Wallace Hartley item on show at Titanic exhibition

One of the artefacts on show is the Titanic's band leader Wallace Hartley's sheet music

Rare artefacts from the Titanic shipwreck including the sheet music from the ship's band leader Wallace Hartley who died in the sinking are to go on display in Manchester.

The RMS Titanic sank in April 1912 after it struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York killing more than 1,500 people.

The Titanic Exhibition Manchester will open from 31 July to 24 August at Manchester Central.

It will feature items such as the largest surviving fragment of the Aft Grand Staircase and the personal belongings of passengers and crew, including those from Mr Hartley, from Colne, Lancashire, who is said to have played on as the ship went down.

As well as unique artefacts and a model of the Titanic, there will be visuals, recreations and immersive sound and video at the exhibition

The Titanic vessel, which was built by Liverpool-based White Star Line and was registered in Liverpool, sank within hours of hitting an iceberg and now lies 3,800m (12,500ft) down in the Atlantic Ocean.

It remains one of the most famous shipwrecks in history that had its story turned into an Oscar-winning film.

The exhibition tells the story of the ship from its construction in Belfast, through to its maiden voyage and tragic sinking.

It examines the legacy left behind, including its impact on film and television.

Dik Barton, the first British man to dive to the Titanic, is also attending the exhibition.

He has done 22 dives to the wreck and is holding three lectures a day revealing new details about the site and what it's like to dive 2.5 miles (4km) to the Titanic.