Century-old Titanic newspaper found in grandmother's wardrobe, sold for just Rs 3,800
This discovery, unearthed by Hansons Auctioneers in Lichfield, Staffordshire, captures poignant moments from the immediate aftermath of the tragedy that claimed over 1,500 lives.
The Daily Mirror's front page from that day features a headline declaring, “One of the thousands of tragedies which made the Titanic wreck the most horrible in the world’s history.” Accompanying this are images of two women in Southampton – the departure port of the ill-fated ship – anxiously awaiting news of survivors. RMS Titanic, hailed as the largest and “unsinkable” passenger ship at the time, sank on April 14, 1912, after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic. The disaster unfolded swiftly, with the ship going under in less than three hours, revealing a tragic shortfall in lifeboats for the approximately 2,220 people on board.
The front page chillingly details the human cost: “Of the 903 members of the crew of the Titanic, only 210 have been saved. This means tragedy upon tragedy for Southampton, where the majority of the men lived, for by this appalling disaster mothers have been robbed of sons, wives of husbands, and young girls of sweethearts.”
The anguish of waiting families is further captured as the article recounts the scene in Southampton: “Yesterday was a terrible day in the history of the town, though it put an end to all suspense. A list of the saved was posted outside the White Star offices, and mothers and wives who had been hoping against hope eagerly read the names, only to find their worst fears were realized.
