Titanic's hull framed

Titanic and Olympic under construction, 1910.

The steel hulls of sister ships Titanic and Olympic are still wrapped in wooden staging but can be easily identified by their proudly displayed notices.

When this photograph was taken in mid-April 1910, Titanic (left) was fully framed and the hull shell plating of Olympic had been completed. The frames in ships are like the ribs of the human body – they give the ship its shape and outline.  Once a ship has been fully framed, it is then ready for plating.  

Plating is a highly skilled process that involves carefully riveting metal plates, some weighing many tonnes, into their precise place on the frame.