In England, a postcard sent by a Titanic disaster survivor has been auctioned for a record amount.
American first-class passenger Archibald Gracie sent the postcard on the day he boarded the passenger ship. The postcard fetched £300,000 (approximately €350,000), nearly five times its estimated value. Gracie wrote on the card: “She is a beautiful ship but I will await the end of my voyage before passing judgement on her.” The auction house Henry Aldridge and Son called this inscription “prophetic.”
The postcard is dated 10 April 1912, the day Gracie boarded the ship. The seller’s great-uncle, who knew Gracie, received the card at the Waldorf Hotel in London. The auction house emphasised that the “rarity of this item cannot be overstated,” and referred to it as a piece of “museum quality.”
Gracie became known for his book about the maritime disaster, "The Truth About the Titanic". According to his own accounts, Gracie first assisted women and children into lifeboats before managing to climb onto an overturned boat with several dozen other men. Although he survived the disaster, Gracie passed away a few months later in December 1912.
The Titanic departed from Southampton, England, on its maiden voyage on 10 April 1912. With more than 2,200 people on board, the ship, deemed unsinkable, was en route to New York. On 15 April, the Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank, resulting in the loss of more than 1,500 lives.
