Titanic Launch

At 12:15 AM on May 31, 1911, the RMS Titanic's hull moved for the first time.  No champagne was broken on the bow as many have done.  Instead, rockets were fired to alert ships in the River Lagan and when the signal was given, she moved down the slipway with 22 tons of soap to ease her movement down into the sea.  

These pre-sinking photographic postcards show the Titanic just before and during her launch.  Both are very rare and hard to find.