Titanic bandmaster letter fetches $138,000

A LETTER written by the bandmaster of the Titanic who carried on playing as the doomed ship sank has sold at auction for STG93,000 ($A138,000).

Wallace Hartley, 33, has become a key figure of the disaster as - together with his seven other band members - he carried on playing until the very last moments.

The violinist, who travelled as a second-class passenger on Titanic, wrote a letter to his parents as the ship set off from Southampton on April 10, 1912.

Experts estimated that the letter would fetch around STG50,000 but a bidding frenzy saw the hammer go down at STG93,000 at Henry Aldridge and Son in Devizes, Wiltshire on Saturday.

Hartley, from Colne in Lancashire, wrote: "Just a line to say we have got away all right. It's been a bit of a rush but I am just getting a little settled.

"This is a fine ship & there ought to be plenty of money on her. I've missed coming home very much & it would have been nice to have seen you all if only for an hour or two, but I couldn't manage it.

"We have a fine band & the boys seem very nice. I have had to buy some linen & I sent my washing home today by post. I shall probably arrive home on the Sunday morning.

"We are due here on the Saturday. I'm glad mother's foot is better."

The band, and Hartley in particular, have been depicted as the ship's heroes in virtually every genre, including postcards, song sheets, books, stage and films, for carrying on playing while the Titanic went down.

Titanic left Southampton on April 10, 1912 on the start of a journey that ended in tragedy in the cold North Atlantic four days later, with the loss of more than 1500 lives.

Hartley's letter is written on adjoining sheets of on-board Titanic stationary with company watermark and is hand-dated by Hartley on April 10, 1912.

The note also bears the red embossed White Star Line house burgee.

Hartley did not survive the sinking ship and his body was later recovered and returned to his home town of Colne, where he received a large funeral.

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