IRELAND, 2012 centenary of the sinking of the Titanic, Scott 1958

Francis ("Frank") Mary Hegarty Browne Browne’s mother died when he was young and his father when in his teens. His uncle Robert Browne, Bishop of Cloyne, acted as guardian to Frank and his siblings, four of whom entered religious life. When Frank completed his secondary education decided to become a Jesuit. Immediately before entering the Order, Uncle Robert sent him on a Grand Tour of Europe and bought him a camera to record his trip. This visionary act was to reveal a natural aesthetic ability and fostered an interest in photography that was to reach fruition when Frank became the most outstanding Irish photographer of the first half of the Twentieth Century.

The Bishop had another surprise up his sleeve, when in early 1912 he presented Frank with a first class ticket for the Maiden Voyage of the Titanic to bring him as far as Cobh. So it was that on the morning of the 12 April 1912 he arrived at Waterloo Station in London to catch the Titanic Special. He immediately started taking photographs, first recording the train journey and then life aboard the Titanic on the initial section of the voyage. Having made friends with a wealthy American family he was offered a ticket for the remaining part of the journey and no doubt excitedly telegraphed a request for permission to go on to New York, to which he received the terse response “Get Off That Ship — Provincial!” That telegram not only saved Frank’s life but also meant that this unique record of the voyage was saved for posterity and guaranteed overnight fame for Frank Browne SJ.

It is estimated that Browne took over 42,000 photographs during his life. 23 volumes of the photographs have now been published. The features editor of The Sunday Times of London called this "the photographic equivalent to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls". More - More

Several stamps show a photograph which includes Fr. Browne. The Titanic arrived in Queenstown, where Browne would disembark. As the tender America approached the Titanic's port gangway, a photo was taken by a Mr. Whyte of Queenstown which later appeared on a number of philatelic items. Browne was in this photo: the center figure of the three immediate forward of the four aft lifeboats (see the detail of the photo).

 
TUVALU, 2012, Scott 1196

   
ANGOLA, 1998, from a S/S of four stamps
BENIN, 2011, from a S/S of four stamps (also exists imperf)
IRELAND, 2012, from a set of four, Scott 1959
UGANDA, 2012, from a S/S of six stamps

Several of Fr. Browne's own photographs have appeared on stamps.

  
The last photo known photo of the Titanic (by Fr. Browne) as she left Queenstown at 1:55 PM on 11 April 1912
BENIN, 2011, from a S/S of four stamps for the centenary of the loss of the Titanic (also exists imperf)
MICRONESIA, 2012, Fr. Browne's photo is the last know one of the Titanic (see S/S below)

 
MICRONESIA, 2012 S/S
UGANDA, 2011, this S/S has three photos of note: the images taken by Browne of the Titanic above the stamps
and of a figure on the Lower Promenade deck (lower left):
and the picture that includes Browne (upper center)

IRELAND, 1999, the centenary of the loss of the Titanic, Scott 1172a

 
IRELAND, 1999,overprinted for the World Philatelic Expo in Australia, Scott 1172b, and the 1999 Irish National Stamp Exposition Dublin.

 
NEVIS, 2012, from a S/S of four stamps, a photo by Fr. Browne showing some illegal trade in Queenstown Harbor, Scott 1706, 1706a

 
PALAU, 2012, a stamp from a Palau S/S shows Browne's photo of a solitary figure walking aft on the Lower Promenade deck of the Titanic, Scott 1087c
This is popularly believed to be Captain Edward John Smith. It is more likely that the captain would have been on the bridge with the pilot as the ship had not yet reached open water.
UGANDA, 2012, from a S/S of six stamps

 
CANADA, 2012 one official FDC for the Titanic issue shows the same photograph of the walking figure.
IRELAND, 2012, a FDC from Ireland features a Fr. Browne photo of a young boy playing on the deck of the Titanic.
The boy is six-year old Robert Douglas Spedden of Tuxedo Park, who spins a top while is father Frederic watches.

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