Those of you who know my blog and I will have prior experience of my passion for all things Titanic. I try to keep writing about it to a minimum in the hope I don't seem like a one trick pony. However I recently impulse bought something from a local home ware shop which I just had to tell you all about.
It was a bar of Vinola RMS Titanic Luxury Bath Soap. Vinolia was once a famous British brand producing finest quality soaps, shaving preparations and toothpaste but alas all that remains today is their luxurious Cold Cream Bath Soap. This very same soap was provided for all first class passengers aboard the RMS Titanic as well as in all public rooms of both the Titanic and her sister RMS Olympic. The shape and fragrance remain the same to this day and one side of the box still carries the original advertisement showing the soaps alongside a handsome colour illustration of the Titanic.
Vinolia Soap is a luxurious reminder of an extinct decedent era. An expensive soap for its time, it was priced at around 35 cents a bar, which made it a little too expensive for most people, who would hesitate to spend even 10 cents for soap. This is more than likely the reason it was the choice for the First Class passengers. Many of these unlucky souls had the distinction of being some of the richest and most prominent people in the world. They were used to luxury, and the White Star Line, owner of the Titanic, wanted to make sure they had the very best soap.
This was in fact the only product to feature the ill-fated ship in advertising before she set sail. All other suppliers and partners had decided to wait until after her maiden voyage to New York as they considered the impact would be much greater then. Since she never completed the journey those other companies lost their opportunity to associate themselves with the Titanic, whilst Vinolia gained a rather macabre claim to fame in being the first and only one to do so.
