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Time of India
27-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Rs 3.35 crore paid for rare Titanic letter: A 'prophetic' message written days before the ship sank
A letter written by Titanic survivor Colonel Archibald Gracie just days before the ship sank has been sold for a record-breaking Rs 3.35 crore (£300,000) at a UK auction. The letter, written on April 10, 1912, from Gracie's first-class cabin, contains a prophetic statement about the ship. Gracie survived the sinking by climbing onto an overturned lifeboat and later documented his experience in the book The Truth About The Titanic. This letter, believed to be the only surviving correspondence from Gracie aboard the Titanic, was sold to a private collector. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A Prophetic Message Before the Tragedy A Survivor's Detailed Account Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Lasting Impact of the Disaster A letter written by Titanic survivor Colonel Archibald Gracie just days before the tragic sinking has been sold for a record-breaking Rs 3.35 crore (£300,000) at a UK auction, according to reports from BBC and other outlets. The sale, held at Henry Aldridge & Son auction house in Wiltshire, drew significant attention, with the letter fetching five times its estimated price of Rs 67 lakh (£60,000).Dated April 10, 1912, the letter was penned by Col Gracie the very day he boarded the Titanic in Southampton. Writing from his first-class cabin, C51, Gracie remarked to an acquaintance that the Titanic was "a fine ship but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her." This statement, later described as "prophetic," was mailed after the Titanic's brief stop in Queenstown, Ireland, on April 11, 1912, and postmarked in London on April Andrew Aldridge highlighted the significance of the item, calling it an "exceptional museum grade piece" and noting that it achieved the highest price ever for any correspondence written aboard the Titanic. The letter eventually went to a private collector from the United Gracie was among the roughly 2,200 passengers and crew members on the Titanic's maiden voyage to New York. When the ship struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic, over 1,500 lives were lost. Gracie's survival story stands out among the many harrowing accounts of that night. He survived by clambering onto an overturned lifeboat after jumping from the sinking ship into freezing waters. In his later writings, Gracie recalled that more than half the men who initially reached the overturned lifeboat eventually perished from exhaustion or rescue by the R.M.S. Carpathia, Gracie returned to New York and documented his experience in the book The Truth About The Titanic, which remains one of the most detailed firsthand accounts of the Gracie initially survived the catastrophe, his health never fully recovered. The hypothermia and injuries he sustained ultimately contributed to his declining condition. He fell into a coma on December 2, 1912, and passed away two days later from complications related to letter sold at auction is believed to be the only known correspondence written by Gracie from aboard the Titanic. Its historic significance and the chilling nature of its contents have cemented it as a crucial artifact from one of history's most infamous maritime disasters.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Yahoo
Titanic survivor's letter sells for record-breaking £300,000 at auction
A letter written by one of most well-known survivors of the Titanic disaster has sold for a record-breaking £300,000 at auction. First-class passenger Colonel Archibald Gracie wrote The Truth About The Titanic, which described his experience of the April 15 1912 tragedy that claimed 1,500 lives. The letter card is dated April 10 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 £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. READ MORE: Vehicle appears to drive into Just Stop Oil protesters during London march READ MORE: Body found on Norfolk beach near Haven Seashore Holiday Park 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".
Daily Mail
27-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Haunting letter written by Titanic passenger days before huge ocean liner sank sells for £300,000
A 'prophetic' letter by a passenger on the Titanic sent days before it sank has been sold for a record amount. Colonel Archibald Gracie - who survived the sinking but died months later from injuries he sustained in the freezing water - told his great uncle he would 'await my journey's end' before judging his experience on the 'fine ship'. The hauntingly eerie letter sold for £300,000 ($400,000) - five times higher than it was expected to. It is also the most expensive piece of correspondence from the Titanic bought after its sinking. The letter has been described as 'prophetic' as the 54-year-old was one of the 2,200 passengers and crew on board when the ocean liner struck an iceberg in the Atlantic five days into its journey. An anonymous buyer nabbed the moving artefact at Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Wiltshire today. The wealthy American wrote the letter on the first day of the Titanic's sailing, 10 April 1912, from the first class passenger's cabin C51. It was then posted when the ship docked in Queenstown, Ireland, the next day before the Titanic carried on with its journey to New York. The piece of correspondence arrived in London the day after. Colonel Gracie survived the tragic sinking that saw more than 1,500 die by clinging onto an overturned lifeboat. His accounts of what happened that fateful night are some of the most famous, detailing how more than half the man who also reached the boat died from exhaustion or froze. His book The Truth About The Titanic described his lifestyle in the luxurious first class accommodation where he was a chaperone for several unaccompanied women. He enjoyed squash and reading in the library during the first part of his trip and when the boat began sinking, the business man helped women onto the lifeboats. The former soldier was trying to free the trapped lifeboats when the front part of the ship dipped below the water. He was sucked down by the undertow but managed to free himself from the shop and surfaced near the lifeboat. Colonel Gracie and the other survivors began paddling away from the masses of pleading swimmers for help but no one gave him hardship for not letting them on. He 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... "All right boys, good luck and God bless you".' When dawn broke, an officer who survived the night clinging on began to blow his whistle so that the other lifeboats could find them. Colonel Gracie was so exhausted that he was unable to make the jump himself and was pulled onto lifeboat No. 12 before reaching the RMS Carpathia - the first ship to arrive. Although Colonel Gracie's perseverance that night saved him, the impact of being in the freezing water drastically affected his health. He caught hypothermia as well as suffered physical injuries the night of the sinking and fell into a coma months later. He died from complications from diabetes on 4 December 1912 two days later. Andrew Aldridge, auctioneer at Henry Aldridge & Son, said: 'It really was a fantastic sale that shows the appeal of one of the most important events of the twentieth century. 'It is impossible to overstate the rarity of the Gracie lot. It was written by one of the highest profile survivors, with excellent content and on the rarest of mediums a lettercard and for it to bring £300,000 is an amazing result. 'It really was a sale full of museum-quality items.' Also at the auction was a gilt silver and brass watch that was found among the possessions of Danish second-class passenger Hans Christensen Givard. The ladies pocket watch was recovered from the 27-year-old's body, who had been travelling to the US with two friends who also died. 'The watch's movement is frozen in time at the moment the cold North Atlantic waters consumed not only its owner but the most famous ocean liner of all time, Titanic, on 15 April 1912,' Mr Aldridge said. His other belongings, like a savings book, some cash in his wallet, his passport, keys and a compass were sent back to his brother in Denmark after the disaster. Th descendants of his family decided to put the items on sale and was set to fetch £50,000. Other auction items included the violin used by the bandmaster in the iconic 1997 epic film Titanic. British actor Jonathan Evans-Jones played Wallace Hartley in the movie that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Tomlin's immigration inspection ticket that revealed how he was moved from the RMS Adriatic to the Titanic at the last moment due to a coal strike sold for £90,000 Some of Tomlin's letters were also recovered that he had sent to his family Ernest Tomlin's body was among the few that were recovered but he was buried at sea after his possessions had been recovered The instrument - which sold for £50,000 - was used in one of the most poignant scenes, as the band famously played on while the luxury liner sank. A Titanic-related archive that belonged to tragic passenger Ernest Tomlin was also sold, including his water-stained immigration inspection ticket that revealed how he was moved from the RMS Adriatic to the Titanic at the last moment due to a coal strike. The item, that was recovered days later from his drowned body, sold for £90,000. His meal ticket for the third-class restaurant was also found in his pockets. It sold for £65,000. Other items in the Tomlin collection included two US dollar notes he had intended to use in America sold for a combined £25,000. A collection of items belonging to first-class passenger Erik Lind sold for £38,000. The archive included a hand-written letter by Erik, who was sailing to New York to escape loan sharks in his native Sweden.
Hindustan Times
27-04-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Titanic passenger's chilling account of survival, written in letter, sells for record ₹3.35 crore at UK auction
A letter written by a Titanic passenger just days before the ship sank has been sold for a record-breaking ₹3.35 crore (£300,000) at an auction in the UK, reported BBC. The letter, penned by Colonel Archibald Gracie, was purchased by an anonymous buyer at Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Wiltshire on Sunday. It sold for five times the amount it was expected to fetch, as it was earlier valued at around ₹67 lakh (£60,000). Described as 'prophetic,' the letter captures Col Gracie telling an acquaintance he would 'await my journey's end' before passing judgment on the 'fine ship.' Also read: Indian-American engineer accused of kidnapping attempt. CCTV video may prove his innocence Dated 10 April 1912, the day he boarded the Titanic in Southampton, the letter was written five days before the ship sank after colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Col Gracie was among the approximately 2,200 passengers and crew on board the Titanic during its ill-fated voyage to New York. Over 1,500 people lost their lives in the disaster. A first-class passenger, Gracie wrote the letter from his cabin, C51. It was later posted when the Titanic made a stop at Queenstown, Ireland, on 11 April 1912, and was also postmarked London on 12 April. According to the auctioneer, the letter fetched the highest price ever paid for any correspondence written on board the Titanic. Col Gracie's account of the sinking is one of the most well-known narratives from the tragedy. He later authored The Truth About The Titanic, a book that recounts his harrowing experience aboard the doomed ocean liner. In his writings, he detailed how he survived the disaster by clambering onto an overturned lifeboat in the freezing waters. He noted that more than half the men who initially made it to the lifeboat eventually died from exhaustion or cold. Although Gracie survived the sinking, the injuries and hypothermia he suffered took a toll on his health. He fell into a coma on 2 December 1912 and died two days later from complications related to diabetes. Also read: 'Flight delayed by 10 hours, no AC': Indian man recounts '52-hour nightmare' trip to Delhi
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'.
