This controversial ‘Titanic’ prop sold for more than $700,000 at a memorabilia auction

It’s one of the most iconic, and hotly-debated, props in cinematic history: The floating wood panel that spared Kate Winslet’s “Titanic” character Rose DeWitt Bukater from icy North Atlantic waters after the titular ocean liner’s sinking — but not Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack Dawson. And it’s now been sold at auction for more than US$700,000.

“Often mistakenly referred to as a door, the ornate structure was in reality part of the door frame just above the first-class lounge entrance,” Heritage Auctions wrote in the auction notes.

The prop’s pivotal role in the “big scene, big goodbye” moment, as the auction house had described it, features Rose floating on the floral-carved panel as Jack, having tried and failed to also rest atop, has succumbed to the cold. As a rescue boat arrives, Rose is forced to pry her hand from his frozen grip — while uttering the famous line “I’ll never let go, I promise,” through chattering teeth — as she swims to her rescuers.

The ornate balsa wood panel had previously been displayed at a Planet Hollywood in Orlando, Fla., before being stored in their archives for some two decades, the auction house told CNN.

It was sold alongside a roster of other props at the “Treasures From Planet Hollywood” auction, which included memorabilia items once displayed at Planet Hollywood locations worldwide and from its archives. These included pieces such as the whip from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and the ax from “The Shining.”

Across almost 1,600 lots in total, the five-day-long auction brought in $15.7 million, according to a press release.

But the “Titanic” flotsam took the prize for the highest-priced piece, far exceeding its starting price of $40,000 and selling for a grand total of $718,750 following a high-energy bidding war.

Several other “Titanic” props were also put up for sale, including the pastel chiffon evening gown Rose wears in the movie on the night of the sinking and the ship’s helm wheel, which sold for $118,750 and $200,000 respectively.

A 2012 episode of the Discovery show “MythBusters” infamously found that two people could have survived long enough on the panel — which measures approximately eight feet (2.4 meters) long and just over three feet (1 meter) wide — if they added a life jacket for extra buoyancy. Remarking on the results, however, “Titanic” director James Cameron told the show’s hosts, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, that Jack needed to die regardless.

And in 2022, Cameron, alongside a hypothermia expert, tried to put an end to the debate once and for all with a simulated test to see if two people of the same body mass as Winslet and DiCaprio could have really stayed afloat on a piece of wood of the same size. Their final answer was no, it was not possible.

There was no additional testing of these theories on the prop itself prior to its sale, as the auction house chooses to “handle all items with great care when in transit and in storage,” Heritage Auctions told CNN. But its new owner, who is choosing to remain anonymous, could well be planning a pool day, having been drawn in by the allure of the over two-decade-long mystery.

“What you’re seeing is this massive interest in the films of the 1980s and 1990s,” said Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, in a statement. “There has been a generational shift to where these massive franchises of the 1980s and 1990s — the ‘Home Alone’s, the ‘Indiana Jones’ films, the ‘Die Hard’s — are now collectors’ favorites… Collectors are finally rewarding these artifacts as what they are: cultural artifacts akin to the fine art of old.”

Dachshunds under threat as Germany proposes ban on breeding

Germany’s beloved sausage dog, the dachshund, could be under threat in the country, its national kennel club said Wednesday, citing a new draft law that looks to prohibit the breeding of dogs with “skeletal anomalies.” The draft bill, published in February and currently being considered by the authorities, was introduced as part of the Animal Protection Act, which seeks to strengthen existing laws on so-called “torture breeding,” the German government said. The document said it could ban the reproduction of breeds prone to particular problems, such as the frequent spinal issues seen in dogs with short legs and a long back. According to the German Kennel Club (VDH), other national favourites like the German shepherd and schnauzer, and even Snoopy himself, the beagle, could also be affected. History has seen many famous lovers of the low-slung but feisty dachshund, or “dackel” as it’s known in German. Napoleon Bonaparte owned several dachshunds, and Germany’s last emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, had a headstone erected for his dackel, “Erdmann.” The painter Pablo Picasso was photographed with his dachshund, Lump, who inspired the artist’s famous line drawing “Le Chien.” A dachshund even became the first official mascot for the Olympic Games – in Germany, of course – when organizers unveiled Waldi the Dachshund for the 1972 Summer Olympics. “The sausage dog is part of Germany’s cultural heritage,” Marion Michelet, chairwoman from the Deutscher Teckelklub Berlin-Brandenburg kennel club and owner of a dachshund called Pepper, told CNN Wednesday. “The sausage dog is not inbred just because it is small and has short legs.” Michelet added that she believes “the new draft law is exaggerated… and is aimed against breeding as a whole.” The VDH has launched a petition to save “our favourite dogs,” arguing the reform would leave too much room for interpretation in determining what constitutes a genetic defect. As of Wednesday, the petition had attracted more than 15,000 signatures. Germany’s proposed reform is ‘outrageous,’ according to Kerstin Schwartz, a dachshund breeder and owner of 27 dogs from Brandenburg near Berlin. (Courtesy Kerstin Schwartz via CNN Newsource) On its website, the VDH said that “many of the proposed changes, such as regulating the online trade in animals or taking action against illegal puppy trade, make sense.” “However, the animal protection law contains requirements that could mean the end of many healthy dog breeds in Germany,” it added. Michelet told CNN that the “abnormalities of the skeletal system” could be seen as a ban on breeding for “any significant size deviation from wolves,” which are the ancestor of all modern-day dogs. Germany’s agriculture ministry denied that the new draft bill would amount to a ban on particular breeds, including the sausage dog. “We are not seeking to ban the dachshund,” a spokesman of the agricultural ministry told CNN, adding: “What we are aiming at with this reform is a ban on torture breeding.” The ministry said the new regulation seeks to prohibit breeding practices that inflict long–term suffering on the animals. “We want to consistently protect animals from pain, suffering and damage,” the ministry said, adding that details of how the new regulations would work are still under discussion. Kerstin Schwartz, a dachshund breeder and owner of 27 dogs from Brandenburg near Berlin, told CNN that the proposed reform is “outrageous.” She argued that the kennel club she belongs to has adhered to the same breeding standards since 1888. “For 136 years we have not changed our standard breeding practices.” “If the breeding ban happens it would have a significant impact” on dog breeders like her, she said, adding: “I hope it won’t come to that.”

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 Deciding on Your Focal Point
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Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?