Empress of Ireland - Commémorations

03/29/2026

🔎 What is the current status of the stained-glass panel restoration?

Since autumn 2024, the team of experts from the Canadian Conservation Institute has been working meticulously to restore a section of the stained-glass panels from the Empress of Ireland’s music room to their original splendour; these were recovered from the wreck in 1994 by diver Bart Malone.

✨ After cleaning the glass, the specialists are now at an equally delicate stage: cleaning the lead came that holds the stained-glass pieces together.

Photo credit: Canadian Conservation Institute

12/30/2025

(French follow) The year 2025 was marked by the continued restoration of the stained-glass panels of the music room, carried out by the Canadian Conservation Institute.

Over the past months, we have shared content highlighting these remarkable artifacts and their history. We are truly delighted to close the year with these absolutely fascinating images! 😮

For several years now, alongside historians, a group of passionate young creators from HFX Studios has been working to faithfully recreate the Empress of Ireland in 3D—down to the inch!—with an unmatched level of graphic quality.

As an 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰, they have kindly shared a first glimpse at their work on the music room dome. It offers a rare opportunity to admire the full range of colors, the texture of the ornaments, and the fine details of the moldings . Our sincere thanks to them!🙏

If you’re curious to discover their talent ➡ https://www.youtube.com/

Happy New Year’s Eve 🎆, and see you in 2026! 🥂

Photo credit: Courtesy of HFX Studios / Tom Lynskey / Andrew Gegenheimer / David Saint-Pierre // Music room: David Saint-Pierre Collection

David Saint-Pierre, historien
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🇫🇷 L’année 2025 a été marquée par la poursuite de la restauration des vitraux de la salle de musique, réalisée par l'Institut canadien de conservation !

Au fil des mois, nous avons partagé du contenu sur ces artefacts et leur histoire, etc. On est très heureux de clôturer cette année par des images complètement fascinantes!

Depuis plusieurs années, accompagné d’historiens, un groupe de jeunes passionnés de HFX Studios travaille à remodéliser fidèlement (aux pouces près!) l'Empress of Ireland en 3D, et ce dans une qualité graphique inégalée!

En exclusivité, ils ont accepté de nous partager un 1er aperçu de leur travail sur le dôme de la salle de musique! C’est une réelle chance de pouvoir contempler toutes les couleurs, la texture des ornements ainsi que le détail des moulures.

Un grand merci à eux! 🙏Bon réveillon et rendez-vous en 2026! 🥂

Crédit photo: Courtesy of HFX Studios / Tom Lynskey / Andrew Gegenheimer / David Saint-Pierre // Salle de musique : David Saint-Pierre Collection

10/08/2025

🇬🇧 A few days ago, we shared a video where historian David Saint-Pierre dives into the world of first class aboard the Empress of Ireland ⚓✨ — from the luxurious cabins and onboard services to a few famous passengers!

🎥 You can now watch it on YouTube — the French version includes English subtitles!

🎶 The video also highlights the beautiful music room, whose stained-glass dome is currently being restored at the Canadian Conservation Institute 🏛️💫
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🇫🇷 Il y a quelques jours, nous avons partagé une capsule où l’historien David Saint-Pierre nous fait voyager à bord de la 1ʳᵉ classe de l’Empress of Ireland ⚓💼 : confort des cabines, services à bord et quelques passagers célèbres!

🎥 Retrouvez-la sur YouTube en version française sous-titrée en anglais!

🎶 Cette capsule rend aussi hommage à la salle de musique, dont les vitraux du dôme sont actuellement en restauration à l’Institut canadien de conservation 🏛️✨



Canadian Conservation Institute
David Saint-Pierre, historien

Historian David Saint-Pierre tells us about first class on the Empress of Ireland: the comfort of the cabins, the services on board, and some famous passenge...

08/05/2025

(🇬🇧 ENGLISH FOLLOW)

Aujourd’hui, nous avons eu le privilège d’accueillir au musée Empress of Ireland 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬, une des dernières descendantes et 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐞-𝐧𝐢𝐞̀𝐜𝐞 𝐝’𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬, passager de première classe ayant perdu la vie lors du naufrage de 1914.

Albert Mullins et son beau-frère Samuel Barnes ont fondé en 1895 l’entreprise 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐭𝐝, spécialisée dans la fabrication d’instruments de musique — une entreprise toujours active aujourd’hui 🎻.

En 2014, le directeur général de la compagnie Brian Cleary nous avait transmis un témoignage touchant sur la vie des fondateurs et sur la perte tragique d’Albert et de sa fille lors du naufrage de l’Empress of Ireland.

👉 Pour lire ce témoignage : empress2014.ca/temoignages.html

́moire
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Today, we had the privilege of welcoming Caroline Mullins at the Empress of Ireland museum. She is the great-niece of Albert Mullins, a 1st-class passenger who lost his life in the 1914 sinking.

In 1895, Albert Mullins and his brother-in-law Samuel Barnes founded Barnes Mullins Ltd, a musical instrument manufacturing company that still exists today 🎻.

In 2014, the company’s CEO shared a moving testimony about the founders’ lives and the tragic loss of Albert and his daughter during the Empress of Ireland tragedy.

👉 Read the full story: empress2014.ca/seclangen/testimonies.html

👉A great article of the life of Albert by David Saint-Pierre, historien :
https://www.bandm.co.uk/news/albert-mullins-baggage-discovered-100yrs-after-tragic-shipwreck

08/04/2025

📍 𝐀 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟏𝟕,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐤𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐚!

After 90 years under the waters of the St. Lawrence River, the stained-glass panels from the Empress of Ireland's music room have had an unexpected journey! 🌊🛳️

Recovered from the wreck in 1994 by American diver Bart Malone, he brought them back to his home in New Jersey, along with many other maritime artefacts. In 2010, glass artist Jim Oxborrow discovered them during a visit to Mr Malone, with whom he had become friends a few years earlier.

Bart Malone gave him a few panels so that Jim could display them in his home in Maui, Hawaii. The stained- panels remained there for ten years before being moved to Mr. Oxborrow's new home in Las Vegas. 🌺🎨🎰

In 2021, historian David Saint-Pierre contacted Jim Oxborrow and, through a series of valuable exchanges, put Mr. Oxborrow in touch with the Pointe-au-Père Maritime Historic Site. In the winter of 2024, the stained-glass panels returned to Pointe-au-Père, 30 years after leaving. ⚓

Since last autumn, they have been in the expert hands of the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), which is slowly restoring them to their original splendour.

07/23/2025

More wonderful discoveries from the Canadian Conservation Institute regarding the stained glass windows in the music room of the Empress of Ireland☢️ Take a look! ⬇️

Version francaise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVVqNFNOv0c

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