Tag Archives: Henry Aldridge and Son

Titanic

Titanic Letter Recovered From First Class Passenger Up For Auction

Public Domain( John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Australia)

A handwritten note written by a first class passenger is up for auction at Henry Aldridge & Son reports The News. The note was recovered from the body of Titanic first class passenger Alexander Oskar Holverson.

“It is oversized, hand written on Titanic letterhead by a victim just a day before the ship hit the iceberg, mentions the food, the music and the elite on board, contains an ominous message with regards to the fate of the ship, was carried by its author into the Atlantic and, thence, on to the body recovery ship and shows evidence of its submersion in salt water.”

The note is expected to fetch £80,000 ($106,050 USD) when it comes up for auction on 21 October.

Source:Titanic letter tipped to fetch £80,000 at auction(The News,14 Oct 2017)


Titanic

Picture of Titanic Dead on Mackay Bennett Up For Auction

(Photo Courtesy George Behe)
(Photo Courtesy George Behe)

Up till now, there were no photos of burials at sea done aboard Mackay Bennett when it recovered Titanic victims. Victims who could be identified were brought back for burial by relatives. Those that could not be identified or third class who could not afford a funeral were buried at sea. Now Henry Aldridge and Son, who seem to have a franchise on Titanic memorabilia and rare antiques, have a photo up for auction that shows a mass funeral taking place. The photo was taken by Westy Legate, fourth officer of the ship.

The photo shows body bags on the ship’s deck, two men appearing to tip a stretcher that carries a body into the sea, the ship’s priest Reverend Hind conducting a service, and members of the crew standing nearby.

Apparently another crew member’s family got possession of the photo and are now putting it up for auction. The pre-sale estimate is £5,000 ($8,000). Considering how rare this photo is, that figure seems low for a one-of-a-kind item. Then again it may sell for three times that amount at auction. Henry Aldridge is quoted in the Daily Mail saying:

“This picture blows away the myth that the burials were an orderly and dignified process. You can clearly see the bodies in brown sacks piled up on the deck, with some piled two or three high.”

What myth is he referring to here? Most of the accounts I have read (and admittedly I have not read them all) generally relay it was a mass burial. Now perhaps to console grieving relatives not all details were included (like stacking bodies on the decks) but that is hardly a myth. It is hardly surprising that they would need to stack bodies on the deck, considering the numbers involved. Since it was a burial at sea, this would be a necessity.

Source: Rare Picture Shows Priest Praying Over Titanic Victims Before They Are Buried At Sea(29 Sep 2013, Daily Mail)

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic Menus Fetch Over £100,000 At Auction

BBC News is reporting that a First Class Titanic lunch menu sold for £64,000($102,605) and a VIP menu from Titanic’s launch went for £36,000 ($57,714). The auction was held by Henry Aldridge and Son on Saturday.

Source: BBC News, Two Titanic Menus Fetch More Than £100,000 At Auction In England, 25 Nov 2012


Titanic

Captain Rostron’s Sextant To Be Auctioned Off

The sextant owned by Carpathia captain Arthur Rostron, who came to Titanic’s aid inSextant 1912, is up for auction. Rostron acquired the sextant in 1883 and has remained in the family till now. Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son believe it will fetch £70,000 pounds ($111,000) at next Saturday’s sale.

Source: AP, Sextant Of Master Of Titanic Rescue Ship For Sale, 17 Nov 2012


Titanic

Monday Wrap; Why Did Stead Board Titanic and Jewelry Goes on Display

*Premiere Exhibitions has announced that most of the jewelry recovered from Titanic will go on a three city tour beginning this Friday in Atlanta. The Jewels of Titanic exhibit will be in the following cities and part of Titanic:The Artifact Exhibition:

Atlanta: 16 Nov 2012–6 Jan 2013

Orlando: 11 Jan 2013–12 Mar 2013

Las Vegas: 22 Mar 2013–31 May 2013

More info at rmstitanic.net.

*Henry Aldridge, the well known Titanic auctioneer, is putting up a rare letter from W.T.Stead for auction. Stead, who perished when Titanic sank in 1912, appeared to have predicted his own doom in a short story How the Mail Steamer went down in the Atlantic, by a survivor. He was also considered a psychic begging the question why he boarded Titanic. Aldridge hopes the letter will fetch £40,000. No word if a psychic has predicted the final bid on this letter.

Sources

1. Associated Press,Recovered Titanic Jewels To Be On Display, 12 Nov 2012
2. Mirror.co.uk, Why Did He Get On Board? Victim Of The Titanic Predicted Doomed Ship’s Fate But Went On Voyage, 12 Nov 2012


Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions

Titanic News For 24 Oct 2011

1. Unique Titanic Memorabilia To Go Under The Auctioneers Hammer  (24 Oct 2011, Art Daily)
Henry Aldridge and Son are holding their latest auction of Titanic and White Star Line memorabilia on October 29th at their Devizes auction rooms. After the success of the auctioneers last auction in May with the 32ft enquiry plan selling for a world record £220000. It is no surprise that another unique selection of memorabilia will be offered for auction in Devizes.  The sale has a number of star lots but two of the most visually impressive are the sister plan to the 32ft enquiry profile offered in May and an extremely rare plan of First Class Accommodation for the Titanic that was used onboard by a Titanic survivor.

2.Minnesotan’s Titanic Letter Among Auction Items (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 23 Oct 2011)
One year before the centennial of the Titanic’s sinking, a letter written by a prominent Minneapolis businessman on Titanic stationery the day it sailed is one of more than 100 items of the doomed ship’s memorabilia sold Friday night in New York for $100,570. The collection, which had been expected to sell for $50,000 to $75,000, was one of seven lots of Titanic material sold by Philip Weiss Auctions in Oceanside, N.Y. It was purchased by a private collector who asked not to be identified.

3. Titanic Exhibit Comes To The Shore Mall In EHT (Press of Atlantic City, 22 Oct 2011)
Shore Mall visitors looking for a break from shopping this fall can take a trip back in a time and check out a Titanic exhibit, starting today inside Silver Moon Antiques.The highlight of the 24-item exhibit is a 25-foot-long, 7-foot wide Titanic-era original Harland and Wolff Lifeboat, circa 1909. It may actually be one of the Titanic lifeboats, but it was definitely featured in several movies, including Alfred Hitchcock’s “Lifeboat” in 1944, the 1953 movie “Titanic,” starring Barbara Stanwyck and the 1964 film “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” with Debbie Reynolds. Part of the reason why the Titanic lifeboat is on display is to let the public help in deciding whether the lifeboat is an authentic Titanic lifeboat or not.

4. Titanic Artifacts On Display At Marine Museum (YNN , 21 Oct 2011
An Oswego museum is currently featuring Titanic artifacts and memorabilia, including items from the personal collection of an Oswego man who works with the Titanic Historical Society. George DeMass serves as the historical society’s chaplain and also collects Titanic artifacts. He has loaned the H. Lee White Marine Museum parts of his collection, including paintings, newspaper clips and items from the boat.

5. Titanic Memorial Restoration Work Begins In Godalming (BBC News, 20 Oct 2011)
Restoration of a memorial to the chief wireless operator on the Titanic has started. The Philips Memorial Cloister, in Godalming, is to be restored during a five-year programme. The work is being carried out to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the ship’s sinking in 2012. It is being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund with a £335,000 grant through its Parks for People programme.

6.Unseen Photos From Titanic Rescue On The Auction Block (Today’s THV, 20 Oct 2011)
Their photos of the rescue and their writings of how it all happened are now headed to the auction block. One of john’s letters describing the ship fade into history says, “When we had moved some distance away from the Titanic we realized by looking at the bow seeing the different rows of port holes getting less and less…that the finest boat in the world was doomed…” Phil Weiss runs the New York auction house that’s now selling the memorabilia. He says, “You don’t see these kinds of things come to the market anymore most of this material has been located, found, and accounted for.”

7. Titanic Hero Harold Lowe’s Plaque Is Funded By Council (20 October 2011,BBC News)
A campaign to erect a memorial was started by 17-year-old Maddie Matthews, of Dyffryn Ardudwy, who learned about Harold Lowe when watching the Hollywood movie.”I’ve seen the design and its brilliant. I’m hoping it will a fitting tribute and family members and the people of Barmouth will turn out to see it unveiled,” she said. It has been agreed that a plaque will be unveiled in April 2012 to mark the centenary of the disaster. The slate memorial, which is being made locally, will include an engraving of Harold Lowe and the Titanic and a citation describing his bravery.

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