The phrase Grand Staircase of the RMS Titanic has been used to refer to the first-class entrance aboard the Titanic which contained a large ornate staircase located in the first-class section of the famous White Star Line

White Star Line

The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...

 liner. The staircase is often used by submersibles as an entry point into the sunken wreck as it is now a large opening, which provides easy access to the ship's interior.

Considered to be two of the most luxurious appointments on the ship, the two Grand Staircases were designed to be used only by first-class passengers. The fore Grand Staircase descended five levels down from the Boat Deck to the E Deck in the famous appearance and continues down to F-Deck as an ordinary stairway. The staircase featured large glass domes that allowed natural light to enter the space during the daytime, oak

Oak

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

 panelling and detailed carvings, paintings, bronze cherub

Cherub

A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...

s (which served as lamp supports on the middle railings), candelabra, and other details. The Fore staircase featured a clock surrounded by an intricate oak carving depicting "Honour and Glory crowning Time", while the Aft staircase featured a far less ornate clock. A 360-degree view of the fore staircase as it appeared back in 1912 can be seen on the Encyclopedia Titanica

Encyclopedia Titanica

Encyclopedia Titanica is an online reference work containing extensive and constantly-updated information on the . The website, a nonprofit endeavor, is a database of passenger and crew biographies, deck plans, and articles submitted by historians or Titanic enthusiasts...

 website.

There are no reliable sources that describe what occurred on the fore Grand Staircase during the ship's sinking. Photographs taken by explorer Robert Ballard

Robert Ballard

Robert Duane Ballard is a former United States Navy officer and a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who is most noted for his work in underwater archaeology. He is most famous for the discoveries of the wrecks of the RMS Titanic in 1985, the battleship Bismarck in 1989,...

 show that the steel infrastructure of the staircase is intact, and that the wood was likely eaten away by microbes. It stands on the wreck of the Titanic as a vast empty hole, within which submersibles and cameras can gain easy access to the ship's interiors. The steel structure and even some of the detail on the balustrades of the staircase can still be made out, and some of the light fittings are still exactly as they were in 1912.

There is an alternate theory as to what happened to the grand staircase that has growing support. During the filming of the 1997 film Titanic

Titanic (1997 film)

Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...

, a sinking set had been constructed with a wooden replica of the grand staircase. As they submerged the set during filming, the grand staircase broke away from the framework. Eyewitness reports from the sinking and analysis of the wreck support, but do not prove, that the grand staircase floated out as the ship sank. The wreck lacks sufficient debris at the bottom floor to account for the staircase disintegrating and in nearby rooms traces of wood are readily seen. Only locating the bronze fixtures would prove whether it disintegrated in place or floated out.

The aft grand staircase was torn apart as the Titanic broke up shortly before sinking. Much of the wood and other debris found floating after the sinking is thought to have come from the aft staircase. During the 1987 exploration on the Titanic wreck, a bronze cherub was found near the ruins where the aft grand staircase was on the wreck of the stern and is on display at a Titanic museum in the eastern United states.

Style and architecture

The decoration of the staircase was a curious combination of styles. The paneling and woodwork were made by master craftsmen in the English William and Mary style. The iron banister grillwork and ormolu

Ormolu

Ormolu is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground, high-karat gold in a mercury amalgam to an object of bronze. The mercury is driven off in a kiln...

 garlands were added and they were inspired by the French court of Louis XIV.

Typically during those times, a bronze cherub held aloft a lamp to light the landings of the staircase. Many years earlier, lamp stands had been placed at the foot of staircases for safety. However, with dozens of gilded crystal chandeliers lighting Titanic's entrance hallways and staircases, the cherubs on Titanic were ornamental.

The Grand Staircases in popular culture

Many movies have been made about the sinking of Titanic. Almost all have depicted the grand staircase. In the 1943 film, the grand staircase landing is shown as a metaphor for the avarice.

Jean Negulesco's 1953 film

Titanic (1953 film)

Titanic is a 1953 American drama film directed by Jean Negulesco. Its plot centers on an estranged couple sailing on the maiden voyage of the , which took place in April 1912.-Plot:...

 has a number of scenes set on the Grand Staircase. The scenes are not accurate.

The staircase was a focal point in the 1997 film

Titanic (1997 film)

Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...

 as well. The fore grand staircase was accurately built although the model that was used was larger than the actual staircase. On the 2005 DVD Special Features, Production Designer Peter Lamont revealed that the staircase used for the film was built much grander than its real-life counterpart; the film's staircase was constructed eighteen inches wider on both sides. A close observer will also note that the main body of the original Grand Staircase, where the center banister is, possessed twelve steps including the step landing below the clock. The film's replica had thirteen steps. The DVD features also reveal that Titanic historian Ken Marschall noted that men and women are built more robustly in present day. Two people in the Edwardian age would have had difficulty comfortably walking beside one another on one side of the banister because the space was simply not wide enough. The film's replica was constructed wider so pedestrian traffic walked with ease up and down the staircase on both sides of the banister complimenting the social atmosphere of Edwardian maritime etiquette.

In the film, the staircase is submerged, and the glass dome is destroyed. The film does not show that the wooden hand rails were torn apart by the water.

The staircases are also depicted in the video game Titanic: Adventure Out of Time

Titanic: Adventure Out of Time

Titanic: Adventure Out of Time is a computer game developed by Cyberflix. It was published in the United States and Europe by GTE Entertainment and Europress respectively, and released on November 12, 1996...

. The Fore Grand Staircase is depicted correctly for the most part, aside from some inaccuracies in the D and E deck landings, but in the Aft Grand Staircase there is no clock present on the A-Deck landing.

There are also several Titanic museums that have detailed replicas of the grand staircase. The most popular one is featured at the Titanic museum in Branson, Missouri

Branson, Missouri

Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....

. It was built using the ship's original deck plans. There is only one difference from the original staircase. It has brass hand rails below the original handrails used for safety.

The main staircase of the White Swan Hotel

The White Swan Hotel, Alnwick

The White Swan Hotel is a Grade II listed building, hotel and pub in Alnwick, Northumberland, England. Near the Hotel is Alnwick Castle.- RMS Olympic fittings :Hotel is located in the 300 year old coaching inn, in the middle of the historic market of Alnwick...

 in Alnwick, England

Alnwick

Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....

 has banisters from the Olympic

RMS Olympic

RMS Olympic was the lead ship of the Olympic-class ocean liners built for the White Star Line, which also included Titanic and Britannic...

's Grand Staircase, which is presumed to have been identical to the Titanic's. The hotel's dining room is lined with the panelling from the first class lounge and the short section of stairs leading to the Dining Room. It also has railings from Olympic's grand staircase.