Joseph Bruce Ismay was born on 12 December 1862 in Crosby, Merseyside, England, the son of Thomas Henry Ismay, founder of the White Star Line. He was educated at Elstree School and Harrow, then entered the family shipping business, eventually becoming Chairman and Managing Director of the White Star Line. He married Julia Schieffelin, and the couple lived in Liverpool.
As head of the White Star Line, Ismay had been closely involved in the planning and construction of the RMS Titanic and travelled aboard her maiden voyage as a First Class passenger, ticket number 112058, in cabin B52/54/56. He boarded at Southampton on 10 April 1912, aged 49.
After the collision with the iceberg on the night of 14 April 1912, Ismay assisted in loading women and children into the lifeboats. As the last boats were being lowered, he stepped into Collapsible Lifeboat C, one of the last to leave the sinking ship. His survival, while more than 1,500 passengers and crew died, drew fierce public and press criticism in Britain and the United States; contemporary newspapers openly debated whether he should have stayed aboard, and he testified before both the American and British inquiries into the disaster.
Ismay resigned as Chairman and Managing Director of the White Star Line on 30 June 1913, effectively ending his public career, and lived comparatively privately for the rest of his life, engaging in charitable work including funding a fund for the training of merchant navy officers and support for Titanic families.
Joseph Bruce Ismay died on 17 October 1937 in Westminster, London, of cerebral thrombosis, at the age of 74. He is buried at Putney Vale Cemetery, London.
This artwork, Titanic Commemorative Memorabilia No. 2200, is dedicated by artist Dodo Newman to the memory of Joseph Bruce Ismay as part of the 100th Anniversary of the Titanic collection, handcrafted on PlexiGlass with Swarovski crystals.
Sources: Encyclopedia Titanica (Joseph Bruce Ismay survivor biography and obituary); Certificate of Authenticity, Titanic Commemorative Memorabilia No. 2200 (Dodo Newman).
