RMS Titanic passenger's optimistic postcard is set to be auctioned off

[Orange]

 

A haunting hello from history, specifically, the Titanic, is set to go under the hammer, providing a poignant memento of the ill-fated voyage. A postcard penned by first-class passenger Richard William Smith, just three days before the ship met its tragic fate, will be auctioned later this month.

 

The message, written to Mrs Olive Dakin in Norwich, England, captures a snapshot of life aboard the luxury liner—before everything changed.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd (@henryaldridgeauctioneers)

 

 

Smith wrote the postcard on April 11, 1912, while the Titanic was making a stop at Queenstown (now Cobh, Ireland). Simple yet filled with optimism, the message read:

 

“Have had a fine run around to Queenstown. Just leaving for the land of stars and stripes. Hope you are all quite well at home. Kindest regards, R.W.S.”

 

Sadly, this postcard would become one of the last written words from Smith, as the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank just days later.

 

The postcard is expected to fetch between £6,000 and £10,000 (roughly $7,700 to $12,900 USD) and will be part of a broader sale organized by Henry Aldridge & Son, an auction house in the UK known for its expertise in Titanic memorabilia. Alongside other items related to the White Star Line and transport history, this postcard offers a deeply personal glimpse into the experiences of those who were on board the doomed ship.

 

Smith was traveling in the company of Mrs Emily Nicholls, a family friend who disembarked at Queenstown. In a photograph captured by Father Browne, an Irish Jesuit priest who famously documented the Titanic’s voyage before disembarking, a couple believed to be Smith and Nicholls can be seen on deck together. It's presumed that Mrs Nicholls posted the card after leaving the ship in Cork.

 

And through artifacts like this one, we remember the lives lost and the dreams that went down with the Titanic.

 

• https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/06/style/poignant-postcard-titanic-auction-gbr-scli-intl/index.html 
• https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd0gj0z7729o 

 

 

 

Image: Memedesimo | Dreamstime.com