A letter featuring “remarkably interesting” insights into the life aboard the ill-fated Titanic is anticipated to sell for approximately £35,000 ($47,000) at auction.
The letter, penned by a passenger named Henry Hodges, is dated April 10, 1912 – the very day RMS Titanic embarked on its journey – as per a listing from the British auction house Henry Aldridge and Son.
In his correspondence, Hodges shares with a friend named Hector about the “wonderful time” he has experienced on the ship.
“So far, you can’t feel any movement of the ship, but the weather is quite pleasant,” he notes.
“On the upper deck, approximately 200 young men (aged 20 and above) are marching and singing, while others engage in games of dominoes and cards in the lounges, with some reading and writing; it is quite different from what one might anticipate at sea,” Hodges adds, who perished when the ship sank.
Upon leaving Belfast, Northern Ireland on its inaugural journey, Titanic was the largest passenger vessel in operation and was deemed “unsinkable.”
Merely four days later, on April 14, the expedition turned into a global catastrophe when the ship collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40 p.m. local time, sinking in under three hours.
The vessel lacked sufficient lifeboats for the close to 2,220 individuals onboard. Over 1,500 lives were lost in the disaster, rendering the Titanic the most renowned shipwreck in history.
The letter is “remarkable on several fronts,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge informed USdaily on Tuesday.
Firstly, Hodges, who sold musical instruments, was journeying for enjoyment and was en route to Boston to visit friends, traveling in second class.
“There is a scarcity of documents concerning second class passengers,” Aldridge noted.
“The narrative of third class is widely recognized due to the emigration aspect and starting anew. Similarly, the stories of the wealthy first-class passengers are well known,” he explained. “However, the tale of second class is one that remains largely untold.”
Additionally, Hodges’ correspondence offers insights into “the practical aspects of life aboard,” according to Aldridge, who emphasized that “it’s utterly captivating.”
This letter has never been available for purchase before and is “entirely new to the market,” Aldridge added.
It will be included in an online auction, with the bidding scheduled to conclude at 4 p.m. UK time (11 a.m. ET) on Sunday.
At the time of this writing, the leading bid stood at £26,000 ($35,000), which is on the lower end of the estimated value of up to £35,000.
