When and where was this photograph of the Titanic taken?

On 10 April 1912, as Titanic left Southampton on her maiden voyage, from a boat off the port. It is the ship's last well-known photograph under way.

Who took the famous Titanic photograph?

It is generally attributed to Francis Godolphin Osbourne Stuart, a Southampton commercial photographer who published it as a postcard. Copies were sold worldwide after the sinking.

Is the Titanic photograph copyright-free?

Yes. It was published in 1912 and is in the public domain, which is why it can be reproduced as a print without a licence.

Is this print a photograph or a drawing?

A photograph. The shop reproduces the original black-and-white image on matte fine-art paper, unframed or in a real-wood frame.

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Photograph · Attributed to F. G. O. Stuart · 10 April 1912

RMS Titanic leaving Southampton, 1912

This is the best-known photograph of RMS Titanic: the White Star liner under way off Southampton on 10 April 1912, the afternoon she left on her maiden voyage. It is usually attributed to the Southampton photographer Francis Godolphin Osbourne Stuart and has been in the public domain for decades.

Black-and-white photograph of RMS Titanic under way, seen from the starboard bow with four funnels and a black hull — Attributed to F. G. O. Stuart, 10 April 1912. Source: Public-domain photograph, 1912.

History

Titanic was built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast for the White Star Line, launched on 31 May 1911 and completed in the spring of 1912 as the largest ship afloat. She sailed from Southampton on 10 April 1912, called at Cherbourg and Queenstown, and struck an iceberg late on 14 April; she sank in the early hours of 15 April with the loss of about 1,500 lives.

Because the ship existed for so short a time, the photographs of her are few, and this one, taken as she steamed down Southampton Water, became the image the world remembers. Picture postcards of it were on sale within weeks of the sinking, which is why it survives in so many copies today.

What the print shows

A three-quarter view of the ship from the starboard bow: the black hull with its white superstructure, the four buff-and-black funnels (the fourth was a dummy, fitted for ventilation and for looks), the forward mast with its crow's nest, and the wake of a small vessel to the right. The print is a monochrome reproduction with the slight warm tone of the original card, in a 3 : 2 shape.

Source and licence

Source: Public-domain photograph, 1912.

Licence: Public domain. The photograph was published in 1912 and its copyright has expired everywhere; the shop's print is restored from a high-resolution public-domain scan of the original archival photograph.

Our restoration removed dust and scratches and evened the tone; the composition is not cropped.

Available sizes and prices

Print: paper or framed Etsy listing 4548773884

Size	Paper	Framed
8 × 12 in (21 × 30 cm)	$38.99	$108.99
12 × 18 in (30 × 45 cm)	$49.99	$152.99

Printed to order, shipped in 2–5 business days, free US shipping. Paper: matte fine-art paper. Framed: real wood (black, white, wood, dark wood), shatterproof acrylic, ready to hang.

Buy

RMS Titanic 1912 (print: paper or framed): buy on Etsy, from $38.99.

Frequently asked questions

When and where was this photograph of the Titanic taken?: On 10 April 1912, as Titanic left Southampton on her maiden voyage, from a boat off the port. It is the ship's last well-known photograph under way.
Who took the famous Titanic photograph?: It is generally attributed to Francis Godolphin Osbourne Stuart, a Southampton commercial photographer who published it as a postcard. Copies were sold worldwide after the sinking.
Is the Titanic photograph copyright-free?: Yes. It was published in 1912 and is in the public domain, which is why it can be reproduced as a print without a licence.
Is this print a photograph or a drawing?: A photograph. The shop reproduces the original black-and-white image on matte fine-art paper, unframed or in a real-wood frame.

Sources

Public-domain photograph, 1912

Published 20 Oct 2026; prices are the live Etsy prices as of 20 Oct 2026. The work is public domain; this page's text is © ThinkDotCo and may be quoted with a link.