The campaign is backed by James Cameron, the Oscar-winning Titanic director, and by Dr Robert Ballard, the oceanographer who discovered the wreck of the ship in 1985.
The bid by the Royal Museums Greenwich, National Museums Northern Ireland, Titanic Belfast and Titanic Foundation Limited seeks to raise sufficient money to buy the 5,500 artefacts recovered from the seabed over the course of seven deep sea expeditions between 1987 and 2004.
The haul ranges from a 17-ton section of the hull to the bronze cherub that once adorned the grand staircase; clothing, crockery, jewellery, documents and even a packet of cigarettes.
The company that salvaged and owns the items, Premier Exhibitions, has filed for bankruptcy in the US, leading to fears that the collection will be split up and sold off to private collectors.
Cameron, whose 1997 Titanic film starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio fuelled interest in the Titanic story, said the collection must not be allowed to disappear into private hands.
“The story of the Titanic has captivated imaginations, hearts and minds of people around the world. It has played an important role in my own life - as a film-maker, a deep sea explorer and as an advocate of deep-ocean research.
“The sinking of the Titanic was a heartbreaking moment in history. Securing the irreplaceable collection of artefacts - protecting and preserving them for future generations by placing them in the public trust - is a unique and important opportunity to honour the 1,503 passengers and crew who died,” the director said.
The four museums are seeking private and public donations in order to reach their target, and have secured $500,000 (£380,000) from National Geographic.
A court in the US will decide today [Weds] whether or not to accept the British bid. If it is accepted, there will be a 60-day period in which to raise the required funds.
A spokesman for the bid said: “We are currently in conversation with private funders, and we hope in time to launch a public arm of the campaign, encouraging the general public across the world to pledge their support to the journey of returning Titanic artefacts to an appropriate final resting place.”
In addition to the artefacts, the organisations are seeking salvage rights, which will be assigned to the National Maritime Museum (part of Royal Museums Greenwich) and National Museum Northern Ireland.
The ship sank on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 15 1912. The wreck was discovered 73 years later by a joint American-French expedition led by Dr Ballard, lying 2.5 miles deep and around 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.
Dr Ballard, a former US naval commander, said: “I’m lending my voice to this campaign as it is the right thing to do. This bid is the only viable option to retain the integrity of the Titanic collection. The collection deserves to be returned home to where its journey began.”
Since 1994, RMS Titanic Inc, owned by Premier Exhibitions, has been “salvor-in-possession”, the only company that can legally sanction a diving mission to the wreck.
source: telegraph.co.uk
