A letter written by Titanic violinist and bandleader Wallace
Hartley aboard the doomed ship is set to be sold on 20 April at an
auction in Wiltshire, UK.
The letter, which Hartley wrote to his parents four days before the
disaster, is being sold by Henry Aldridge & Son with an
estimate of £50,000–£70,000. The letter reads:
'Just a line to say we have got away all right. It's been a bit of
a rush but I am just getting a little settled. This is a fine ship
& there ought to be plenty of money on her. I've missed coming
home very much & it would have been nice to have seen you all
if only for an hour or two, but I couldn’t manage it. We have a
fine band & the boys seem very nice. I have had to buy some
linen & I sent my washing home today by post. I shall probably
arrive home on the Sunday morning. We are due here on the Saturday.
I'm glad mother's foot is better.'
The letter, thought to be the only surviving letter written by
Hartley on board the ship, was previously sold in April 2012 for
$185,000 by US-based RR Auctions.
Later this year, Henry Aldridge & Son plans to auction a violin
that it claims was the one Hartley played as the Titanic went down,
and was found strapped to his body at sea.
photo: courtesy Henry Aldridge & Son
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