WEALTHY collectors are set for an international bidding war when rare items from Southampton’s ill-fated liner, Titanic, go under the auctioneer’s hammer on Saturday.
Poignant reminders of the many local seamen who died on Titanic together with letters and postcards sent by the ship’s officers and passengers are expected to be fought over by bidders, all waving large cheque books.
It is 97 years since Titanic sank after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
But interest in the White Star liner has increased, driving the cost of memorabilia from the ship to record breaking levels.
An amazing list of items belonging to the 1912 vessel or to passengers and crew, who either survived or lost their lives, is expected to attract bids from around the world.
Among the lots are personal belongings of Millvina Dean, the last Titanic passenger left alive today, who lives on the edge of the New Forest.
Included in her collection is a canvas mailbag which comes with a signed note by Millvina saying it belonged to her mother and which she believes was used to carry the family’s belongings back from New York after the disaster.
Just one small key, with a tag marked “SERVICE FOR “E’’ Deck, which belonged to a Titanic crew member, first class steward Edmund Stone from Southampton, is the star lot of the auction and is expected to fetch at least £60,000 while his mother-ofpearl penknife could command £7,000.
A letter from Henry Wilde, Titanic’s Chief Officer and second only to Captain Edward Smith in seniority, will also go under the hammer and is expected to fetch anything between £20,000 and £25,000.
The letter was written on April 7 and described the scramble to make everything ready for the maiden voyage three days later.
Bids at the same level are expected for another letter, written by Adolphe Saalfeld, a First Class passenger, on April 10, 1912 to his wife, Gertrude.
“I just had an hour’s roaming about on this wonderful boat,’’ wrote the passenger who was to survive the sinking.
“I like my cabin very much – it’s like a bed-sitting room and rather large. I am the first man to write a letter, they are still busy to finish the last things on board.’’
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