A letter written by one of the Titanic’s most famous survivors, just days before the ship sank, has been sold for £300,000 ($399,000) at auction.
The note, written by first-class passenger Archibald Gracie on April 10, 1912, was addressed to the great-uncle of the current seller. In the letter, Gracie commented on the ship, stating, “It is a fine ship but I shall await my journey’s end before I pass judgment on her.”
The letter was purchased by a private collector from the United States on Saturday. The sale price far surpassed the initial estimate of £60,000.
This letter is believed to be the only known piece of correspondence from Gracie written aboard the Titanic. The ship famously sank after colliding with an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland, resulting in the deaths of around 1,500 people on its maiden voyage.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge described the letter as a “museum-grade exceptional piece.”
Gracie, who survived by jumping into the water and managing to climb onto an overturned collapsible lifeboat, was eventually rescued by others aboard a lifeboat and brought to the R.M.S. Carpathia. After returning to New York, he wrote “The Truth about the Titanic,” a detailed account of his experiences.
Gracie boarded the Titanic in Southampton on April 10, 1912, and occupied first-class cabin C51. His book is regarded as one of the most thorough accounts of the fateful night. Unfortunately, Gracie never fully recovered from the hypothermia he suffered and passed away in late 1912 due to complications from diabetes.
The letter was postmarked from Queenstown, Ireland, one of the last stops the Titanic made before sinking.
