‘Titanic of the North’ exhibit visits Morris Thompson Center through June

A traveling exhibit on the sinking of the SS Princess Sophia — often called the “Titanic of the North” — is on display at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center through the end of June.

The exhibit, “Titanic of the North: The 1918 Wreck of the SS Princess Sophia,” tells the story of the worst maritime disaster in Pacific Northwest history. More than 350 people died when the ship struck Vanderbilt Reef near Juneau and sank during a fierce October storm. Among the victims were Walter Harper, the first person to summit Denali, and his wife Frances. Harper, of Koyukon Athabascan heritage, is honored in Alaska each year on June 7.

The exhibit was developed by the Alaska State Museum, the Maritime Museum of British Columbia and the Pioneers of Alaska-Juneau chapter. It highlights the