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3mo ago

Titanic Survivor’s Letter Fetches Record $399,000 at Auction

Written days before the Titanic disaster, Colonel Archibald Gracie's letter achieved the highest price ever for Titanic correspondence, underscoring enduring global interest in its history.

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Details of the deck of a 1:30 replica of the Titanic, built in the Park of Sciences in Granada, Spain are pictured on Feb. 25, 2016 part of a larger exhibition dubbed "Titanic: The Reconstruction."
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Overview

  • The letter, written by Titanic survivor Colonel Archibald Gracie on April 10, 1912, sold for $399,000 at an auction on April 26, 2025.
  • Auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, England, the letter set a record for the highest price ever paid for Titanic correspondence.
  • The letter, postmarked in Queenstown and London shortly before the ship sank, includes a chillingly prescient line: 'I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her.'
  • The item was purchased by a private U.S. collector after a competitive bidding process, far surpassing its estimated value of $80,000.
  • Gracie, a first-class passenger and author of 'The Truth About the Titanic,' survived the disaster but died months later due to complications from the ordeal.