The Commercial Cable Company steamer, C.S. Mackay-Bennett, was one of the four vessels chartered by the While Star Line in the wake of Titanic's sinking. Tasked with recovering her unfortunate victims, she arrived on site on April 20th, 1912, carrying a minister, and a cargo of ice, coffins, and canvas bags.

As the first ship on the scene, Mackay-Bennett quickly ran out of embalming supplies, forcing her to bury 116 of her 422 recovered dead at sea. She returned to Halifax, N.S. on April 30th, 1912, carrying with her 306 bodies and a wide collection of wreckage, including deck chairs and wood paneling.

This large format original photograph - likely sourced from a company office - shows her under steam in Halifax harbor, c. 1910. Due to her rather unglamorous existence as an undersea cable laying/repair vessel, items related to her are exceedingly rare today.