A TRILBY hat is just one of the poignant artefacts that have been on display at an exhibition in Canada.

It belonged to an ill-fated passenger on board the passenger liner that sank on its maiden voyage in 1912 when, out of the 2,358 on board, the official total number of survivors was just 868.

Christchurch resident Victor La Breche came across it when visiting the Titanic: the Artefact Exhibition at Victoria, Vancouver Island.

He could see the hat's label that, to his astonishment, appeared to read: "manufactured by Peter Bennett, 58 Commercial Road, Bournemouth".

Mr La Breche asked Snapshots readers if any readers recalled the store.

Jan Marsh, senior librarian responsible for local heritage at Bournemouth Library saw his appeal and responded.

"I have done some research and found that Peter Bennett (from Leeds) was a hatter, hosier, shirt and pyjama maker at 53 Commercial Road.

"This would be what is now the wine shop opposite H&M.

"He first appears in Kelly's Directory in 1905 and by 1915/16 the shop had been taken over by tarrant's Costumiers.

"Previous to Peter Bennett, the shop was occupied by ER Thompson, hosier (1899-1903) and previous to that Moores, hosiers (1894-5).

Jan Marsh also provided the advertisement for Peter Bennett's shop that appeared in a supplement to the Bournemouth Visitor's Directory in April 1910.