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Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Prophetic' Letter Written by Titanic Passenger Days Before the Ship Sank Sells for Nearly $400,000 at Auction
A letter written by a Titanic survivor while onboard the ship has sold for nearly $400,000 at auction Antique auctioneer Henry Aldridge & Son called the note from Colonel Archibald Gracie "prophetic" — as he wrote that he would "await my journey's end" before he passed judgment on the "fine ship" An estimated 1,500 people died in the Titanic tragedy in April 1912 A letter written onboard the Titanic just days before the ship sank has sold for nearly $400,000 — far surpassing auction expectations. Antique auctioneer Henry Aldridge & Son announced the sale earlier this week, stating that the letter — written by Colonel Archibald Gracie while onboard the RMS Titanic in 1912 — fetched £300,000 pounds (roughly $399,000) at auction, surpassing its initial estimate of £60,000 (roughly $79,878.00). Per the auctioneer's website, the letter from one of the ship's most well-known survivors was "prophetic" — as he wrote it on April 10, 1912, three days before the ship struck an iceberg in the early morning in the North Atlantic Ocean. An estimated 1,500 people died in the tragedy. In the letter, Gracie wrote to an acquaintance, the grand-uncle of the seller, "It is a fine ship, but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her." He continued, in what's believed to be the only example of a letter from him on the ship, "The Oceanic is like an old friend and while she does not possess the elaborate style and varied amusement of this big ship, still her seaworthy qualities and yacht-like appearance make me miss her." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: The Titanic: Looking Back at the Ship's Tragic History Henry Aldridge & Son's website states that on the night of the Titanic sinking, Gracie went to bed early and intended to play squash in the morning. He then woke up to a jolt and the ship making contact with the iceberg before midnight, before he later assisted women and children into lifeboats. After securing his own escape, Gracie was eventually brought onto the rescue ship Carpathia, before returning to New York City and writing about his experience on the ship in The Truth About the Titanic. Gracie suffered from hypothermia complications and other injuries in the months to follow, before he died in December 1912 of complications from diabetes. The Truth About the Titanic was published the following year. The auctioned letter — dated April 10, the day Gracie boarded the ship at Southampton — was written on over four sides and postmarked Queenstown, Ireland, on April 11 and London on April 12. Three days later, the ship sank in the early morning off the coast of Newfoundland while on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Related: Titanic's Floating Door Sells for Whopping $718,750 at Auction, Beating Indiana Jones' Bullwhip Ahead of the Henry Aldridge & Son sale, auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said Gracie's letter "is one of the finest of its type known" and has never come to the market before. "Not only is it written by one of the most important first-class passengers on Titanic, Colonel Archibald Gracie, [but] the letter itself contains the most prophetic line: 'It is a fine ship but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her'. Five days later Titanic was at the bottom of the North Atlantic," he said. The company later confirmed the letter's sale on Instagram, calling it a "fabulous day." "Multiple records were broken, including the amazing Archibald Gracie letter card written onboard Titanic, selling for a premium inclusive £300,000. Our next Titanic and liner auction in November promises to be another one to remember and we are now accepting entries," Henry Aldridge & Son wrote. Over the years, other antiques from the ship, such as a gold Tiffany & Co. pocket watch given to a captain, have fetched high prices at auction. Even props from the 1997 Titanic film have brought in big bucks, as just last year, the iconic piece of balsa wood that Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet hang onto in the movie's final scenes sold for $718,750. Read the original article on People
BreakingNews.ie
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Titanic survivor's letter sells for record-breaking €350,000 at auction
A letter written by one of most well-known survivors of the Titanic disaster has sold for a record-breaking €350,930 (£300,000) at auction. First-class passenger Colonel Archibald Gracie wrote The Truth About The Titanic, which described his experience of the April 15th, 1912, tragedy that claimed 1,500 lives. Advertisement The letter card is dated April 10th, 1912, the day he boarded, and is postmarked Queenstown 3:45pm April 11th and London April 12th. The letter was written by Colonel Archibald Gracie, who was a first class passenger on the Titanic, and is now known as one of the well-known survivors of the disaster (Henry Aldridge & Son/PA) It said: 'It is a fine ship but I shall await my journeys end before I pass judgment on her.' The historic item sold for five times the expected price of £60,000 (€70,180) at Henry Aldridge and Son, of Devizes, Wiltshire, on April 26th this year. It is the highest price ever achieved for letter written on board the Titanic, the auctioneers said. Advertisement Letters from 'survivors of Gracie's profile' rarely, if ever, come to market and the item has never before been offered for sale, it added. The seller's great uncle, who was an acquaintance of Gracie, received the the note at the Waldorf Hotel in London. The letter written by Colonel Archibald Gracie (Henry Aldridge & Son/PA) It was written over four sides and continued: 'The Oceanic is like an old friend and while she does not possess the elaborate style and varied amusement of this big ship, still her sea worthy qualities and yacht like appearance make me miss her. 'It was very kind of you to give me this kindly send off, with best wishes for your success and happiness, Archibald Gracie.' Advertisement The colonel 'spent much of the voyage chaperoning various unaccompanied women' including a woman and three sisters who survived, the listing said. On April 14th, he played squash and swam in the Titanic's swimming pool before attending church and socialising. At around 11.40pm he was jolted awake and discovered the ship's engines were not moving. He helped women and children on to lifeboats and fetched them blankets before before the ship dipped below the water's surface. Advertisement Gracie managed to scramble onto an overturned collapsible boat along with a few dozen other men. There were swimmers around them but those aboard paddled away through fear the vessel could be overwhelmed. The colonel later wrote: 'In no instance, I am happy to say, did I hear any word of rebuke from a swimmer because of a refusal to grant assistance'. Letter written by Colonel Archibald Gracie (Henry Aldridge & Son/PA) One refusal 'was met with the manly voice of a powerful man' that said 'all right boys, good luck and God bless you', he reported. Advertisement He also said more than half the men who had originally reached the collapsible died from exhaustion or cold and slipped off the upturned keel during the night. Henry Aldridge and Son said The Truth About The Titanic is 'one of the most detailed accounts of the events of the evening'. The auctioneers added: 'It is impossible to overstate the rarity of this lot, it is written by one of the highest profile survivors, with excellent content and on the rarest of mediums a lettercard. 'A truly exceptional museum-grade piece.' The £300,000 letter sale was tax inclusive. After the sale, they said: 'The record-breaking prices and global participation from collectors are a testament to the enduring interest in the Titanic the world over, the stories of those men, women and children are told through the memorabilia and their memories are kept alive through those items'.
Mint
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Record ₹3.41 crore for Titanic survivor's letter: ‘Most detailed account, excellent content' sold
A letter written by one of most well-known survivors of the Titanic disaster has sold for a record-breaking ₹ 3.41 crore (£300,000) at auction. First-class passenger Colonel Archibald Gracie wrote The Truth About The Titanic, which described his experience of the 15 April 1912 tragedy that claimed 1,500 lives. The letter card is dated 10 April 1912, the day he boarded, and is postmarked Queenstown 3.45pm April 11 and London April 12. It said: 'It is a fine ship but I shall await my journeys end before I pass judgment on her.' The historic item sold for five times the expected price of ₹ 58 lakh (£60,000) at Henry Aldridge and Son, of Devizes, Wiltshire, on April 26 this year. It is the highest price ever achieved for letter written on board the Titanic, the auctioneers said. Letters from 'survivors of Gracie's profile' rarely, if ever, come to market and the item has never before been offered for sale, it added. The seller's great uncle, who was an acquaintance of Gracie, received the the note at the Waldorf Hotel in London. It was written over four sides and continued: 'The Oceanic is like an old friend and while she does not possess the elaborate style and varied amusement of this big ship, still her sea worthy qualities and yacht like appearance make me miss her. 'It was very kind of you to give me this kindly send off, with best wishes for your success and happiness, Archibald Gracie.' The colonel 'spent much of the voyage chaperoning various unaccompanied women' including a woman and three sisters who survived, the listing said. On April 14, he played squash and swam in the Titanic's swimming pool before attending church and socialising. At around 11.40pm he was jolted awake and discovered the ship's engines were not moving. He helped women and children on to lifeboats and fetched them blankets before before the ship dipped below the water's surface. Gracie managed to scramble onto an overturned collapsible boat along with a few dozen other men. There were swimmers around them but those aboard paddled away through fear the vessel could be overwhelmed. The colonel later wrote: 'In no instance, I am happy to say, did I hear any word of rebuke from a swimmer because of a refusal to grant assistance'. One refusal 'was met with the manly voice of a powerful man' that said 'all right boys, good luck and God bless you', he reported. He also said more than half the men who had originally reached the collapsible died from exhaustion or cold and slipped off the upturned keel during the night. Henry Aldridge and Son said The Truth About The Titanic is 'one of the most detailed accounts of the events of the evening'. The auctioneers added: 'It is impossible to overstate the rarity of this lot, it is written by one of the highest profile survivors, with excellent content and on the rarest of mediums a lettercard. 'A truly exceptional museum-grade piece.' The £300,000 letter sale was tax inclusive".
Mint
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Record ₹3.41 crore for Titanic survivor's letter: ‘Most detailed account, excellent content' sold
A letter written by one of most well-known survivors of the Titanic disaster has sold for a record-breaking ₹ 3.41 crore (£300,000) at auction. First-class passenger Colonel Archibald Gracie wrote The Truth About The Titanic, which described his experience of the 15 April 1912 tragedy that claimed 1,500 lives. The letter card is dated 10 April 1912, the day he boarded, and is postmarked Queenstown 3.45pm April 11 and London April 12. It said: 'It is a fine ship but I shall await my journeys end before I pass judgment on her.' The historic item sold for five times the expected price of ₹ 58 lakh (£60,000) at Henry Aldridge and Son, of Devizes, Wiltshire, on April 26 this year. It is the highest price ever achieved for letter written on board the Titanic, the auctioneers said. Letters from 'survivors of Gracie's profile' rarely, if ever, come to market and the item has never before been offered for sale, it added. The seller's great uncle, who was an acquaintance of Gracie, received the the note at the Waldorf Hotel in London. It was written over four sides and continued: 'The Oceanic is like an old friend and while she does not possess the elaborate style and varied amusement of this big ship, still her sea worthy qualities and yacht like appearance make me miss her. 'It was very kind of you to give me this kindly send off, with best wishes for your success and happiness, Archibald Gracie.' The colonel 'spent much of the voyage chaperoning various unaccompanied women' including a woman and three sisters who survived, the listing said. On April 14, he played squash and swam in the Titanic's swimming pool before attending church and socialising. At around 11.40pm he was jolted awake and discovered the ship's engines were not moving. He helped women and children on to lifeboats and fetched them blankets before before the ship dipped below the water's surface. Gracie managed to scramble onto an overturned collapsible boat along with a few dozen other men. There were swimmers around them but those aboard paddled away through fear the vessel could be overwhelmed. The colonel later wrote: 'In no instance, I am happy to say, did I hear any word of rebuke from a swimmer because of a refusal to grant assistance'. One refusal 'was met with the manly voice of a powerful man' that said 'all right boys, good luck and God bless you', he reported. He also said more than half the men who had originally reached the collapsible died from exhaustion or cold and slipped off the upturned keel during the night. Henry Aldridge and Son said The Truth About The Titanic is 'one of the most detailed accounts of the events of the evening'. The auctioneers added: 'It is impossible to overstate the rarity of this lot, it is written by one of the highest profile survivors, with excellent content and on the rarest of mediums a lettercard. 'A truly exceptional museum-grade piece.' The £300,000 letter sale was tax inclusive". After the sale, they said: 'The record-breaking prices and global participation from collectors are a testament to the enduring interest in the Titanic the world over, the stories of those men, women and children are told through the memorabilia and their memories are kept alive through those items'. First Published: 27 Apr 2025, 08:54 AM IST
The Guardian
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Letter by high-profile Titanic survivor sells for record £300,000
A letter written by a survivor of the Titanic disaster has sold for a record £300,000 at auction. First-class passenger Col Archibald Gracie wrote The Truth About the Titanic, which described his experience of the 15 April 1912 tragedy that claimed 1,500 lives on the vessel's journey to New York. The letter card is dated 10 April 1912, the day he boarded, and is postmarked Queenstown 3.45pm on 11 April and London on 12 April. It said: 'It is a fine ship but I shall await my journeys end before I pass judgment on her.' The item sold for five times the expected price of £60,000 at Henry Aldridge and Son of Devizes, Wiltshire on Saturday. It is the highest price ever achieved for a letter written on board the Titanic, the auctioneers said. Letters from 'survivors of Gracie's profile' rarely, if ever, come to market and the item has never before been offered for sale, the auctioneers added. The seller's great uncle, who was an acquaintance of Gracie, received the letter at the Waldorf Hotel in London. It was written over four sides and added: 'The Oceanic is like an old friend and while she does not possess the elaborate style and varied amusement of this big ship, still her sea worthy qualities and yacht like appearance make me miss her. 'It was very kind of you to give me this kindly send off, with best wishes for your success and happiness, Archibald Gracie.' The colonel 'spent much of the voyage chaperoning various unaccompanied women' including a woman and three sisters who survived, the listing said. On 14 April, he played squash and swam in the Titanic's swimming pool before attending church and socialising. At about 11.40pm he was jolted awake and discovered the ship's engines were not moving. He helped women and children on to lifeboats and fetched them blankets before the ship dipped below the water's surface in the North Atlantic Ocean. Gracie managed to scramble on to an overturned collapsible boat along with a few dozen other men. There were swimmers around them but those aboard paddled away through fear the vessel could be overwhelmed. The colonel later wrote: 'In no instance, I am happy to say, did I hear any word of rebuke from a swimmer because of a refusal to grant assistance'. One refusal 'was met with the manly voice of a powerful man' that said 'all right boys, good luck and God bless you', he reported. He also said more than half the men who had originally reached the collapsible died from exhaustion or cold and slipped off the upturned keel during the night. Henry Aldridge and Son said The Truth About the Titanic is 'one of the most detailed accounts of the events of the evening'. The auctioneers added: 'It is impossible to overstate the rarity of this lot, it is written by one of the highest profile survivors, with excellent content and on the rarest of mediums a lettercard. 'A truly exceptional museum-grade piece.'
