Memorabilia from the ill-fated luxury liner Titanic, including a collection of personal items from survivors, have gone on public display for the first time at the National Maritime Museum.

ANDY LAITHWAITE reports ...

White Star Line's RMS Titanic embarked on her maiden voyage from Southampton but never arrived in New York. After hitting an iceberg, the "unsinkable ship" sank on April 15, 1912 and more than 1,500 people died.

To mark the 91st anniversary of the disaster, fascinating memorabilia have gone on display at the National Maritime Museum (NMM), in Greenwich, thanks to writer Walter Lord, who died last year.

The author wrote the first major account about the sinking RMS Titanic A Night to Remember which was used as the basis for the 1958 film A Night to Remember starring Honor Blackman and Kenneth More.

His collection, left to the museum, includes first and second class dinner menus from the liner, original photographs of survivors on lifeboats heading towards the Carpathia and telegrams sent by survivors.

One of the most intriguing items is a small musical pig, which belonged to first class passenger and journalist Edith Russell. The lucky toy had been given to her after a car crash in France.

She was too frightened to jump into the lifeboat but when the pig was thrown into Lifeboat 11, she followed and survived. Her story is included in Lord's book and she advised film producer William Macquitty on the 1958 film.

Macquitty, a close friend of the author, encouraged him to bequeath his collection to the NMM and has given some of his own items including scripts and film stills.

NMM director Roy Clare said: "The sinking of the Titanic is one of the most notorious maritime disasters the world has known in peacetime. Ever since, people have been cautious of vessels which claim to be unsinkable.

"The collection illustrates the compelling stories of those who lost their lives on that terrifying night and the poignant tales of those who survived."