Amazing Stairs: Titanic — Grand Staircase

The RMS Titanic's "Grande Staircase" refers to a series of six custom staircases designed for use by the ship's First Class Passengers.

The most ornate staircase was the curved stair from the Promonade deck up to the First Class Lounge on the Boat Deck which was lit during the day by a 20 ft. diameter dome of milk glass and wrought iron. This "T" shaped staircase was fabricated from English White Oak and featured classic William And Mary woodwork and inset Louis XIV iron panels.

The staircase began with a bowed double quarter circle starting tread that was approx. 20 ft. across. The stringers and rails on either side were curved, or "flared" to allow the stair width to shrink to 10 ft. at the intermediate landing. There was a 16" carved newel/pedestal directly in the center of the start of the stair with a bronze statue of a cherub holding an electric light fixture above it's head. A center handrail and balustrade ascended 11 treads from this center newel, allowing passengers to use either the left or the right side of the staircase. At the intermediate landing, another six treads lead either 90 degrees to the left or to the right.

The extent of handcarved detail and ornamental iron work coupled with the massive size of the components the five story layout makes this one of the world's most amazing stairs. Athough these stairs were destroyed during the sinking of the Titanic, identical balustrade sections from the sister ship, The Olympic, were salvaged and are in use at the White Swan Hotel in England.