and Exporsa, Hart became the local historian and host for the show. He took more than 25 000 visitors on hourly tours of around 144 artefacts from the wreck of the real ship for eight months.

The half stern section of 4.5m was completed by December 2017. He launched the completed model in June 2017 in his carpentry classroom in his hometown of Villiers in the Free State.

Redmond Taggart, the great nephew of Thomas Andrews, the chief designer of the real Olympic Class Liners in 1912, was present at the launch of Tintanic.

In 2018, the Tintanic began a countrywide tour around South Africa.

The tour was segmented into different provinces and scheduled according to arrival and departure times at various locations.

The Tintanic has never been late for an arrival or departure to or from a location on schedule.

The vintage luxury soap brand Vinolia, the original advertiser for the real Titanic in 1912, sponsored the exhibition that reached an audience of more than 10 million visitors countrywide over five years.
United Kingdom

Travelling with the Tintanic to the United Kingdom has always been the primary goal for Hart. Visitors from over the world could journey to the Titanic realm to appreciate this R5 000 000 piece of Tintanic art.

“It would make an incredible story for media sensation and attention if this dream was to become a reality and nothing of its kind and calibre exists in the UK,” Hart said.

He will also accompany the Tintanic to complete the more than 4 000 plus miniature interiors, where he will work on the replica daily in front of a live audience.

As a person who has worked with real Titanic artefacts and has years of historical research knowledge, Hart is an asset to any historical institution as a celebrity artist with unique artwork.

“The Tintanic tells the story of South African involvement and highlights the story of the Brown and Haisman family.

“Edith Brown Haisman lived to be one of the world’s oldest Titanic survivors, having set sail from Cape Town with her parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Brown, on board the Saxon in 1912 to join the Titanic on her maiden voyage.

“It also archives thousands of documents, newspaper articles and letters collected by the Titanic Society of South Africa (1985 to 2008), paying homage to those who kept the story alive in South Africa.

“Above all, the Tintanic is a tale of the endurance of an artist with an unprivileged background, who wouldn’t let anyone or anything stand in his way of achieving his dreams.

“I believe I am a living testament that anything is possible,” he said.

The international ‘Back to Belfast’ tour is due to commence in 2024/2025, which will relocate the Tintanic to the United Kingdom.

The Tintanic will make the transition between countries in 2024 and arrive in time for the 112th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, where she is to tour Great Britain for 12 months, slowly making her way to Belfast for the final installation in her last resting place.

“The international tour plans are only starting now, but there is a lot of red tape to get around first,” Hart said.

“We have to arrange for the visa and passport and collect funding. Like a finely tuned piano, every note has to be played perfectly to make the tour a success.

“Upfront reservations, payments in full, no cancellations or postponements allowed – all the ‘teas and seas’ apply for the biggest move since the real Titanic went down.”

Visit www.tintanicmodelship.weebly.com or email [email protected] for more information.

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