Titanic Surviving German Made Violin Auctioned Off For $1.6M

Buyer who bid and bought a violin believed to belong to Wallace Hartley, the band leader that went down with the Titanic wants to remain anonymous.

By H. Nelson Goodson

October 19, 2013

Devizes, Wiltshire, England - On Saturday, a RMS Titanic artifact was auctioned off by Henry Aldridge and Son at the English town of Devizes, Wiltshire, for a record $1.6M (more then 1M pounds). The German-made violin believed to belong to second class passenger and band leader, Wallace Hartley, 33, who along with seven other band members played the last songs while the Titanic sank is corroded and can't be played.

The violin has the engraving, "For Wallace on the occasion of our engagement from Maria." His fiancee, Maria Robinson gave the violin to Wallace. Wallace of Colne, Lancs, apparently played the violin as portrayed by James Cameron's movie "Titanic" movie scene where the band leader and his band played the song "Nearer, My God, To Thee" as hundreds of Titanic passengers frantically made their way to the few life boats left. Other passengers including children in panic and screaming jumped into the icy waters to reach almost empty life boats in the water. Many second and third class passengers died in the interior of the ship when their exits were blocked or locked to keep them from escaping and overcrowding the upper first class decks. On April 15, 1912, about 1,715 Titanic passengers perished in the icy waters of hypothermia. 

The violin was returned after the Titanic tragedy to Robinson who lived in Briglington, East Yorkshire. It later resurfaced again in 2006, which the violin went numerous tests to authenticate before the auction, according to Henry Aldridge and Son auctioneers company.