A notice scribbled aboard the ill-fated Titanic, penned prior to its disastrous sinking, fetches nearly $400,000 at an auction event.
Title: A Rare Memento from a Titanic Survivor Sets a Record at Auction
Catchy Line: Step aboard the captivating tale of Archibald Gracie, a Titanic survivor, and his extraordinary auctioned letter.
Embark on an enthralling journey, as we delve into the sale of a priceless artifact that belonged to one of the Titanic's illustrious survivors—Archibald Gracie IV. The letter, penned onboard the ill-fated vessel on April 10, 1912, sold for an impressive $399,000 (300,000 pounds), eclipsing its initial estimated price of 60,000 pounds.
The letter, addressed to Gracie's great-uncle, offers a unique glimpse into the unsinkable ship's early days: "It is a fine ship but I shall await my journeys end before I pass judgment on her." The letter was procured by a private collector from the United States, as announced by auction house Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, England.
The letter. A solitary testament to the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Believed to be the sole surviving example from Gracie's hand, it recounts his experiences on the ship that sank off Newfoundland, after colliding with an iceberg, with devastating consequences, claiming about 1,500 lives.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge deemed the letter an "exceptional museum grade piece." Gracie embarked on the Titanic in Southampton on April 10, 1912, and stationed in first-class cabin C51. His account, often seen as one of the most detailed survivor narratives, is considered a testament to the historical tragedy, according to Aldridge.
After a battering night on an overturned lifeboat, Gracie was rescued by other passengers onboard a lifeboat and was transported to the R.M.S. Carpathia. He proceeded to compose "The Truth about the Titanic," a poignant account of his experiences, upon his return to New York City.
Intriguing Factoids:
- Archibald Gracie IV, a scion of the affluent Gracie family of New York, was a first-class passenger on the RMS Titanic.
- Gracie's account of the Titanic disaster is widely regarded as one of the most detailed and authoritative survivor narratives.
- Gracie didn't recover fully from the hypothermia he contracted during the Titanic's sinking and passed away in late 1912 due to complications from diabetes.
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The letter, penned by Titanic survivor Archibald Gracie IV, was sold to a private collector from the United States, an exceptional museum-grade piece that eclipsed its initial estimated price of 60,000 pounds by selling for $399,000 (300,000 pounds). Despite the chilling tale of the ship's sinking and Gracie's personal account of the events, the lettercard offers a rare glimpse into the life of Gracie, a first-class passenger on the Titanic, who later succumbed to the complications of hypothermia and diabetes.
