A rare intact porthole salvaged from the Empress of Ireland wreck. Hinge still functional.



This porthole was recovered by divers in September 1971, before the Quebec government protected the Empress of Ireland site from the salvage of any kind in 1999 after a commercial venture proposed to blast the ship's deteriorating hull for salvage scrap. The portholes were difficult to obtain from the ship as they required drivers to blow out portions of the hull that contained portholes, thereafter bringing them to the surface. Most of the glass contained in those portholes was broken, however, and we believe this is one of the few with original unbroken glass. When the divers recovered this item, they were astounded the item was not cracked or crazed by seawater, and they regarded it as one of the nicest trophies that any diver could recover from a wreck. Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the maritime disaster, the Canadian Museum of History opened a commemorative exhibit in May 2014 which was made possible by the acquisition of Philippe Beaudry's Collection. Beaudry is an eminent Empress diver who has made more than 600 dives on the Empress.


A similar porthole from the Empress of Ireland is a main point of attraction at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. See their website for a video about the porthole and its significance.



The sinking of the Empress of Ireland was a tragedy that paralleled that of the Titanic, particularly to Canadians. The tragedy occurred in the fog-shrouded St. Lawrence River on May 29, 1914, when the ship collided with the Norwegian collier Storstad. The wound inflicted on the starboard side of the Empress proved fatal and rapidly filled the boat with water, plunging it beneath the surface in fourteen minutes. This is known as Canada's greatest maritime disaster, and artifacts salvaged from the wreckage remain highly collectible.



This historic porthole is from the collection originally assembled by nautical historian and author, Mark Warren. Mr. Warren searched the world for the finest examples of each of the items in his collection. Accordingly, unless condition issues are noted, the items in this collection should be assumed to be in very fine condition. For specific condition questions, please contact Guernsey's.