Titanic letter auctioned: Written before the sinking, it sold for nearly $400,000
A letter from first-class passenger Archibald Gracie, written five days before the sinking of the Titanic, has been acquired by a private collector at auction in England.
A letter written from the Titanic by one of its most famous survivors, Archibald Gracie, sold for $399,000 at an auction held by Henry Aldridge & Son in Wiltshire, England. The document was written on April 10, 1912, just as the ocean liner set sail on its tragic maiden voyage.
The sale price far exceeded the initial estimate of £60,000, according to the organizers. The letter was addressed to the seller's great-uncle and represents a firsthand account from inside the Titanic, just days before the collision with an iceberg that caused the ship to sink and the deaths of some 1,500 people.
A unique piece from the Titanic
According to the auctioneers, this is the only known copy of a letter written by Archibald Gracie from the Titanic. In the message, Gracie states: “She is a fine ship, but I will wait until my voyage is over before I judge her.” The letter, dated April 10, was sent from Queenstown, Ireland, one of the Titanic’s previous stops before heading out into the North Atlantic.
Auction house manager Andrew Aldridge described the letter as an “exceptional museum-quality piece,” highlighting both its rarity and historical significance. The letter was acquired by an unnamed American private collector.
The Titanic sank at sea on April 14, 1912, and there are still underwater investigations into the incident. Photo: BBC
Archibald Gracie's legacy
Gracie survived the sinking by jumping into the sea and clinging to an overturned collapsible boat. He was later rescued by a lifeboat and taken to the RMS Carpathia. After returning to New York, he published a book entitled The Truth About the Titanic, considered one of the most accurate accounts of that night.
The passenger had boarded a first-class cabin in Southampton. Although he survived the disaster, he never fully recovered from the trauma and hypothermia he suffered, dying in December 1912 from health-related complications.