The Curious Case of William H. Harbeck: Toledo filmmaker, Titanic victim

Toledo Local Features | 02/06/2014

When it was announced that the Imagination Station's next exhibition was going to be Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition ? a display of recovered items from the ship, starting on February 15? we became curious if anyone from Toledo was onboard. What we found was something more glamorous, strange and sad than anything we could have imagined, because Toledo filmmaker William H. Harbeck possibly had ? or would have gotten ? the only footage of the Titanic. And, after his death on the ship, when it was time to claim his personal effects, a mysterious inquiry came from a Brownie Harbeck in Seattle, a few weeks after his wife, Catherine, in Lucas County, had already filled out all the paperwork. No one ever found out who Brownie was.

William Harbeck filmed the first moving-picture footage of the damage caused by the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Then he was somewhat of a nomad, drifting wherever opportunity took him ? Yellowstone, Seattle, British Columbia, Alaska. After a tour promoting his work in Europe, he boarded the Titanic in Southampton, England and, according to a trade publication called Moving Picture News, he had a $10,000 contract to produce footage of the Titanic's maiden voyage.

He boarded the ship with Henriette Yvois, a young French model. It is widely believed that he told other passengers and business partners that she was his wife during this time. A few days later, when a repair ship found his body, Harbeck was holding a women's bag with his wedding ring inside. No film was ever found.

Now, back to the multiple personal effects claims in the aftermath of Harbeck's death. Toledo.com received permission from the Nova Scotia Archives to reprint letters and papers that document Catherine Harbeck receiving William's possessions, "Brownie" attempting to find out what he had on him and William's son writing angry letters to dismiss that "Brownie" was of any relation.

The fist document is simple enough: the description, clothing and effects paperwork. Notice his address is listed in Seattle, where his office was based out of at the time, although his family was located in Toledo.

Here is a letter from White Star Line (the company that owned the Titanic) informing Catherine that any property found on someone who died during the sinking that was valued over $100 was forwarded to the Provincial Secretary at Halifax (the city in Nova Scotia)

A letter from Catherine informing the Provincial Secretary that she intends to make a claim once she gets documentation proving she has ownership over his estate. Notice, on page two, when she says that she needs the diary in a hurry, for business she has on the East Coast.

Catherine's proof that William's possessions were now her property.

The receipt from when she received the possessions.

Here's where things get weird. This letter is the referral the White Star line gave to Brownie, letting her know that the Provincial Secretary in Nova Scotia had Harbeck's possessions. She must have written an inquiry to the White Star, but the Government of Nova Scotia probably didn't archive it.

The Secretary then got in touch with Brownie, informing her of his possessions, and letting her know that Catherine Harbeck had already claimed them.

Brownie responded, inquiring about the money and travelers checks found on him. She also mentions that she knows the young French model who was with Harbeck on the Titanic, Henriette Yvois. Some people speculate "Brownie" was a business partner in Seattle. Others think she could have been another wife. And, the darkhorse candidate seems to be Yvois herself. Nobody knows, but it's apparent that people were extremely interested in his diary, the possibility of him having money and whether or not any film was saved.

Here the office of the Provincial Secretary explains to Brownie the amount of money, once again that the possessions were sent to Catherine, and that the body of Henriette Yvois, according to their records, was never found.

William Harbeck's son, John Harbeck, somehow caught wind of Brownie asking about his father's possessions and sent the Provincial Secretary a letter, asking if she had been in contact.

He said yes.

John got mad.

The Secretary told John that everything had been sent to his mother, Catherine, and that Brownie inquired about the amount of money. And that Brownie never claimed to be family of William.