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Rare Titanic Letter From a Second‑Class Passenger Resurfaces for Auction

Fresh to the market, the April 10, 1912 letter offers a rare everyday view of life on board and has drawn strong collector interest.

Overview

  • The letter was written and postmarked at Queenstown on April 10, 1912 by Henry Price Hodges, a second‑class passenger who died when the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912.
  • Henry Aldridge and Son listed the item for an online sale with an estimate up to £35,000 and reported bidding of about £26,000 at the time of coverage.
  • The text describes fair weather and ordinary shipboard life, including people marching and singing on deck and passengers playing dominoes and cards in the saloons.
  • The auction house says the letter is completely fresh to the market and emphasises its rarity as a second‑class firsthand account; the sale is set to close on Sunday, July 26, with the lot drawing strong interest from collectors and historians.
  • One news outlet misattributed the letter to Archibald Gracie but auction records and other reporting identify Henry Hodges as the author, and experts note provenance and novelty are key drivers of value for Titanic artifacts.