RMS Olympic First-Class Corridor Tile

A first-class corridor tile, from the RMS Olympic.

This would have originally been the centre part, to a large series of tiles that ran down the first-class corridors. Made from linoleum, this hardy material is flexible yet waterproof and able to withstand years of foot traffic. At the time linoleum was a revolutionary material, and is still in use to this day on modern ships. You’ll also find it in many homes and public materials. One important difference, however, is that linoleum at the time was infused with asbestos, a  chemical that provided protection from fire, but can be fatal when inhaled into the body.