Briefly the world’s largest ship, the luxurious RMS Lusitania was also one of the fastest ships of its era. On May 1st, 1915, the Lusitania departed from New York on a voyage to Liverpool with 1,959 passengers aboard. The cargo hold of the Lusitania held other passengers as well: 4.2 million rifle rounds, 1,250 shrapnel shell cases, and 18 fuse cases, all destined for the battlefields of the Great War. Though the Royal Navy had promised to escort the Lusitania for part of the journey, the escort never appeared.

This specimen is a piece of an oak deck chair that once graced the decks of the RMS Lusitania. The chair was among the untold tonnes of flotsam and hundreds of bodies that washed ashore in Cobh, Ireland (known as Queenstown at the time) and was held on public display for decades. It was acquired at auction from Christie’s London office in late 2016.

In 1929, Empire State Inc. announced its plans to construct the tallest building in existence—a state-of-the-art, 80-story office building in the heart of New York City. The Empire State Building exceeded even these grand ambitions. Coming in under budget and months ahead of schedule, the skyscraper was the first to rise over 100 stories, reigning as the tallest building in both its own city and the entire world for four decades.

On July 28, 1945, a B-25 bomber crashed between the 79th and 80th floors of the Empire State Building after its pilot became disoriented in a thick fog. The plane wreckage tore through the limestone facade, one engine punching through the building’s south side and landing on another building below.

This specimen is a piece of the Empire State Building, a section of continuous stainless steel mullion that framed the windows of this magnificent structure. The material was dislodged during the collision in 1945 and was acquired at auction in 2021.

In 1964, a loud, handsome boxer from Louisville, Kentucky shocked the sporting world by beating the reigning heavyweight champion of the world. The new champion's name was Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. and he was just 22 years old. The day after the fight, Clay announced to the press that he was a Muslim and confirmed rumors that he had joined the Nation of Islam. Ten days later, the champion was introduced to the world by a new name: Muhammad Ali.

This specimen is a piece of a punching bag formerly used by Muhammad Ali. Known as a double-end or "crazy" bag, this particular type of punching bag is used to improve accuracy, speed, and endurance.

This specimen is a fragment of mission-flown Kapton foil, which provided thermal protection for the astronauts aboard the Apollo 11 Command Module.

Acquired at auction, this material comes from the personal collection of retired NASA Production Control Engineer William R. Whipkey. Among space collectors, Whipkey is considered the most reliable source for Kapton foil because he oversaw the decommissioning of the Command Modules from multiple missions. He was also responsible for making most of the commemorative displays for astronauts, VIPs, and others who worked on the Apollo Program.

The wedding of the century...

The marriage of HRH Charles Windsor, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer was an international sensation. Watched by an estimated 750,000,000 people around the world, the wedding was the culmination of a fairy-tale in which an assistant kindergarten teacher became a princess overnight.

Over the years, slices from Diana and Charles’s wedding cake have been auctioned or otherwise sold off, small souvenirs from one of the most famous weddings in history.

This specimen is a fragment of the royal wedding cake, a traditional fruit cake with cream cheese frosting. It first appeared in the Third Edition of the Mini Museum, we are pleased to offer it once more as an individual item.