Titanic passenger’s postcard goes to auction
Postcard from Titanic Passenger Heading to Auction
An intriguing piece of history is set to go up for auction this month – a postcard written by a first-class passenger on the ill-fated Titanic. The postcard, penned by British businessman Richard William Smith, is addressed to a Mrs Olive Dakin in Norwich, England.
Postmarked on April 11, 1912, just three days before the tragic sinking of the Titanic, the card captures a moment in time as Smith describes his journey from Southampton to New York. The message, written in pencil, reads: “Have had a fine run around to Queenstown. Just leaving for the land of stars and stripes.” Smith signs off with well-wishes for Mrs Dakin and her family.
Andrew Aldridge, managing director of Henry Aldridge & Son, the UK auctioneer handling the sale, shared insights into Smith’s journey aboard the Titanic. Smith, a tea broker with ties to the US, was traveling with a family friend named Mrs Nicholls. Aldridge noted that the postcard was likely handed to Mrs Nicholls to post as she disembarked in Queenstown.
The postcard, with a rare postmark from Cork, Ireland, is expected to fetch up to £10,000 (US$12,900) at the upcoming auction on November 16. Aldridge emphasized the significance of this historical item, considering it as one of the last written messages by Smith before the tragedy.
This postcard adds to the collection of Titanic memorabilia auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son, known for its specialized auctions of White Star Line and transport artifacts. In a previous auction, the gold watch of Titanic passenger John Jacob Astor IV fetched a record-breaking £1.175 million (US$1.51 million), exceeding initial estimates by tenfold.
