Edith Louise (Rosenbaum) Russell (June 12th, 1879 – April 4th, 1975) was an American fashion buyer, stylist and correspondent for Women's Wear Daily, best remembered for surviving the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Edith was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, into the wealthy Jewish family, with her father being Harry Rosenbaum. Her fashion career began 1908, when she moved to Paris to become a saleswoman for the haute couture house of Chéruit in the Place Vendôme. She was also involved in the car accident in 1911 when her fiance Ludwig Loewe perished. The accident caused her a slight memory loss, but no significant injuries.
Aboard the Titanic[]
She boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg, and occupied cabin A-11. During the sinking, she was noticed by J. Bruce Ismay and admonished for not joining the lifeboat yet. He directed her down the stairwell where one of the boats was being loaded. Better say overloaded since it was the Lifeboat 11, a boat being lowered with five people more than its total capacity. She had a toy pig music box, which, when wound up, played "The Maxixe". She concealed herself behind her coat, being afraid to join the boat. However, a crew member, thinking that the toy was a living pet, tossed it in, with Edith leaping after it in the boat. Then, she played her music box to calm down the frightened children.
Later Life and Death[]
Despite retiring in 1937, Edith still continued her traveling. She became a regular TV guest mostly on BBC-1 and BBC-2. Her story became widely known in the press at the time and was later included in the best-selling account of the disaster A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.
Edith Rosenbaum Russell died at the Mary Abbott Hospital in London on April 4th, 1975 at the age of 95.[37]
Legacy[]
Most of Edith's belongings were dispersed piecemeal among relatives and friends, including Walter Lord who inherited her legendary pig. On Lord's death in 2002, the toy was bequeathed to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, which also received the floral-printed boudoir slippers Edith had worn when she boarded Lifeboat 11.
Portrayals[]
A Night to Remember (1958)[]
Teresa Thorne as Edith Russell in A Night to Remember (1958), with her Lucky Pig
| “ |
My pig... I must have my Lucky Pig! |
” |
—Edith Russell to a Stewardess | ||
Edith Russell was portrayed by actress Teresa Thorne in A Night to Remember. She appeared during sinking, whereupon she hurried back to her cabin. A stewardess asked her why she hadn't gone to the boat, Russell replied that she had to take her "Lucky Pig".
She ended up in lifeboat 12 (not 11, as it happened in real life). After the Titanic sank, she entertained the terrified children on the boat, by playing a song from her Lucky Pig.
Her boat (No. 12) returned to pick up the survivors who survived by straddling the overturned Collapsible B. After that, Russell sat down beside Col. Archibald Gracie and 2nd Officer Lightoller.
Russell was seen back in the Carpathia, praying with the other passengers, clutching her Lucky Pig.
S.O.S Titanic (1979)[]
Edith Russell (right) in S.O.S. Titanic, with her Lucky Pig
In S.O.S. Titanic, Edith Russell is depicted as an old woman, portrayed by an uncredited actress.
She only appeared during the sinking, where she and Margaret Brown entertained some of the children at the Grand Staircase. Russell played music from her Lucky Pig, and showed it to the kids.
Russell doesn't reappear for the rest of the film, but her Lucky Pig is used to entertain Titanic's orphans Michel and Edmond Navratil on the Carpathia.
Ghosts of The Abyss (2003)[]
Janace Tashjan as Edith Russell in Ghosts of the Abyss
| “ |
A-11 was occupied by Edith Russell. Before getting on a lifeboat, she went back to her cabin to lock her trunks because she didn't trust the stewards onboard. |
” |
—Narrator | ||
In Ghosts of the Abyss, Russell's cabin (A-11) proved to be in good condition, even the dressing table mirror was still in the same position. There is a flashback scene showing Russell, portrayed by actress Janace Tashjan, looking on the mirror.