A section of the iconic bow of the Titanic, made famous on screen by Jack and Rose in James Cameron’s legendary film of the same name, has succumbed to the effects of slow decay, new images show. Sitting at the bottom of the North Atlantic, the loss of a large section of railing on the bow was noted in images from a new expedition to the wreck, highlighting just how much the ship is changing after sinking more than 100 years ago in April, 1912, taking 1,500 people with it. The 15-foot section of port side railing was discovered on the sea floor by underwater robots this summer, according to the BBC. “The bow of Titanic is just iconic–you have all these moments in pop culture–and that’s what you think of when you think of the shipwreck. And it doesn’t look like that anymore,” Tomasina Ray, director of collections at RMS Titanic Inc, who undertook the expedition, told the BBC. “It’s just another reminder of the deterioration that’s happening every day. People ask all the time: ‘How long is Titanic going to be there?’ We just don’t know but we’re watching it in real time.” It’s believed the section fell off at some stage over the past two years. In an Instagram post Sunday, RMS Titanic Inc wrote, “From films to literature, TITANIC’s looming hull has become a staple in the story and imagery of the great liner. For decades, the bow was a testament to the resilience of her strength and pride. The drastic change in the celebrated image is a reminder that TITANIC is deteriorating, advancing our resolve to preserve her legacy.”
