World’s fifth largest scale model of Titanic will be on display

Africa’s largest and the world’s fifth largest scale model of the Titanic will be on display at the Manger Care Centre in Brentwood Park on Friday and Saturday (May 25 and 26).

Its creator, Gino Hart, who described himself as a “gypsy”, is taking the model around the country, with exhibitions planned in Gauteng until the end of the year.

Gino’s history with Manger Care Centre dates back some 18 years when he was in a band which performed at the centre.

“Since then, the centre has been close to my heart.

“I’ve always supported what they do; helping people learn to make things with their hands, and, over the years, I’ve often thought of going back and supporting them in some way again.

“What they do has a lot of synergy with me having built this scale model of the Titanic – it is something I built with my hands which has enabled me to realise my dreams.”

Gino’s scale model is known as the “Tintanic”.

He explained this enabled him to have copyright as an artist and the name also makes it easier for people to search and find it online among the hundreds of other related searches.

The Tintanic has already been exhibited at malls in Heidelberg and Brakpan and once it leaves Benoni will move to malls in the north of Johannesburg.

Next year, Gino is taking the exhibit to KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town.

It’s a mammoth operation moving the 18.7m long, R500 000 model and considering Gino is, largely, a one-man show, this countrywide tour is an incredible feat.

“The entire exhibit is dismantled and its at least a 10-hour operation to move her safely.

“Also, we can only do the move to our next exhibition site at night, which always makes things interesting.”

A travelling exhibit of a Titanic scale model has never been done anywhere in the world, Gino added.

“All other models are housed in museums or other static locations; sitting in one place. People have to go to the model as opposed to what I offer, bringing the Titanic to the people.”

Also, the Tintanic, unlike the majority of scale models in the world, is not a hollow shell.

Gino’s is the only model in the world to feature rooms on the inside, on every deck.

In addition to this, in five years’ time, visitors will see his scale model populated with 1 523 figurines and other interior fittings.

“This number represents the number of passengers and crew who died when the Titanic sunk on April 15, 1912.

“The aim is that by December 2022, all the figurines will be in place and, for the first time ever, visitors will be able to see an actual representation of those who died in the tragedy.”

No other model in the world offers anything like this, according to Gino.

Fascination

Gino said the James Cameron movie Titanic, which was released in 1997, was where his fascination began.

“I started researching the history of the Titanic and tinkered with several prototypes of the ship – well, 19 to be exact over a period of 20 years – which I kept sinking on the Vaal Dam and in friends’ swimming pools.

“The real turnaround came in 2013 when the magazine I was working for closed down.

“I didn’t want to go back into sales; I wanted to pursue my dream – to build one of the biggest scale models of the Titanic.

“The idea was rather crazy from the start – I admit this – but I pushed on and managed to gain the support of several big businesses to get Tintanic off the ground.”

One of the contributors to the success of the project was, in fact, a Benoni timber company, which sponsored all the plywood for the interior decks.

“I was even brazen enough to email Don Lynch, a historian with the Titanic Historical Society who worked with James Cameron on Titanic and had an acting part in the movie.

“I told him about my Tintanic idea and he emailed me back a week later, basically saying he didn’t want to burst my bubble but he didn’t know of a single person in the world who earns a living out of the Titanic.

“This didn’t deter me at all. I’ve proven him wrong. Yes, it took many years and a lot of hard work, but Tintanic is now even internationally acclaimed and I am living my dream.”

Gino said his success is proof that people should follow their dreams, no matter how far-fetched they may seem.

“Everyone was sceptical of my idea – even I thought it was crazy – but I did it; I followed my dream and my passion, and others should too.”

Fast facts:

• Gino grew up in Villiers in the Free State.

• The launch Tintanic event was held in the Villiers High School design centre in July 2017.

• Gino has met and consulted with Redmond Taggart, the great nephew of the original builder of the Titanic, Thomas Andrews. Taggart lives in Midrand. Andrews died in the sinking of the Titanic. When Taggart saw Gino’s Tintanic, he commented: “The Titanic was great but if you’re looking for true greatness, it is with us in this room right now.”

• Gino runs the Tin Club, for Titanic enthusiasts. You can take out a first, second or third class membership and each offers exclusive benefits and promotional items.

• You can rent Tintanic as an exhibit at events and functions.

• Gino was the leading historian for the 2015/2016 Titanic artefact exhibition in South Africa, which included 144 genuine artefacts from the ship. He led tours every hour for eight months, retelling the history of the ship to 25 000 visitors. The interaction with people from all over the world has left him with a very “international” accent (he is, in fact, very South African being the son of Afrikaans parents).

• Gino is single. “Tintanic is my wife. We’ve had words her and I – and she’s cut me every now and then,” he joked.

• Visit www.tintanicmodelship.weebly.com for more info and membership of the Tin Club, or contact Gino on tintanicmodelship@gmail.com

The Tintantic exhibit is free and takes place at Manger Care Centre, 8 Kirschner Rd, Brentwood Park, from 9am to 5pm daily.

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