Yup I know what you mean.
But if you also, in that proces, get in the frame of mind of the people of that age, and not look at it from a nostalgic point of view as a modern person, it will be very different, I think.
The people back then in that age of constant leaps in technology, were constantly confronted with "the next greatest, biggest, most luxurious, best, modern, etc" thing. We still have that today, but I somehow think their stuff was more impressive, on a scale of the work involved and how hard that work usually was.
Their fascination would be just as big, but would not have lasted that long, or be as strong, as the nostalgic person in this day and age has with her, that's what I mean.
She was just another ship amongst ships, for a moment the greatest perhaps, but would have been forgotten soon, by the general public, if not for the disaster.
I never have a problem with her title "most famous ship of all times", that is very true, but that "greatest ever" title that is often set right beside it, is just a bit silly to me.
Fred