{"product_id":"princess-alice-disaster-1","title":"Princess Alice Disaster","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn\nSeptember\n1878, a late summer day trip to the Kent coast ended in tragedy when the paddle\nsteamer \u003ci\u003ePrincess Alice\u003c\/i\u003e collided with the coal ship \u003ci\u003eBywell Castle\u003c\/i\u003e\non the River Thames. Around 640 people died, making it one of the worst\npeacetime maritime disasters in British history after the \u003ci\u003eTitanic\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the scale of the loss the disaster is little known\ntoday. A deeply personal relic in the National Maritime Museum's collection, a\nticket for a 'Moonlight Trip to Rosherville and Back', tells a story of one\nlife narrowly spared. A handwritten note reveals that 'Pa' decided not to go on\nthe excursion after buying the ticket, a choice that may have saved his life.\nAlongside it is a small piece of wood said to have been carved from the wreck.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHistorian Hannah Stockton recounts the events of that day\nand its aftermath through objects, first-hand accounts and illustrations. The\ntragedy exposed the inequalities of Victorian London and Stockton examines\nwhether the victims' largely working-class backgrounds contributed to the lack\nof public memorials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe disaster eventually led to improvements in Thames sewage\ntreatment, swimming lessons for girls and better safety standards for sailors.\nYet this unused ticket remains a haunting and personal reminder of the lives\nlost and the fate one man narrowly escaped.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Maritime Museum","offers":[{"title":"Default Product","offer_id":57394659656024,"sku":"9781917985024","price":18.5,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/princess-alice-disaster-1","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}