A bag made of alligator skin and miniature bottles of perfume that still emit a strong aroma are just some of the precious artefacts found among the ruins of the world's most famous shipwreck - the sinking of the Titanic.
The exact location of the warehouse where they are kept is a closely guarded secret due to the value of its contents. We can only say that it is located somewhere in Atlanta, Georgia in the USA.
Inside, the shelves are crammed with thousands of objects: from an inverted tub and recessed porthole to intricately engraved glassware and tiny buttons.
The BBC got a rare chance to explore the warehouse and discover the stories behind some of these items.
An alligator bag hides a tragic story
"It's a really beautiful, modern little bag," says Thomasina Ray, director of collections for RMS Titanic Inc, the company that recovered these artefacts. The American company owns the salvage rights to the ship and over the years has collected 5,500 items from the wreck site, some of which are exhibited in exhibitions around the world.
The bag is made from alligator skin that has survived decades in the depths of the North Atlantic. The delicate objects in it have also been preserved and reveal details about the life of its owner, a third-class passenger named Marian Minuel.
"She was a 63-year-old miller," says Thomasina. "She travelled to the US to be with her daughter, who was recently widowed."
Among the memorabilia inside is a faded photograph believed to be of Marian Manuel's mother.
There were also documents needed for her new life in America, including a handwritten letter of recommendation from her former landlord in London. It said: "We have always considered Miss Manuel to be a good tenant who pays promptly." Also inside was a medical card, as all third-class passengers had to prove they were not bringing diseases into the US. But this water-stained document reveals a tragic twist. Marian Minuel was booked on the Majestic, another White Star Line ship. But he did not sail, so the Majestic is crossed out on the map and her pass shows that she was transferred to the Titanic and became one of the 1,500 people who lost their lives.
"Being able to tell her story and have these items is really important," Thomasina says. "Otherwise she would have been just another name on the victim list."
A perfume that still smells strong
Objects belonging to survivors were also retrieved from the depths.
Thomasina opens a plastic container and the air fills with a sickly sweet smell. "It's very strong," she admits. Inside are small vials of perfume. They are sealed, but their strong aroma is released even after decades on the seabed. "There was a perfume seller on board and he had over 90 of these little bottles of perfume," Thomasina explains.
His name is Adolf Saalfeld and he is travelling as a second-class passenger. Saalfeld is one of 700 people who survive. But because women and children had priority during the evacuation, some men who managed to leave the ship were haunted by guilt. "He was dead when we discovered the perfumes," says Tomasina. "But as far as I understand, he lived with some guilt - survivor's guilt." | BGNES
