A violin, believed to have been played as the Titanic sank, was sold at auction for £900,000 ($1.45 million). The instrument belonged to bandmaster Wallace Hartley, who perished along with 1,500 others as the ship sank in 1912. The German-made violin features a silver plate screwed onto the base, engraved with the words: “For Wallace, on the occasion of our engagement. From Maria.” Auctioneer Alan Aldridge described the violin as the “rarest and most iconic” piece of Titanic memorabilia. The buyer, who placed a bid over the phone, chose to remain anonymous.
[ Henry Aldridge / Via: BBC ]