Global Courant 2023-04-25 07:16:05
A huge plan of the Titanic used during a 1912 investigation into the ship sinks has been sold at auction for £195,000 (US$243,000).
The 10-meter plan, annotated with red and green pinstripes showing where the ice is believed to have entered five watertight bulkheads, is simply one of the most important and well-documented pieces of Titanic memorabilia that exists today,” the auction house, Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd., said in a statement to CNN Monday.
The Titanic was the largest ocean liner in service at the time and was considered nearly impregnable. But it hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean on April 14, 1912, and more than 1,500 people died in the sinking, shocking the world and sparking outrage over a lack of lifeboats on board.
This plan of the ship was prepared by the Naval Architects Department of the White Star Line, the company that owned the Titanic, and was used during the investigation into the disaster. It hung from the ceiling for participants to point to with a pointer, and the cable holes in the linen are still visible.
The auction price reflects “the rarity of the material … but also the enduring appeal of the Titanic story,” Andrew Aldridge, general manager of the auction house, told CNN.
“She sank 111 years ago, but the memory of those passengers and crew lives on in the memorabilia,” he added.
The investigation’s transcripts are filled with references to the plan, as it considered the testimonies of nearly 100 witnesses and other evidence, and concluded that the Titanic sank after colliding with an iceberg, caused by the excessive speed at which the ship was navigated.
Many maritime security reforms have been implemented as a result of the findings of the investigations.
Other pieces were sold at the same auction, including a Titanic accommodation plan for £60,000 (US$75,000), a collection related to the rescue ship Carpathia for £85,000 ($106,000), and a mural of the RMS Queen Mary for £55,000 ( $68,000).
Titanic: Plan used in research on sinking ships is sold
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