Mrs. J.J. “Molly” Brown presenting trophy cup award to Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron, for his service in the rescue of the Titanic. Photo:Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id# cph 3c21013)
Among the other Titanic items that went up for auction at Henry Aldridge & Son on Saturday was a sterling silver cup presented to Captain Rostron by Molly Brown. The cup was given at a ceremony on 29 May 1912 to thank Rostron and crew for rescuing the Titanic survivors.
In grateful recognition and appreciation of his heroic and efficient service in the rescue of the survivors of the Titanic on April 15th 1912,and of the generous and sympathetic treatment he accorded us on his ship. From the Survivors of the Titanic.
Additionally the crew members, based on their rate, received a gold, silver, or bronze medal. The cup was estimated to bring in between $61,000-$91,000. It sold for an astonishing $200,000. The name of the buyer was not revealed.
Sky News is reporting the Titanic iceberg photo fetched £20,000 ($30,628USD), the famous Titanic biscuit from the lifeboat fetched £15,000 ($22,971 USD) at today’s auction at Henry Aldridge & Son.
Photograph of iceberg taken by chief steward of Prinz Adalbert on morning of 15 April 1912 near where Titanic sank. At the time he had not learned of the Titanic disaster. Smears of red paint along the base caught his attention. The photo and accompanying statement were sent to Titanic’s lawyers, which hung in their boardroom until the firm dissolved in 2002. Public Domain
Livescience.com has an article today that reports there is some doubt about the iceberg photograph up for auction is the one that collided with Titanic.
“There are two photos of icebergs from the area on the day following the collision, both of which purport to be the Titanic iceberg,” said Grant Bigg, an environmental scientist at the University of Sheffield in England.”
Bigg found there was another iceberg photo taken by Captain William George Squares de Carteret of the SS Minia. And believes it matches the dimensions that survivors gave of it. But there is no definitive proof that it is either.
A picture of the possible iceberg that doomed Titanic along with a
statement by a chief steward is up for auction at Henry Aldridge & Son. The steward describes seeing red paint on the iceberg that came from scraping a vessel. The photograph and statement signed by the steward were given to the White Star Line lawyers Burlingham, Montgomery & Beecher. After the inquiry it was framed and hung in their boardroom until the firm went out of business in 2002.
Photograph of iceberg taken by chief steward of Prinz Adalbert on morning of 15 April 1912 near where Titanic sank. At the time he had not learned of the Titanic disaster. Smears of red paint along the base caught his attention. The photo and accompanying statement were sent to Titanic’s lawyers, which hung in their boardroom until the firm dissolved in 2002. Public Domain
The photo was taken by M. Linoenewald, chief steward on German liner Prinz Adalbert. The Adalbert passed through the area where Titanic sank on 15 April 1912 but the disaster was not yet known to them. He took the photograph of the iceberg and later had three other crew members sign the statement as witnesses. The picture was included in Walter Lord’s book A Night To Remember.
Four of the remaining partners in the firm are putting it up for sale
through Henry Aldridge on 24 October 2015. It is lot 209 and estimated to fetch £15,000 ($23,000USD).
It can never be said that auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son never fail to see a profit in any Titanic memorabilia. A biscuit that was part of a survival kit in one of the Titanic lifeboats–and put into a Kodak photograph envelope by a passenger on Carpathia–is up for auction on 24 Oct 2015. The estimated price is between £8,000 – £10,000. Henry Aldridge tells the Daily Mirror:
“It is the world’s most valuable biscuit.We don’t know which lifeboat the biscuit came from but there are no other Titanic lifeboat biscuits in existence to my knowledge. It is incredible that this biscuit has survived such a dramatic event – the sinking of the world’s largest ocean liner – costing 1,500 lives.”
It really does prove Hard Tack can last a very long time indeed.
The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the Hartley violin–owned by a private buyer who bought it auction in 2013–will be on display at two US museums in 2016. It will first go to Titanic Museum in Branson,Missouri from 7 Mar-29 May 2016 and then go to Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge from 5 Jun-14 Aug 2016. The violin has not been on display since its purchase. Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son represent the owner.
Nantucket Titanic Deck Chair Photo: Henry Aldridge & Son
A rare Titanic deck chair was recently auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son for the princely sum of £100,000, The chair was one of six or seven that were found in the Atlantic by ships sent out to retrieve bodies from Titanic. This particular one originally belonged to Captain Julien Lemarteleur. Due to its fragility, the anonymous seller kept it as a display piece in a large window with a sea view.
The name of the buyer was not released but was from the U.K.
1.Titanic Menu Up For Auction BBC is reporting that a menu from Titanic’s first class restaurant will be auctioned off on 18 October by Henry Aldridge & Son. The menu, stuffed inside a coat pocket, is expected to fetch £70,000($112,528). A deck plan used to help a survivor find the way to a lifeboat on Titanic will be auctioned off as well.
2. Ancient Wreck Dubbed Titanic of Ancient World Proving To Be Treasure Trove
The 2,000-year-old Antikythera shipwreck in Greece is the focus of a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) expedition reports LiveScience.com. The ship likely sank between 70 B.C. and 60 B.C while on its way from Asia Minor to Rome. It was found by sponge divers in 1900 and early efforts to retrieve valuables proved costly in human lives. Some of the earlier items brought up back then included bronze and marble statues of heroes and horses, jewelry, furniture, glassware and a a complex astronomical calculator called the Antikythera mechanism. Jacques Cousteau also dived to the sunken ship and brought up some amazing items as well. This most recent expedition from Sept. 15 to Oct. 7 also brought up some fascinating items as well. Also the dive allowed for the use of rebreathers to allow divers to spend more time down exploring the wreck. They also used high resolution 3D maps of the site that showed it much larger than previously thought. Another expedition is being planned for next year.
3. Premier Exhibitions Facing Stronger Criticism Over Bodies Exhibition
As noted in an earlier posting, human rights activists in Toronto is calling for the seizure of the human bodies on display claiming many of the Chinese included were imprisoned or killed by that government. The Toronto Sun reports that Choose Humanity spokesman Joel Chipkar says the cadavers on display (which include men, women and children)were executed for engaging in such acts as belonging to group such as Falun Gong. Premier Exhibitions has not issued a formal response to the allegation.
4. If You Have $10.9 Million This Former Straus Property Could Be Yours
The Straus inheritors wanted to live big in Red Bank, New Jersey. So they decided to build a huge estate on 29,000 square feet that would have included a 27-room chateau had the Great Depression not slowed down and ended construction. They did build some fine buildings based on 18th century Provence and imported nearly everything to make it look right. What could not be imported was made by French and Italian artisans who came over to do the job. It was sold in 1951 and the houses became part of a co-op. This being a very wealthy area though, it was not a commune but a very nice place for those with lots of money to live in a lovely estate and share common amenities like a pool (important on those hot summer days). Now the whole thing is up for sale. Just fork over $10.9 million and it is yours. Pool included.
Not Titanic
1. I like the ABC show Castle. And like everyone was stunned at how last season ended. We are now two episodes into this season and this is what we learned:that Richard Castle has a very dark secret. And somehow that caught up with him just before the wedding. And he apparently, in conjunction with others to cover it up (possibly not by choice), staged the disappearance and likely used drugs of some kind to permanently loose those memories. Does anyone think the movie Total Recall is being done on us just with a Castle twist? Personally it would have been more likely had old enemies of his father had staged it. Hey, maybe they did for all we know. Not really liking this at all. One hopes down the road Kate does not wake up to find it is the day of the wedding and all that happened really was a dream.
2. Hells Kitchen continues its tradition of D list cooks who seemingly fall apart under the intense scrutiny of Chef Hell (Ramsay) and his assistants. It is becoming easier though to pick the ones that are clearly just there to cause problems in the group.
3. Someone needs to tell the folks over at Amazing Race we really do not care or need to know someone really had to go to the bathroom bad during the race. But we also found out in the first episode that some people really are quite stupid. One of the real estate gals actually said the sun rises in the west and settles in the east. The stunned looks on the two who heard her say that was funny. Needless to say the real estate gals were eliminated. Hopefully by now they have figured where the sun actually rises and sets. And it has been doing it exactly that way for a very long, long time.
Well it is the first week of October and it is pretty warm where I live. It is the time of year that Northern California gets a heat wave. No cooling ocean breeze but a warm offshore wind that drives humidity down. Fire departments are especially nervous this time of year since fires can erupt causing massive damages. But enough of the California sunshine and a week to review.
1)Titanic II
A lot of people were hoping this would come off. Clive Palmer has the money and drive to pull it off. And his effort appeared genuine. He wined and dined not only the wealthy and famous, but put serious money down on actual designs and model testing. Preliminary contracts with vendors were made. And he had discussions with a Chinese shipyard that would construct Titanic II. But something went amiss. The shipyard seemed reluctant to go forward and Palmer, who must have thought he would get Chinese money to help build the ship, got nothing. He has formed an alliance to get Chinese sponsors but so far it has not brought anything to the table as of yet. Worse he is in a spat with a Chinese company and has said unflattering things about the Chinese. If he is going to build this ship, it will be done elsewhere. By now the keel was supposed to have been laid and we would be hearing about its construction. So Titanic II remains just a dream on the drawing board and nothing else.
2) Meanwhile in Tinian
The Titanic project in Tinian Harbor seems to be moving along according to Marianas Variety. The plan there is to build a replica Titanic in Tinian Harbor. The plan is to use Titanic to draw Chinese and others to the casino-hotels that will be built. So the investors are filing their plans about how this will be done. A curious note though at the bottom of the news article is this: “The museum will have original Titanic items.” Interesting. Perhaps they are interested in a certain Titanic collection currently up for sale but so hideously expensive no one can afford it. But perhaps the investors in the Tinian project might have the money to pull it off.
3)From The Titanic X Files: Gypsy Warning
A writer over at the Belfast Telegraph recently learned that Thomas Andrews was warned by an old Gypsy woman that calamity would befall him if he was on Titanic. She learned of this particular warning from an excellent book Titanic: Psychic Forewarnings Of A Tragedy by George Behe which goes through a lot of the many supernatural and otherworldly claims about Titanic. It is a good book and examines each story with known facts. The book was out of print but I think was reprinted for the Titanic centenary. You can try finding copies at Amazon or other book places on the web (disclaimer:I am an Amazon associate). Check your local library system as well.
4)Time Again For Cardboard Regatta
Each year it seems people gather at a local lake to witness a cardboard regatta or something similar. Usually these are handmade crafts and often carry one or more people. At Panama City, Florida the inaugural Great Cardboard Boat Regatta took place recently. According to the News Herald 16 teams entered the regatta. Each boat was made only of cardboard, duct tape, glue and paint. They had to do three trips around a 200-yard course. Water safety crews were on standby. Now this regatta is new for where it is being done at (Porter Park in Lynn Haven)but has been going on for 40 years. And the winner? A cardboard craft named Titanic II. The most spectacular sinking though gets the Titanic Award.
5)Letter Written By Titanic Engineer Joseph Bell To Be Auctioned Off
Titanic engineer Joseph Bell wrote a letter to his son Frank describing the near collision of Titanic with two other ships in Southampton is going up for auction reports the Belfast Telegraph. Bell writes:
We nearly had a collision with the New York & Oceanic when leaving Southampton, the wash of our propellers made the two ships range about when we were passing them, this made their mooring ropes break and the New York set off across the river until the tugs got hold of her again, no damage was done but it looked like trouble at the time, keep well and be a good lad, regards to Mrs Johnston.
The auction is being held by Henry Aldridge & Son on 18 Oct. The letter is expected to fetch between £10,000-£15,000 (about $24,000).
Not Strictly Titanic
For some reason, probably to make some cash, the jacket worn by Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic is up for sale. If you want to buy this bit of movie history, it will cost you £70,000 ($111,765). The auction is at Profiles In History in Calabasas, CA on October 17-20. Cash is king at this place but they will take a check but only release the item bought when check clears.
The letter written by Titanic survivor Esther Hart was auctioned off today for £119,000 ($199,950) according to ITV. The letter was written aboard Titanic hours before the ship sank. The amount is a new record according to auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son. The previous record for a Titanic letter was £94,000 ($157,943).
The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the Hartley violin–owned by a private buyer who bought it auction in 2013–will be on display at two US museums in 2016. It will first go to Titanic Museum in 
The letter written by Titanic survivor Esther Hart was auctioned off today for £119,000 ($199,950) according to ITV. The letter was written aboard Titanic hours before the ship sank. The amount is a new record according to auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son. The previous record for a Titanic letter was £94,000 ($157,943).