These photographs were taken by Mr Archibald Brailsford whilst he was serving as purser aboard the Cable & Wireless cable-laying ship Halifax. On learning of the tragedy the ship received orders to go and recover bodies for identification and burial, helped by a contingent of embalmers and undertakers. After this the Halifax was ordered to locate the wreck and fix the position, which they actually achieved and took sightings for a day but they failed to detach their grapple and left their rope behind. details of this expedition were apparently lost until Titanic was relocated in 1985.

Another cable ship, the Mackay-Bennett who went to collect bodies sent the following wireless message to New York: Bodies are numerous in latitude 41.35N 48.37W, extending many miles both east and west. Mailships should give this region a wide berth. The medical opinion is that death has been instantaneous in all the cases owing to the pressure when the bodies were drawn down into the vortex. We have been drifting in a dense fog since noon yesterday, and the total number of bodies picked up is 205. We brought away all the embalming fluid in Halifax, which is enough for seventy. With a week's fine weather we think we should pretty well clear up the relics of the disaster. In my opinion the majority of the bodies will never come to the surface.