A letter penned by Titanic passenger Colonel Archibald Gracie just days before the ship's demise has set a record at auction, selling for £300,000, five times its estimated value.
Titanic Letter Fetches Record £300,000 at Auction
Titanic Letter Fetches Record £300,000 at Auction
A survival tale immortalized through a letter sold at auction highlights the Titanic's tragic history.
The handwritten correspondence, dated April 10, 1912, five days before the ill-fated voyage, reveals Gracie's reflections on the ship's fate and ultimately tells a story of survival amidst tragedy.
In a historic auction held at Henry Aldridge and Son in Wiltshire, a letter written by Titanic survivor Colonel Archibald Gracie sold for a staggering £300,000 ($400,000), breaking previous records for Titanic correspondence. The anonymous buyer acquired the letter on Sunday at a price dramatically higher than the expected £60,000.
Described as “prophetic,” the letter reveals Gracie's musings on awaiting his "journey's end," as he joined over 2,200 passengers on the illustrious ship’s maiden voyage to New York City. Gracie boarded the Titanic on April 10, 1912, and the letter, penned from cabin C51, was sent as the ship made a stop in Queenstown, Ireland, on April 11, before its fateful sinking. It was postmarked in London on April 12, amplifying its historical importance.
Auctioneer Henry Aldridge noted that this document is the highest-priced correspondence related to the Titanic's tragic story. Colonel Gracie’s narrative of survival has become renowned; he recounts how he clung to an overturned lifeboat in the frigid Arctic waters, watching as many of his fellow survivors succumbed to the cold.
In the months following the disaster, Gracie’s health deteriorated significantly due to hypothermia and injuries sustained. He fell into a coma on December 2, 1912, and passed away from complications related to diabetes shortly thereafter. His poignant story and the prophetic letter continue to resonate, providing a window into the harrowing events surrounding one of history's most infamous maritime disasters.
In a historic auction held at Henry Aldridge and Son in Wiltshire, a letter written by Titanic survivor Colonel Archibald Gracie sold for a staggering £300,000 ($400,000), breaking previous records for Titanic correspondence. The anonymous buyer acquired the letter on Sunday at a price dramatically higher than the expected £60,000.
Described as “prophetic,” the letter reveals Gracie's musings on awaiting his "journey's end," as he joined over 2,200 passengers on the illustrious ship’s maiden voyage to New York City. Gracie boarded the Titanic on April 10, 1912, and the letter, penned from cabin C51, was sent as the ship made a stop in Queenstown, Ireland, on April 11, before its fateful sinking. It was postmarked in London on April 12, amplifying its historical importance.
Auctioneer Henry Aldridge noted that this document is the highest-priced correspondence related to the Titanic's tragic story. Colonel Gracie’s narrative of survival has become renowned; he recounts how he clung to an overturned lifeboat in the frigid Arctic waters, watching as many of his fellow survivors succumbed to the cold.
In the months following the disaster, Gracie’s health deteriorated significantly due to hypothermia and injuries sustained. He fell into a coma on December 2, 1912, and passed away from complications related to diabetes shortly thereafter. His poignant story and the prophetic letter continue to resonate, providing a window into the harrowing events surrounding one of history's most infamous maritime disasters.
