ISU Shares Historic Connection to the Titanic
By: Jacob Long, WMBD/WYZZ-TV
Updated: April 13, 2012
NORMAL - This week marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
But did you know the ship shares a historic connection to Illinois State University?
Milner Library is home to a large collection of circus artifacts. Part of the collection includes letters written by a man named A.A. Stewart.
He was a sales representative who inked deals to print circus posters. One letter written on his behalf confirms he left Europe on the Titanic to attend a circus performance in New York City.
But Stewart was one of the many passengers who died when the Titanic sank.
Now that the tragedy is turning a century old, the library thinks there's a renewed interest in those who were on board.
Maureen Brunsdale from special collections said, ""It's a way, I think, for us to look back and capture some of the romance, intrigue and to hook into some of the stories of Titanic. And having it here makes it more local, even though he wasn't a local guy at all."
The collection of letters are dated between 1906 and 1912.
I.S.U. got them in the 1970's, but the letter dealing with the Titanic wasn't discovered until more recently.
Stewart's wife was supposed make the voyage with him, but she cancelled after getting sick.
But did you know the ship shares a historic connection to Illinois State University?
Milner Library is home to a large collection of circus artifacts. Part of the collection includes letters written by a man named A.A. Stewart.
He was a sales representative who inked deals to print circus posters. One letter written on his behalf confirms he left Europe on the Titanic to attend a circus performance in New York City.
But Stewart was one of the many passengers who died when the Titanic sank.
Now that the tragedy is turning a century old, the library thinks there's a renewed interest in those who were on board.
Maureen Brunsdale from special collections said, ""It's a way, I think, for us to look back and capture some of the romance, intrigue and to hook into some of the stories of Titanic. And having it here makes it more local, even though he wasn't a local guy at all."
The collection of letters are dated between 1906 and 1912.
I.S.U. got them in the 1970's, but the letter dealing with the Titanic wasn't discovered until more recently.
Stewart's wife was supposed make the voyage with him, but she cancelled after getting sick.
